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Dutch National Trainee Programme contracts 2018


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For anyone who is interested the Dutch National Academy have just announced their graduate destinations....nice to see Lania Atkins has been offered an apprenticeship with the RB - I noticed her at the 2016 PDL - although she wasn’t selected for the finals she was offered a place at the Dutch National Academy as a result of the PDL - well done to her for being offered an apprenticeship with the RB!24058CC6-100F-4C04-9C62-65D6962E6802.thumb.jpeg.bebcd45b0e2347a6c8746aad94a79efb.jpeg

 

Edited by Springbourne3
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It's interesting that none of the finishing students are joining the DNB junior company. This is very unusual, possibly the first time since the junior company was formed.

The first year dancers in the Junior Company are generally promoted to a second year JC dancer unless they choose to leave or are asked to leave. Occasionally some are promoted straight into the main company.

Edited by Lucinda
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Is Lania Atkins Australian? It's just that her name rings a bell as always try to follow Australians progress at the Prix as friends in Oz often ask me to and I seem to remember a tallish dancer that I liked very much who did not win a prize around that time and wondered what happened to her. 

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2 hours ago, LinMM said:

Is Lania Atkins Australian? It's just that her name rings a bell as always try to follow Australians progress at the Prix as friends in Oz often ask me to and I seem to remember a tallish dancer that I liked very much who did not win a prize around that time and wondered what happened to her. 

 

Yes Lania is Australian - I liked her too and it was a surprise that she didn’t make the PDL finals but was offered a place at the Dutch National Academy through the networking process at the PDL.  She has been studying there since 2016 - a lovely tall, elegant and long-limbed dancer.

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9 hours ago, Lucinda said:

It's interesting that none of the finishing students are joining the DNB junior company. This is very unusual, possibly the first time since the junior company was formed.

The first year dancers in the Junior Company are generally promoted to a second year JC dancer unless they choose to leave or are asked to leave. Occasionally some are promoted straight into the main company.

 

Yes it seems that this year’s graduates are joining companies far and wide but none to the DNB! 

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There has been a split from the Nationale Ballet Academie - The trainees are now run by Movart productions - The teachers and Director are no longer part of the school and they train in different studios on the other side of Amsterdam - The trainees took part in this years school performance  ( as I think this had already been arranged before the split ) but as there seems to be no love lost between the two factions I doubt wether this will happen again. The Summer school also is now run by Movart productions using their teachers rather than any one from het nationale. For anyone thinking of auditioning in Amsterdam note that the Dutch nationale ballet academie and the Dutch National trainee programme are now two entirely different things. One boy from the school will be going to DNB others going to Zurich, Poland, Hong Kong, Hungary and Introdans Amsterdam. 

Edited by Sadielou
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Jean Yves was still director of the school at audition time and he would have chosen where to place auditionees. Some given places in the school years 5 / 6 / 7 others BA course at NBA or Trainees. The trainee course only split from the school at the beginning of the summer term, up until then the BA students did their morning classes at NBA and then joined the trainees at Chasse studios for afternoon lessons. At the beginning of the summer term the BA students were told that they would no longer be joining the trainees and all lessons would be at NBA. They were also told that Jean Yves was under investigation (nobody knows the real reason why) and that all NBA students should have no contact with him until the investigation was done. Meanwhile the trainees did 2 pieces in the school performance but Jean Yves was not allowed into the Opera House to watch or rehearse them !

NBA students are part of the university and as such pay a nominal fee as university students. The trainee course is now more expensive than NBA and fees are paid to Movart productions - it is all a bit of a mess. However the teachers at NBA did an amazing job with the school show which far out did last years offering, all the NBA kids seem very happy and have been extremely well taught. In reality the split has been a bonus for the NBA students who were overlooked over the past few years in favour of the trainees.  None of the Dutch are trainees as like here they still have to do some form of education, therefore they are either 5 /6 /7 or on the BA course. This may have been part of the problem, but just speculation.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok- I just happened to be looking around at some information and so I had to comment.

 

Ok-- Ted Brandson does not make the decisions as to who goes where within the school.  In the past few years, it was Jean Yves.  That being said, although Jean Yves, did have discussions with the dancers as to where their potential placement would be for the 2018-2019 year,  many of them were assigned different levels, by the faculty of AHK, at the end of the year.  Some were added into the BA program, some were removed, some were added as BA guest students (do not have the educational requirement). Those promised BA and granted 5 year VISAS were basically out of luck if they were no longer entering into the BA program. The larger issue is that the amount of hours spent training in ballet for the NBA 5-7 were being drastically decreased.  This was not a decision that was made by Jean Yves, but by others within the school.

