BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 17 minutes ago, MamaFrosty said: Having seen all the children not being accepted on here, I had the same thought - they must have a limit as to how many children they can safely have in their studios and it’s almost certainly going to be a smaller number than previously! Certainly at my daughter’s dance school we had to book spaces on the classes we wanted because spaces were more limited. It’s a pity, but sadly it’s the world we live in at the moment! I sometimes think I drive myself mad on here questioning things that I will never know the answers to. But I can’t help but torment myself with speculation.... If the youngest class is a mix of Y4 and Y5, those Y5 children rose to Y6 in September. That would have created spaces in a ‘normal year’ for an intake of new Y4/Y5 children. I imagine it depends if the current combination of Y4 and Y5 children is already at capacity per centre, or if it’s short of capacity, to give a handful of successful applicants the opportunity to join. If a centre is already at capacity, due to restrictions, i imagine it would rely on current students dropping out, which is almost unimaginable, to free up some opportunity for SWL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 7 minutes ago, Spamcat said: It really does seem like all they are giving out is no and swl. Do you think they are taking hardly any and just keeping lots on a waiting list incase covid rules change and the class can be expanded? 🤔 Just a thought! If that’s the case, in a ‘normal’ year, some of those SWL would probably be ‘yes’, and some of those ‘no’ would probably be ‘SWL’. It feels very disheartening. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, BalletBoysDad said: If that’s the case, in a ‘normal’ year, some of those SWL would probably be ‘yes’, and some of those ‘no’ would probably be ‘SWL’. It feels very disheartening. Yes that is what I'm thinking. I think this year if anyone gets a no or swl definitely don't take it as meaning your DC is not 'good enough' as they may very well have got a yes under normal circumstances! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletbuds80 Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Spamcat said: Yes that is what I'm thinking. I think this year if anyone gets a no or swl definitely don't take it as meaning your DC is not 'good enough' as they may very well have got a yes under normal circumstances! Bloody COVID 😂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missdancemum Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 No here for us too, on swl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballet Dreams Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 My DD received SWL this year for year 6 and we are still hoping for a place although we know it’s really doubtful. We were hoping that once the year 4&5 results were out spaces might become available as they may make new classes etc. I know they have split our local year 6 class to make it smaller and some of the year 5s are in with the younger year 6s so we are hoping RBS will make another class. Keeping my fingers crossed here for all of those children on the SWL. Well done for all the yes results and don’t give up to the nos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancemum100 Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 I just feel really peeved that for £50 my daughters videos were only watched for a few minutes. We always knew there was a nearly zero percent chance of gaining a place and she successfully auditioned for Elmhurst in the summer and loves it there so chances are we would have turned a place down anyway but still really frustrating 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 15 minutes ago, BalletBoysDad said: I sometimes think I drive myself mad on here questioning things that I will never know the answers to. But I can’t help but torment myself with speculation.... If the youngest class is a mix of Y4 and Y5, those Y5 children rose to Y6 in September. That would have created spaces in a ‘normal year’ for an intake of new Y4/Y5 children. I imagine it depends if the current combination of Y4 and Y5 children is already at capacity per centre, or if it’s short of capacity, to give a handful of successful applicants the opportunity to join. If a centre is already at capacity, due to restrictions, i imagine it would rely on current students dropping out, which is almost unimaginable, to free up some opportunity for SWL. My DS is year 6 in Londonand there are only 5 boys in the class this year and they are all year 6. Half of the boys his year are in another small group of 6. Last year there were 16 boys in his class and a mix of year 5 and 6 together. So, yes much smaller groups this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellaF Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 hour ago, tutugirl said: Just out of curiosity - has anyone , anywhere got a yes for year 4 ? I've seen a year 4 yes for a girl DD follows on Instagram. Seems VERY few places this year - not even sure i can be bothered to film our audition this weekend 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 27 minutes ago, Lara Eschler said: My DS is year 6 in Londonand there are only 5 boys in the class this year and they are all year 6. Half of the boys his year are in another small group of 6. Last year there were 16 boys in his class and a mix of year 5 and 6 together. So, yes much smaller groups this year. Do you know if any new Y6 boys joined your DS’s class in London? Or do you feel they didn’t offer any new spaces, due to the classes being full of existing students? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbutterfly Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 My DD got a yes for year 4! Actually can’t quite believe it, we went in with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. She is over the moon! Bittersweet though, as my eldest tried 3 times to get in, but never made it, so I know how the parents and littles ones who didnt get in feel. Eldest DD did go on to Elmhurst associate classes which she loved- there is more than RB out there. I have no idea at all what the RB look for, as both my daughters are beautiful dancers. The great unknown! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara Eschler Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, BalletBoysDad said: Do you know if any new Y6 boys joined your DS’s class in London? Or do you feel they didn’t offer any new spaces, due to the classes being full of existing students? We had a zoom meeting with all the year 6 boys and I think 1 or 2 were new. As DS has the same teacher as last year I am not sure if the boys were just new to that teacher or to JAs. I think one moved up from the year4-5 mixed class and maybe one was completely new. