Central Preps Auditions

[poodle]

Hi there

 

Can anyone give any insight to the central preps audition please.  What sort of things are the dancers asked to do, are they in big groups, etc etc.

 

Interested to hear others experiences and where Parents went whilst waiting ?

 

Thank you

[Anna C]

It's a long time since my dd auditioned for Central Preps but as she was a Prep/Pre-Senior for 5 years, I can definitely answer the question about parents - there's a Pret à Manger a few doors down.  There's also (assuming it's still there) a nice Costa halfway along Hatton Garden. 

[poodle]

Just now, Anna C said:

It's a long time since my dd auditioned for Central Preps but as she was a Prep/Pre-Senior for 5 years, I can definitely answer the question about parents - there's a Pret à Manger a few doors down.  There's also (assuming it's still there) a nice Costa halfway along Hatton Garden. 

 

Thanks Anna

 

Good to know there are places nearby it's quite a long wait :0)

 

 

 

 

[Anna C]

It is. ☺️ The Pret hadn't opened until my dd's last year or two as a Pre-Senior but it's a nice one. 

[MAK]

Plenty of places for coffee and snacks nearby though most waiting parents (and dancers) do seem to end up in Pret 😊.

The audition is a standard ballet class with some barre and some centre practise as far as I remember being told but I'll ask my two when they get back from dance (😂) and see if there is anything specific.

I think there were about 30 in the Prep 1 audition last year and in 2016.

Edited May 29, 2018 by MAK

[poodle]

Thank you MAK. 

 

How many of the 30 auditionees do they take on do you know?

[MAK]

There are currently about 15 students in Prep 1 but very occasionally I believe dancers will be selected to join via other routes e.g. summer schools, in class assessments etc. Also, Central operates a very strict but well explained "your place is for one year" policy and there will be a small number of dancers in any given class that will be repeating the year. So in Prep 1 the majority of girls will be from Year 7 but a few from Year 8.

I checked with my dd and she confirmed the audition was made up of standard exercises and she thinks some improvisation.

Good luck!

 

[Anna C]

It was the norm that students repeated one year as there were 4 classes (Preps 1, 2 and 3 followed by Pre-Seniors) catering for 5 academic year groups, so nobody should be disheartened by repeating a year.  As MAK says, if you get a place, take it a year at a time.  

[Pas de Quatre]

Just a few years ago there were only 3 groups.  Prep 1 and 2 were Yrs 7 - 9 followed by Pre Seniors which were Yrs 10 & 11, although I did know a girl with an early September birthday who went into Pre Seniors in Yr 9.  So it was normal for many people to spend two years in one group.

Edited May 30, 2018 by Pas de Quatre
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[Mummy twinkle toes]

On 29/05/2018 at 10:35, poodle said:

Hi there

 

Can anyone give any insight to the central preps audition please.  What sort of things are the dancers asked to do, are they in big groups, etc etc.

 

Interested to hear others experiences and where Parents went whilst waiting ?

 

Thank you

The pret cafe is not that big. It is a short walk to Covent Garden-10-15 minutes. There is also a Weatherspoon pub about 5 mins walk from Central- head towards Farringdon.

[Jan McNulty]

The Exmouth Market area looks as though it is only about a 10 minute walk away - full of cafes, bars, restaurants and some interesting shops.

 

I recently stayed at the Travelodge on Farringdon Road and walked to the London Mithraeum which involved carrying on down Farringdon Road beyond Roseberry Ave/Exmouth Market.  There seemed to be quite a few cafes/bars/restaurants there too. 

[TYR]

Terroni's Italian restaurant, since 1875, is like a hundred yards up the street and so much better than anything a bleedin' Pret will offer you.

[Anna C]

10 hours ago, TYR said:

Terroni's Italian restaurant, since 1875, is like a hundred yards up the street and so much better than anything a bleedin' Pret will offer you.

 

I love Pret's food and drink. Each to her own.

[poodle]

On 30/05/2018 at 23:51, TYR said:

Terroni's Italian restaurant, since 1875, is like a hundred yards up the street and so much better than anything a bleedin' Pret will offer you.

I looked it up and it looks lovely I will give it a try, thanks:)

[poodle]

On 30/05/2018 at 23:01, Jan McNulty said:

The Exmouth Market area looks as though it is only about a 10 minute walk away - full of cafes, bars, restaurants and some interesting shops.

 

I recently stayed at the Travelodge on Farringdon Road and walked to the London Mithraeum which involved carrying on down Farringdon Road beyond Roseberry Ave/Exmouth Market.  There seemed to be quite a few cafes/bars/restaurants there too. 

I will have a walk down Exmouth Market, thanks.

[MAK]

Lots of areas within 20-30 mins walk (including Sadlers Wells 😊). The river/Tate Modern/Borough Market in one direction, Covent Garden another, Oxford Street another, Islington and Clerkenwell another. If your dd auditions successfully you'll be spoilt for choice.

Terronis is lovely - favourite haunt of DD1!

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

[Pups_mum]

The British Museum is within easy walking distance too. Just don't make the mistake of coming out of a different door to the one you went in at or it can be very confusing!