Reminiscing about Uni! :-)

[MrsMoo2]

Just thought I’d start a thread for us oldies to reminisce about where WE studied dance when we were younger! 
I started out at the Jean Borgeson School of Dance and danced there till I was 13. Then Kate Simmons SOD, now KS Dance. I was a RBS JA, although I think it was called something different in the 80’s before doing A levels in Dance, and Performing Arts, the best time of my life! Eventually I went on to a Dance Degree in Leicester at DMU. I auditioned for RBS Upper, Rambert, LIPA,( Paul Mc was in on my audition). Lancaster St Martins, Roehampton and Nottingham Trent. Back in the day uni education was free and I even got a maintenance grant! 
I can remember the excitement of getting the train by myself to Nottingham, then finding a phone box to let my Mum know I had got there!!

My black ballet slippers had to be darned many times as my family could not afford new ones. I had two leotards, and one pair of tights!! 
my kids now laugh at me, I tell them, make sure you work hard or I’ll send you down the mines! 😆😆 

Doing the audition rounds was disheartening but you got used to it, and I had no expectation. Friends got cruise contracts but that wasn’t for me as I met my DH. 
I went back to Uni at 36 to study Mental Health Nursing, after a good friend of mine had issues following a stint a WL. I now help dancers to reconcile their bodies with themselves, and work to achieve a happy state in their lives. I thought my dance journey was over and then I had twins! It’s in the blood obvs...😆😆😆

[alison]

Ah - maintenance grants!  Remember them?  When you didn't have to get yourself into debt and stood a reasonable chance of getting a good job.  Mind you, that was in the days when it was only the top ... whatever percentile which went to uni.  It's obviously different now it's something like, 50%(?)   I had to fund my postgrad professional course myself, although strangely enough I received travel expenses, so ended up living out of town along the railway line, where rent was a lot cheaper.

[BisforBallet]

Two leotards, huge long leg warmers and tights that I used to cut the crotch out of and wear them as tops. DD was not impressed with that 😂 

Good times. 

[MrsMoo2]

5 hours ago, MrsR said:

Two leotards, huge long leg warmers and tights that I used to cut the crotch out of and wear them as tops. DD was not impressed with that 😂 

Good times. 

Yep, there wasn’t much variation, a leotard was a leotard! Lol! I had a black one and a raspberry one, and was chuffed because the mulberry one had a RAD logo on it! 😆😆

[MrsMoo2]

7 hours ago, alison said:

Ah - maintenance grants!  Remember them?  When you didn't have to get yourself into debt and stood a reasonable chance of getting a good job.  Mind you, that was in the days when it was only the top ... whatever percentile which went to uni.  It's obviously different now it's something like, 50%(?)   I had to fund my postgrad professional course myself, although strangely enough I received travel expenses, so ended up living out of town along the railway line, where rent was a lot cheaper.

Seem to remember mine was about £800 per term and covered my full board halls and a fair bit of partying! The food was lush! Lol! 😆😆 I did once get a National Express coach hone one weekend to save money and it stopped about 15 times en route!! xx