BalletBear Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 13 hours ago, M'sMum said: Thank you BB. It is for year 9. You’re welcome! Oh right. I tried for yr 11 but unfortunately didn’t receive a place, but it was such a challenging class so I learnt a few things. I hope your dd has fun dancing there every week! Xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopelessMummy Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Congrats to all with offers and so sorry to those who didn't this time round xxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macmac Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 I am completely new to this so apologies for maybe asking obvious questions. First of all congratulations to all successful Elmhurst Young Dancers. My DD auditioned for year 7 unfortunately it was a no for her. She auditioned in year 6 Junior associates Birmingham Royal Ballet & was placed on their SWL. Unfortunately it was a no from Mid Associates Royal Ballet this year. She never auditioned for full time vocational study either at the Royal Ballet or Elmhurst. My question would be if it's worth trying to audition for year 7 full time at Elmhurst this year as noticed they put out some late audition dates for y7 as she just received a no from young dancers? And also is it worth auditioning for year 8 Royal Ballet WL as again places so limited and thinking they will have even less chance as classes already formed from full time students moving up from year7 to year 8? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glissade Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Hi Emdancer - it all depends on what you regard as being a worthwhile outcome. If it's only in terms of being offered a place following the audition, then the vast majority of auditions aren't worth it for the vast majority of applicants (simply because there are so many children auditioning for so few places). However, if you go into the process from the point of view of gaining worthwhile audition experience, then applying for the schemes and schools you mention is definitely worthwhile - each audition is a ballet class in itself with excellent teachers and an opportunity to dance with a live piano accompaniment. Your daughter should feel very proud of herself for her bravery in taking part in a class with unfamiliar students, and her confidence should grow as a result. I really think that auditions at this stage can be a valuable experience for children if they are framed in these terms from the outset. Gaining a place would then be the cherry on the cake rather than the only desired outcome of an audition. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Hello Emdancer and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macmac Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Thank you for the warm welcome and thank you glisade for your reply. I guess we don't live directly close to any of the main centres and as my DD is so passionate about her dancing and with ballet she would benefit for more intense training it would be nice if she had more chance to build on her potential. The opportunities around us are not many, she was offered a place to the local ballet school Associate Programme however it's only once a month and not every week as Elmhurst and RBS offer which I guess is not enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macmac Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Also to add when she was placed on SWL last year with RBS JAit was very encouraging for her unfortunately not lucky this year with MA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Foo Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 If your Dd finds the auditions are good experience and is fairly robust at dealing with disappointment ( should that be the case) then why not try again. Dds RBs associate teacher described the student in an audition situation as a Rubik’s cube. Some students will have a nearly full red side for physique for example but only 4 yellow cubes for turn out or 7 green for feet but only 2 for for musicality and artistry. She made it clear that no one has the full finished cube and they make a decision on a balance of coloured squares. It was a good way of helping the kids to understand the balance. Obviously they are not going to choose a student who is not suitable for training but sometimes it just depends who else is auditioning! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leotardmum Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 i tell my daughter to always think of an audition as an open class rather than a test , we have adopted an approach of give it a go as nothing to lose ( nobody will die or get sick and your teacher will never chuck you out or not welcome you back just because you didnt get in or get the best grade etc ) and you may actually gain something ....if you get it then great but if not it can either be a lightbulb moment of ?is this path the right one for my child or am i flocking something to death/pushing my child wrongly and should i redirect my childs energies somewhere else or just chill out and enjoy her dancing for pleasure rather than seeing it as a career .... ? are we needing to improve something ie flexibility or posture that we may have actually spotted but ignored or had said to us over time ..... ? just bad luck and better dancers present on that day ...... we 'failed' an audition and went back the year after realising flexibility really needing improving, she worked really hard and went back with splits in all ways so went in feeling more confident ....rightly or wrongly splits may not have been the issue but we knew they got tested so knowing she could do them that year just helped her confidence overall ...she now knows tho that for her body she needs to work at her flexibility and its helped her in many ways realising that things dont happen without effort lol Every school looking for something different - and thats not even touching on the touchy subject of weight /height/leg and body ratios lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macmac Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Thank you very much for your reply leotardmum, glissade & Valentina, very much appreciated. You are right I guess it is all about the way we are all looking at it. My dd loves her dancing & is happy to try to audition, always ask me when is the next one lol. Just wondering if there are any other good ballet schools in & around Birmingham (not just Elmhurst & RBS) offering weekly associate classes worth trying to apply? Our local school (East Midlands) offers a limited number of ballet lessons - 1 or 2 a week. And if I could ask a very strange question - is it ok to smile when auditioning in ballet or is it more expected to look seriously? I know very silly question! 🙈😂. Thank you again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummy twinkle toes Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Kings International have an audition on the 23rd June. It is Barwell but not too far from Birmingham. 9 classes a term. MIDAS had some spaces left. This is in Birmingham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Annette Nicholson (ex BRB dancer and MA/SA teacher) runs her own associate scheme on Sundays (fortnightly I think) Details are on her website (under classes then Sunday Associates) http://www.nicholsonschoolofdance.com/ She is a fantastic teacher and will, if you ask, give a very honest assessment of your DC's suitability for full time training. She holds Easter and Summer classes with amazing guest teachers too. Beautiful studios in Digbeth with parking (thought with the nearby Eastside/HS2 development nearby it isn't as easy to get to as it was - but worth it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Foo Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 56 minutes ago, EmDancer said: Thank you very much for your reply leotardmum, glissade & Valentina, very much appreciated. You are right I guess it is all about the way we are all looking at it. My dd loves her dancing & is happy to try to audition, always ask me when is the next one lol. Just wondering if there are any other good ballet schools in & around Birmingham (not just Elmhurst & RBS) offering weekly associate classes worth trying to apply? Our local school (East Midlands) offers a limited number of ballet lessons - 1 or 2 a week. And if I could ask a very strange question - is it ok to smile when auditioning in ballet or is it more expected to look seriously? I know very silly question! 