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 minute ago, Lara Eschler said: We had a zoom meeting with all the year 6 boys and I think 1 or 2 were new. As DS has the same teacher as last year I am not sure if the boys were just new to that teacher or to JAs. I think one moved up from the year4-5 mixed class and maybe one was completely new. Thanks for the info. So it seems there are places, but far fewer than ‘normal’ years. Looks like 1-2 rather than 4-5 I imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 5 minutes ago, Yellowbutterfly said: My DD got a yes for year 4! Actually can’t quite believe it, we went in with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. She is over the moon! Bittersweet though, as my eldest tried 3 times to get in, but never made it, so I know how the parents and littles ones who didnt get in feel. Eldest DD did go on to Elmhurst associate classes which she loved- there is more than RB out there. I have no idea at all what the RB look for, as both my daughters are beautiful dancers. The great unknown! Congratulations to your Y4 DD! 👏👏👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 13 minutes ago, Yellowbutterfly said: My DD got a yes for year 4! Actually can’t quite believe it, we went in with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. She is over the moon! Bittersweet though, as my eldest tried 3 times to get in, but never made it, so I know how the parents and littles ones who didnt get in feel. Eldest DD did go on to Elmhurst associate classes which she loved- there is more than RB out there. I have no idea at all what the RB look for, as both my daughters are beautiful dancers. The great unknown! Congratulations that is brilliant! There is hope! 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The red shoes Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Lara Eschler said: My DS is year 6 in Londonand there are only 5 boys in the class this year and they are all year 6. Half of the boys his year are in another small group of 6. Last year there were 16 boys in his class and a mix of year 5 and 6 together. So, yes much smaller groups this year. My son is year 6 Birmingham . There are two in his class and I think 2 in the 24 sessions classes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SissonneDoublee Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Dancemum100 said: I just feel really peeved that for £50 my daughters videos were only watched for a few minutes. We always knew there was a nearly zero percent chance of gaining a place and she successfully auditioned for Elmhurst in the summer and loves it there so chances are we would have turned a place down anyway but still really frustrating It’s so hard. They have really specific requirements regarding turnout and flexibility, and a child that doesn’t meet these would have to be absolutely magical to watch to get in without meeting these requirements. There was a girl in DD’s JA class with really limited turnout, but she was stunning to watch so they tried really hard to work with her issues. Ultimately, she didn’t make it into MAs, but it was easy to see why they wanted to help her. With so many videos to watch, they couldn’t possibly spend time watching children that do not fulfil the criteria. The £50 fee is for the admin process and for them to be considered, but no one would expect them to keep watching if they know that a place will not be allocated to that child. Children change a lot from one year to the next, and a ‘no’ one year can become a ‘yes’ later. RBS is not the only school, and ballet is not the only dance form, but the process is universally tough, and the first knock backs can be hard to accept. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, SissonneDoublee said: It’s so hard. They have really specific requirements regarding turnout and flexibility, and a child that doesn’t meet these would have to be absolutely magical to watch to get in without meeting these requirements. There was a girl in DD’s JA class with really limited turnout, but she was stunning to watch so they tried really hard to work with her issues. Ultimately, she didn’t make it into MAs, but it was easy to see why they wanted to help her. With so many videos to watch, they couldn’t possibly spend time watching children that do not fulfil the criteria. The £50 fee is for the admin process and for them to be considered, but no one would expect them to keep watching if they know that a place will not be allocated to that child. Children change a lot from one year to the next, and a ‘no’ one year can become a ‘yes’ later. RBS is not the only school, and ballet is not the only dance form, but the process is universally tough, and the first knock backs can be hard to accept. That is so lovely to read that they do sometimes make an effort for some children who don't perfectly fit the mould! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy198 Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 My little dancer received an offer. She is year 4 and applied for Newcastle. Very shocked and happy. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowbutterfly Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 5 minutes ago, Peachy198 said: My little dancer received an offer. She is year 4 and applied for Newcastle. Very shocked and happy. Well done! We’re Newcastle too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamcat Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 12 minutes ago, SissonneDoublee said: It’s so hard. They have really specific requirements regarding turnout and flexibility, and a child that doesn’t meet these would have to be absolutely magical to watch to get in without meeting these requirements. There was a girl in DD’s JA class with really limited turnout, but she was stunning to watch so they tried really hard to work with her issues. Ultimately, she didn’t make it into MAs, but it was easy to see why they wanted to help her. With so many videos to watch, they couldn’t possibly spend time watching children that do not fulfil the criteria. The £50 fee is for the admin process and for them to be considered, but no one would expect them to keep watching if they know that a place will not be allocated to that child. Children change a lot from one year to the next, and a ‘no’ one year can become a ‘yes’ later. RBS is not the only school, and ballet is not the only dance form, but the process is universally tough, and the first knock backs can be hard to accept. Although it is also really sad to think that a child who was so stunning didn't make it. I hope she made it somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmad78 Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 4 hours ago, BusyDancemum said: Sorry to the not yets. Short wait list for my daughter for Leeds 😊 Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmad78 Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 (edited) A no for us too, year 4 Leeds. We will certainly try again next year and hope there might be a few more places available! Edited October 13, 2020 by Balletmad78 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletbuds80 Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 hour ago, Yellowbutterfly said: My DD got a yes for year 4! Actually can’t quite believe it, we went in with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. She is over the moon! Bittersweet though, as my eldest tried 3 times to get in, but never made it, so I know how the parents and littles ones who didnt get in feel. Eldest DD did go on to Elmhurst associate classes which she loved- there is more than RB out there. I have no idea at all what the RB look for, as both my daughters are beautiful dancers. The great unknown! Congratulations 🥳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 1 hour ago, The red shoes said: My son is year 6 Birmingham . There are two in his class and I think 2 in the 24 sessions classes There are only 4 Year 6 boys in Birmingham? Wow, so few for what should be a relatively big centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SissonneDoublee Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 7 minutes ago, Spamcat said: Although it is also really sad to think that a child who was so stunning didn't make it. I hope she made it somewhere else. There are so many beautiful dancers out there. Vocational ballet training is only one way of making it, but is perhaps also the most difficult to access. Talent, anatomy, dedication and passion all need to line up. All essential, and difficult to change if not there. There are lots of ways to enjoy a career in dance though. Ballet is just one of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The red shoes Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, BalletBoysDad said: There are only 4 Year 6 boys in Birmingham? Wow, so few for what should be a relatively big centre. Yes we indeed, there were more last year for sure. All the year 6 Birmingham boys got places at either White Lodge or Elmhurst... they did very well! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, The red shoes said: Yes we indeed, there were more last year for sure. All the year 6 Birmingham boys got places at either White Lodge or Elmhurst... they did very well! So those 4 boys presumably ‘rose’ from Y5 into Y6. That must mean there are very few, if any, boys spaces available for Y4 and Y5. Sounds like Birmingham is full! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancemum100 Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 36 minutes ago, SissonneDoublee said: It’s so hard. They have really specific requirements regarding turnout and flexibility, and a child that doesn’t meet these would have to be absolutely magical to watch to get in without meeting these requirements. There was a girl in DD’s JA class with really limited turnout, but she was stunning to watch so they tried really hard to work with her issues. Ultimately, she didn’t make it into MAs, but it was easy to see why they wanted to help her. With so many videos to watch, they couldn’t possibly spend time watching children that do not fulfil the criteria. The £50 fee is for the admin process and for them to be considered, but no one would expect them to keep watching if they know that a place will not be allocated to that child. Children change a lot from one year to the next, and a ‘no’ one year can become a ‘yes’ later. RBS is not the only school, and ballet is not the only dance form, but the process is universally tough, and the first knock backs can be hard to accept. I completely get all of that. However our first video was only viewed for the first 28 seconds- she hadn’t even moved off the spot by then 😂 I firmly believe everything happens for a reason and she’s so happy at Elmhurst that I don’t think she would have moved anyway but I do wonder about this process. £50 is a lot more money than any other audition we have taken part in, yet this was the only one not conducted via zoom 🤷🏻♀️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The red shoes Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 4 minutes ago, BalletBoysDad said: So those 4 boys presumably ‘rose’ from Y5 into Y6. That must mean there are very few, if any, boys spaces available for Y4 and Y5. Sounds like Birmingham is full! There are only a handful of boys in year 5 in Birmingham at the moment , 4 or 5 I’d say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletBoysDad Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, The red shoes said: There are only a handful of boys in year 5 in Birmingham at the moment , 4 or 5 I’d say So there’s potentially space for 1 or 2 more maybe. Though with Covid restrictions maybe they’re already at capacity. I shall drive myself thoroughly mad always questioning and never knowing 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaFrosty Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 I think the kids (and we!) have to accept that this year could be more of a challenge due to COVID restrictions, and keep remembering that every experience will be helping them to develop not just as dancers but as lovely people who are able to accept rejection, pick themselves up and try again. My DD was terribly disappointed but is determined to keep trying and that, for me, is an incredible lesson to learn - particularly as she struggles with the social and emotional side of things. Huge congratulations to those who got a yes!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowlight Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 14 minutes ago, Dancemum100 said: I completely get all of that. However our first video was only viewed for the first 28 seconds- she hadn’t even moved off the spot by then 😂 I firmly believe everything happens for a reason and she’s so happy at Elmhurst that I don’t think she would have moved anyway but I do wonder about this process. £50 is a lot more money than any other audition we have taken part in, yet this was the only one not conducted via zoom 🤷🏻♀️ Frustrating for you - but as you say - maybe it is meant to be. Your dd must be very talented to have been chosen by Elmhurst. At least you do not have to make a difficult decision of having to chose between the two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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