national youth music theatre, anyone had experience?

[robin64]

Hi, I have finally signed up to the new forum and have been catching up with everyones news. Lots of auditions for all so well done and hugs to you all.

 

I was wondering if anyone had had experience of NYMT plus there also seems to be a similar website called Youth Music Theatre (rather confusing!). It appears that these might involve quite an expense so I wanted to investigate further in case it is not a good idea.

 

I read the other thread about looks and physique with interest..we have been advised that DD has just not got the right feet for ballet with shallow arches and quite inflexible ankles. This has really only come to the fore now she is 13 and doing more pointe (and finding it hard). After 10 years of weekly ballet lessons and hoping for a career in dance it has been a blow though luckily classical ballet was not her first choice. It is still hard though because she would like to continue with all her grades and has been working very very hard on her ballet over the last 2 years especially.

 

DD enjoys lots of other dance and can sing so I have been looking at options. If anyone has thoughts on these music theatre summer schools could they post please (good and bad points)

 

Got to dash but thanks.

[JulieW]

If you don't get much response on here I suggest looking at the "Notapushymum" forums - you're bound to find some help there

[robin64]

Thanks JulieW, I will try that site.I have looked at it before because my nephew does castings for tv and film.

 

DD might do the Ballet Cymru summer dance school as it is not far and very reasonable.

 

Interestingly, it is only after 2 terms at a new ballet school that I have had frank and useful advice for DD's ballet. She is working at grade 6/inter level (she is 13) so obviously from now on pointe becomes more and more important. With determination and work she will probably be able to do the exams but it will never be easy for her to achieve full pointe. Luckily for her she is a good tapper and picks up modern/jazz easily. We have now made the decision to move all lessons over to the new school which has high standards and very well qualified teachers. I can't help feeling sad for DD as she has shed a few tears about her feet! (I posted on the old forum about big feet!...she has the worst feet for ballet - big with long big toe and shallow arches. Something it was not possible to predict at 2 when she started!! Although DH is 6' 4 with size 12 feet!

[FelixGirl]

Hi Robin64

 

My DD (15 years old) is in a similar situation....she excels at ballet, but is just not physically suitable for classical training (long body, short legs and dreadful feet!!)!! Luckily her lovely teacher told us many years ago that DD would never be a ballet dancer so we have always looked at other routes for her!

 

She continued her ballet training (along with modern, tap, jazz and contemporary) is due to take Advanced 1 RAD and ISTD ballet in the summer, and has just got into Bird College to start in September! So not having the right physical attributes for ballet doesn't mean that your DD can't be a dancer, if that's what she wants!!

 

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do......I'm sure your DD will be successful!!

xx

[FelixGirl]

Sorry....meant to say.. because DD isn't purely classical, I post on notapushymum.com as well!!

 

Lots of very useful advice about musical theatre there!!

 

xx

[robin64]

Oh Thanks FelixGirl

 

Your post has really cheered us up!

DD is going to be dancing for 4 full days this half term in an urban dance project and is in a contemporary dance company. She has always enjoyed all types of dance but with ballet every week so I appreciate you sharing your experience. I am glad your DD has kept up her ballet and is taking her advanced exams, that is what DD would like to do. It is hard to realise that factors other than working hard and being dedicated can come into play..especially when they are beyond your control.

 

My DD would love to go to Bird College! Some of the dancers and actors she met in panto were graduates from Bird and they were really lovely people and so nice to the young dancers too. Ever since then she has been hoping to apply there one day. Well done to your DD and thanks for the post, it will be so helpful for my DD to read it. Just wondered...is your DD able to get to Bird college daily or will she live away from home? I guess lots of children go off to vocational school but even 16 seems young to me! Good luck for the exams too.

x

[glowlight]

Its well worth keeping up the ballet even though she doesn't expect to end up as a classical dancer. Ballet provides a good foundation for all types of dance, it helps to ensure good clean technique and cannot be beaten for strengthening parts that other exercise cannot reach. I think this is why the vocational schools which are not primarily classical schools still look for a good standard of ballet.

 

Even if she cannot take the exams because pointe work is a real no-no its probably still worth taking classes in ballet and progressing through the grades as far as possible. It sounds as if your new teacher will be sympathetic to this.

[Gingerbread]

Its well worth keeping up the ballet even though she doesn't expect to end up as a classical dancer. Ballet provides a good foundation for all types of dance, it helps to ensure good clean technique and cannot be beaten for strengthening parts that other exercise cannot reach. I think this is why the vocational schools which are not primarily classical schools still look for a good standard of ballet.

 

Even if she cannot take the exams because pointe work is a real no-no its probably still worth taking classes in ballet and progressing through the grades as far as possible. It sounds as if your new teacher will be sympathetic to this.

I agree about keeping up the ballet, even though she doesn't expect to end up as a classical dancer... and I also have always been led to believe that it provides a good foundation for other types of dance. (sort of like Latin being the basis for many other languages perhaps)? My DD also does tap & modern/contemporary as well as classical ballet..... at the moment, her focus is on the ballet, but that could have a "shelf life" if you see what I mean. She is also keen on drama, and good at it too. Her most valued ever experience (despite also having done EYB, various summer schools, reached finals in various RAD competitions etc etc) will always always be her time doing panto in Aylesbury a few years ago. Which of course involved a variety of dance styles. OK I am rambling now. BUT what I would like to ask anyone out there, is this:

I have read various articles / seen TV programmes where professional ballet dancers have moved on from ballet to other types of dance, or at least experimented with other dance styles. Many of them seem to say that rather than ballet being a useful foundation, they have had to "forget" their ballet training in order to master the other dance form. For example, ex Royal ballet Adam Cooper in the Sunday Times yesterday says of his role in Singing in the Rain "You're going against everything you do as a ballet dancer." And Darcey Bussell in that Christmas documentary I seem to remember was talking about having to forget her instinct to turn out, in order to do some routine or other.

 

sorry I'm ramblling and may have gone off topic...... does anyone have any thoughts ?

Edited February 13, 2012 by Gingerbread

[Fiz]

My daughter had/has terrible problems with tap as a result of ballet and met, as I did, the school of thought that says if you are good at one dance discipline, you are good at all of them ...Umm, no!