 

I agree that the program was well put together; but I would not agree that it was better than the previous years.  The only piece that  stood out as exceptional was William Forsythe's Artifact Suite- Hypno.  As far as the split being a bonus for the NBA students, I believe that the NBA program just started, in JY years as AD, to really become beefed up with talent from outside of the Netherlands.  There is a natural progression with all training.  With the trainee level being at the top for the last 2 years (program instituted 2016-2017), it would make sense that these kids WOULD have the main focus as THEY are the ones that are now moving into the professional field.  In the years prior to and including 2015-2016, Level 7 was the top- or the kids that were auditioning to begin their professional dancing careers.

 

I believe that the BA program is really only a benefit for the Dutch as for other countries, they are not required a BA to enter into Universities (maybe Germany needs BA?)

 

The trainee program is a strong and well rounded program that will offer a wealth of knowledge, opportunity, and hopefully, a job offer by some of the best companies in the world. 

 

There are always two sides to any story (see picture below) and we, unfortunately, have not had the opportunity to hear Jean Yves side of the investigation.  For all that we know, he is the scapegoat for a much bigger issue that is going on within the AHK.

8F0437F6-C5FD-466B-A9A4-A21988AF630F.JPG

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In answer to dancing sisters -

 

Nobody knows Jean Yves side to the story - or even what the story is, and as said it was him that would have been in charge of auditions and placements going into 2018 /19 - It was never said that Ted Brandson had anything at all to do with the school or who was given places or on what course. All we know is that he is standing in, basically as a figurehead in the interim whilst Jean Yves is being investigated.

 

Re:  The school performance - I can only compare with 2017 and in my opinion I thought this years show was an improvement - I think considering all had such a sort time to rehearse and put a show together, the NBA teachers did an amazing job. You are of course welcome to your opinion - we all see things differently. As your picture above.

 

As far as the trainee program is concerned - as you said all trainees are from outside the Netherlands. Until the middle of the last school year the Trainee course and BA course ran alongside each other, all rehearsing together in the afternoons. However as the trainees rehearsed separately in the mornings, the BA's were always on their back foot when they joined rehearsals in afternoon,  always having to play catchup. It therefore worked to their advantage when the split came as the BAs / Level 7 were able to learn and rehearse pieces from the beginning as a group - without being left on the sidelines as 2nd cast.

 

I don't think it is a fair assumption that the Trainees are "the top"  There are some stand out students on both courses and also on both courses those in need of further training.

Last year the students that got into the Junior Company were all originally from the BA program and the same for the one boy that got a place this year. When the Junior company needed extra dancers for their last tour, they used students from the BA course and I think a boy from level 7. The trainees / BA's and level 7  are all a mixture of ages going from 16 to 20 the older students from each course will be be auditioning for professional jobs - and therefore surely should all have the same advantages and chances to perform,  not just a focus on one group of students. You can surely understand the frustration of the Dutch parents / students. 

 

 

 

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Of course I can understand!  But I believe both C as well as L were originally Level 7 (prior to a trainee) AND BA Program, and when they were promoted still obtained their BA. There also was a student this year in the Trainee program, who was Dutch, and earning his BA.

 

This year, I’m pretty sure that 3 Dutch students from the NBA have chosen to move to the trainee program. 

 

They should have the same opportunities to perform , but that’s what the plan is for the Trainees versus the BA students who need that degree to continue on to University studies. (Correct me if I’m wrong on the BA program) The description of the trainee program states that it is a cultural exchange program that offers in house performances and traveling abroad, traveling programs thruout Holland and abroad.  The Academy bachelor program mentions that “HBO students have a considerate share in the annual school performances and SOMETIMES participate in professional tours. “

 

You are absolutely right in that there are talented kids in ALL levels, but at the end of the day, performance opportunities, competitions, etc are not the basis for being hired into a company. There are MANY talented and decorated dancers that struggle to obtain jobs as the AD can care less about the awards on your resume.  It’s all about your training, if the AD likes your look and how well you audition.

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Performance opportunities, competitions etc are not a basis for being hired  and those that are good enough will find employment regardless of where they have trained and what courses they attended. However I do think that performing is an essential part of a ballet students training and if this is denied them then they will of course be less confident on stage and in an audition situation than those that have have had a wealth of performance opportunities throughout their training. 

 

The BA is a very small part of the NBA students training - I think one at most two practical (music, ballet history ) lessons a week (if that) was originally the only difference between the two courses. Trainees didn't have to do the practical lessons, either because the country they came from did not require them to carry on with their education or that they had already finished similar courses before arriving in Amsterdam (several of them were older and had already done a grad year in their previous schools) and others were carrying on with their education via the internet.  As far as I am aware the Dutch students in levels 5/6/7 NBA are still attending normal education in the mornings as required in Holland ( similar to our UK junior vocational schools) therefore they will obviously be doing less intense training (due to time constraints) than the BA's or Trainees who are essentially Upper school students. 