🙈😂. Thank you again! Obviously, if the performer shows the joy that dance brings them through their whole body and face, then the audience will share in that joy. An audition is definitely a performance and so showing emotion in your face is important. When you are young, that will often show as a smile, although natural is preferable to forced, which would not be genuine. However, as you become older and more experienced, ‘ the smile’ will hopefully develop into more mature emotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leotardmum Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 yes iam one for encouraging joy and happiness as what better way to spend a few hours dancing and not doing homework or emptying the dishwasher i tell my child lol i always tell my child that we have literally 'paid' to have that time in front of them / same at competitions we have paid for that 3 minutes on stage so regardless how it goes please go and have a blast - if it all goes wrong just roll round on the stage for the 3 minutes i tell her ( obv this is a joke ! ) its your time to shine and remember the person choosing or judging may like you one day and not the next or be looking for certain things that maybe we didnt show or dont have/cant have ( body shape awareness can be tricky as they reach puberty and start to change ) and to just bring home at least one learning point from the class/audition/competition that she can take into the next one or into school lessons...... thanking the teachers and pianist is also very important at the end of an audition/open class if its possible ..... we have some comps that are 'open classes' first before you are 'selected' to do your solo here that are great prep for auditions in learning etiquette and confidence building/learning to cope with not getting thro ...and a new leaotard/hair flower can always take the sting out of rejection in the younger ones ( as does a chocolate treat afterwards i find ) x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 @Astrid @Spamcat @Echo Hello lovelies, have you received any other communication following confirmation of accepting the place? Xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 No, we haven’t received anything else after accepting a place for year 5. But they had asked to respond by the 5th of June so they might be waiting to have everyone responses. We were planning to go this Saturday for the class at 10am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Thankyou @Lara Eschler I thought they allocated you 2 of the dates? I may have misread the email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Thank you for your response. We were given the option to attend the 4 last classes of this term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Lara Eschler said: Thank you for your response. We were given the option to attend the 4 last classes of this term. I think it may be different for year 4 having re-read the email. It definitely says they will allocate 2 of the last 4, 8.45-9.45am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrid Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 40 minutes ago, Fairydust said: @Astrid @Spamcat @Echo Hello lovelies, have you received any other communication following confirmation of accepting the place? Xx Hi Fairy dust! we haven’t heard anything, but we are at a wedding this weekend and so can’t go to the class this Saturday even if we were allocated it. I did mention I couldn’t do this week to them in my email though so hoping that’s ok! My email also says 2 out the four so planning on that. I guess we will hear after today? x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 @Astrid my email has just come through confirming this Saturday and the following Saturday for DD 8.45 to 9.45 hopefully you will get two dates you can make so excited 😆 xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrid Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 @Fairydust ah yep just got it - the 15th and the 29th. see you on the 15th then 💃🏼 Xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 @Astrid yay, see you on the 15th xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 On 05/06/2019 at 13:33, Fairydust said: @Astrid my email has just come through confirming this Saturday and the following Saturday for DD 8.45 to 9.45 hopefully you will get two dates you can make so excited 😆 xx We have got 8th and 15th too! My DH will he taking her this week but hopefully I'll be going on 15th. How exciting!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Hope they give us a bit more info on Saturday too. We have auditioned and accepted a place and we literally know nothing about it! 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, Spamcat said: Hope they give us a bit more info on Saturday too. We have auditioned and accepted a place and we literally know nothing about it! 😂 One of DDs friends goes and say it’s fantastic so we’re not worried although we know very little too 😂 looking forward to meeting you all xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I feel the same way. Is it only one ballet class that they take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I think there may be an option of a jazz class too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I think read about a Jazz class too on a forum. I thought they would do more like a stretch class or conditioning specifically for ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 We heard about a jazz class and we are really hoping they can do this too as my DD would love it! Maybe it's an optional extra? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrid Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Maybe they are waiting to make sure all the DCs like the format and style of the class before sending or any extra info? maybe in previous years they have had some that have decided it isn’t for them early on and that’s why they are doing the June classes, so that little DCs on the wait list can get a chance earlier if they don’t? 🙂 seems like a good idea if that’s the case! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairydust Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 22 hours ago, Spamcat said: We heard about a jazz class and we are really hoping they can do this too as my DD would love it! Maybe it's an optional extra? If it’s the same as last year there will be 1 hour 15 ballet and exercise and optional 1 hour jazz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkpip100 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 My DD started the Y5 class last year; I think the main reason for the extra classes is to get them used to the format etc, especially for those starting in Y5 or Y6 as they will be joining a class of children who have been there for at least a year & are already very comfortable with how things work. The info about classes, uniform etc come out towards the end of the summer term if I remember correctly. And yes, there is an optional jazz class which most of them seem to do. They do work them hard but my daughter has loved her first year there 😊. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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