 

The biggest problem with NBA and probably (only my opinion) the reason for the mess, is that there has been no logic as to which courses students have been placed on. As said there are talented and weak students on all. There is also quite an age gap throughout all the courses. For those of us used to students being placed in age/year groups it all seems very confusing and in many cases quite random. 

 

If you look at the NBA website the Trainee program has now been removed, The Summer school page says that that this year it was being run by Movart productions, but in 2019 will return to the NBA studios. The Trainee course now has its own website under Movart productions.

 

For everybody's benefit lets hope all gets sorted soon and the students and teachers don't suffer any fall out.

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The BA is an internationally recognised University degree from the Amsterdam School of the Arts. It’s necessary to have the required academic entrance qualifications to start the BA (classical ballet) degree at the NBA. Overseas academic qualifications (usually the qualifications that you would need to gain entrance to a degree program in your own country eg IB/ A levels) are assessed to see if they are of the required standard. Many of the overseas students, in particular the younger ones will not have attained the required qualifications and so can not study for the BA degree and so are ‘trainees’. Dutch parents are usually very keen for their DC to keep up their academic studies. The degree has a high number of practical hours but also has assignments and a mini thesis.

I disagree that it is not worthwhile, some students like the academic challenge and the break from ‘everything about ballet’. Although gaining that professional contract will primarily be about how a dancer performs in an audition, many AD’s like smart, intelligent dancers.

Besides it’s so much cheaper to gain an internationally recognised recognised BA degree in the Netherlands than the majority of other Western countries.

Edited by Lucinda
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Can’t edit the above post but on re-reading it sounds like that i’ve implied that gaining a degree means you’re smart and intelligent. Not what I meant as there are many different types of intelligences. I guess what I meant that it shows academic commitment and also perhaps more ‘well rounded’ as a person (dancer).

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Well- although the younger students aren’t in the BA program, they are still typically pursuing their high school degrees.   As far as the AD liking intelligent dancers-  I’m going to say that most dancers that I have met are bright, focused and have great time management skills.  AND- I’ve never seen audition paper work asking what your highest degree obtained is- nor have I seen    dancers place that Info on their resumes.   

International students who aren’t in the BA program and have already completed their high school are often enrolled in college courses online and so taking the BA courses, although educational, really will not transfer to any degree they are obtaining.  

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Pehaps there is confusion about academic qualifications. In most Western countries it’s necessary to continue your education to a certain age, but most students do not attain a university entrance qualification. 

In Australia that is to the end of Grade 10 (usually 16 years). Most serious ballet students in Australia complete their high school education via distance education and this rarely gives them a University entrance qualification. Therefore they would not be able to enrol on the BA degree course at the NBA. The majority of NBA students do not enrol in the BA degree course.

If you have worked hard to achieve a Bachelor of the Arts in classical ballet why would you not put it on your resume?! Just another ‘string to your bow’ and you never know what each AD is looking for.

Besides if you’re in the all too unfortunate position of not pursuing a professional career you still have a internationally recognised degree and can enrol in some postgraduate courses. 

Edited by Lucinda
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You are correct. It depends on what country you stem from and what their requirements are.  So, sure/- add that to your already 3-5 page audition resume, that most AD don’t even glance further than the top page. 

 

If your audition is not in thr country thst yoy st from, I can pretty much guarantee that the AD does not know or care.  They want to know if you have finished your countries edu stop B.B. even with that- we havevnever been asked to produce a diploma of completion. 

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For a graduating student a two page resume is ample.

It’s always tough for teenage student dancers to continue their education and also train for enough hours in these formative years to be of the required standard to audition for a professional company.

It’s great that that the NBA offers a degree option for those students that wish to persue it. I’ve not met a student that has regretted taking a dance degree option even though they are usually older than the other auditioning students. Many AD’s like older graduates with more life experience.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

It would appear that this programme is now called European School of Ballet https://movartproductions.com/european-school-of-ballet/ and is definitely quite distinct from the Dutch National Ballet Academy now.

 

Does anyone have any pros or cons for this now Full-Time School? 

Is it true that prior there was a lot of disharmony due to Internationals being able to dance more than the BA students from Holland, due to schooling requirements?

And so this split occurred ??

 

Or was there more to it ??

 

I would welcome all comments thank you as I have a child who has been accepted to the new European School of Ballet and I would appreciate all views.

 

Thank you.

Edited by TippyTippy
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