Top Vocational Ballet Schools in London?

[Kate_N]

Everything, everything, everything  @Anna C says. The more I read your posts, the more I become alarmed and think you need to SLOW DOWN! 

 

You're asking for the opinions of randoms on the internet, so I'll be straightforward here: you really should not move your whole family simply for the very precarious possibility that your 11 year old DD should be going to one particular ballet school.

 

There need to be other reasons: I gather that you want to get away from a climate which is relentlessly hot & sunny? I totally sympathise (it's why I never settled in the US, and returned to the UK from Australia). 

 

What about your son & his education and talents? How would they be attended to in this move?

 

What happens if your DD is either a) injured; b) falls out of love with ballet; c) is assessed out; d) gets interested in other things; e) reaches the peak of her ability & progresses no further?

 

I'm not saying any of those things will happen, but there's a lot riding on the say-so of a couple of teachers and an 11 year old child. 

 

And that is before you look at a) the difficulty of visas for the UK, post-Brexit; b) the extortionate cost of London housing - you'll need the best part of up to £800,000 to purchase a family home - probably a flat - in the more central parts of London (eg Tube Zones 1-3) (although Londoners might take issue with this?) c) the cost of ongoing healthcare for non-UK citizens; d) the happiness of all of your family ...

 

Could you look at the more northern (ie more temperate) bits of Spain, if you are Spanish. The Artistic Director of the English National Ballet is Spanish, as are several top UK dancers - there's obviously excellent training in Spain!

 

Now I'm going to have a good talk with myself about getting over-involved with posts on a messageboard. Apols to Mods if I've been to harsh.

[Dancing unicorn]

I don’t think you or any of the last few posters have been harsh at all, you’re being realistic! And I totally agree with what’s been said! 
You say your dd gets 5 hours training a day, you won’t get that in yr 7 here, plus they go right back to basics no matter which school you go to, so I personally think your dd would be bored!!!!! 
Sounds to me like you have the best of both worlds, home schooling and loads of training a day, wish we could have done that here in the uk! I think there would be a lot more happy dancers still dancing instead of giving up because of the vocational schools they attended 🤣

We’re lucky, we finally found a caring and nurturing college that has put our dd back together again after going off to ballet school at 11!! 2 vocational schools and a fabulous college later she graduated 2 weeks ago and we couldn’t be more proud of her achievements of coming thru it all and getting back her love of ballet 💗
 

Edited November 19, 2021 by Dancing unicorn

[Pups_mum]

Some very wise words here.

I confess I had assumed that your move to London was a done deal and that you were looking for a ballet school as a secondary thing, but re reading the thread I can see that's not the case and would urge caution.

The RBS, and other British vocational schools do indeed have international students, particularly in the Upper Schools, but as I understand it, the vast majority of them board whilst their families remain at home. I'm sure schools can help obtain visas for their students, but entire families are a different matter. 

I'm not saying it us impossible for you to move to the UK, but I doubt it will be straightforward and it almost certainly won't be quick. Having an EU passport won't help now that Britain is not in the EU, and even the top schools don't have enough influence that they can circumvent immigration law!

You obviously have a talented child and are getting a lot of positive feedback which us lovely, but it is easy to get swept along on a wave of enthusiasm and overlook the negatives. She is still so young (and I assume, pre pubertal) - a lot can change in the next few years so I would think very carefully about moving your whole family on the back of her dreams. I can understand the appeal of Europe when it comes to ballet, but as others have said, it will be very, very different to what you and she are used to and it may not suit you.

Enjoy your trip for the audition, but ask lots of questions and find out as much as you can about the lifestyle change if would be, as well as the practicalities of moving here. Don't set your heart on it at this stage though. 

[alison]

2 hours ago, Kate_N said:

And that is before you look at a) the difficulty of visas for the UK, post-Brexit; b) the extortionate cost of London housing - you'll need the best part of up to £800,000 to purchase a family home - probably a flat - in the more central parts of London (eg Tube Zones 1-3) (although Londoners might take issue with this?)

 

£800K (assuming you have it to spare! - mortgages might be difficult, I guess) might just about get you a house in the very very outer reaches of Zone 3/beginning of Zone 4, somewhere not too distant from a Tube or railway station.  You could buy something cheaper around there, but it would be small and pokey.  Have a look at what's available on rightmove.co.uk - that would give you some idea of what you might be letting yourselves in for.

[junedancer]

2 hours ago, Dancing unicorn said:

You say your dd gets 5 hours training a day, you won’t get that in yr 7 here, plus they go right back to basics no matter which school you go to, so I personally think your dd would be bored!!!!! 

 

I was just about to make this very point.  Year 7 is a start again year regardless of experience or ability.

[katesy]

I worry you have shared too much here. There are many Americans on this board - some who will have ties to your daughter’s current school - and I don’t think it would be helpful for you or your daughter for parents or admins/teachers from the school to have this much info about your daughter or her situation. 
 

I suggest you redact any names of people, as well as the name of your daughter’s school, and other details to maintain some degree of privacy. 
 

Separately, I think the other advice on this thread is extremely valuable. I have looked at this exact situation for my daughter and decided she can get the best training, academics, and overall life experience for her at this point by attending a rigorous boutique ballet school in the US, and she will audition for upper schools in the US and Europe later on. This seems like a higher or similar probability path to get into the top upper schools and also gives her optionality should she decide to change her goals. 
 

Good luck with the audition!  

[BalletcoForum Moderators]

Some posts n this thread have been redacted or hidden to remove personal information.

[PrancingMum]

20 hours ago, BalletcoForum Moderators said:

Some posts n this thread have been redacted or hidden to remove personal information.

The redactions and a hidden post still show up when forum members have quoted them.  

[balletbean]

On 19/11/2021 at 09:04, Anna C said:

 

Yes, this is a really good point.  The likelihood of making it through years 7-11 (age11-16) at White Lodge, graduating into RBS Upper School (age 16-19), staying for all three years (students are assessed out after 2 years, with others brought in for final year), graduating and getting a contract with a good ballet company - it’s a real rarity, especially for girls.

 

So much can happen along the way.  Even if the student is happy, injuries can and do happen.  Bodies can change shape.  Being the favourite and moving to a school where every student has been the best can be scary and intimidating.  The constant axe of assessments hanging over one’s head is an added pressure.  Sometimes, students who have been 100% focused on ballet can simply change their mind and want to do something else in their teenage years.  This is doable if the family hasn’t made huge sacrifices to fund schooling, like selling their house or moving halfway across the world, because that sacrifice, even if unspoken, can put huge pressure on the child to succeed in ballet and stay the course.  I don’t know if you’ve heard of Miko Fogarty but her story is interesting. 

 

I always say to people to take it all one term (semester) at a time, and try to enjoy the journey, rather than focus on the end goal.  If it’s meant to be, it won’t pass you by.  Absolutely audition for White Lodge, make the most of having a lovely day, enjoy London (and especially seeing Giselle; it sounds like you’re seeing the wonderful Sarah Lamb, trained in Boston), have a look at Young Dancer’s Academy, Elmhurst and Tring Park websites.  But Brexit has changed a lot of things in the UK so don’t bank on your EU Passports helping. 😔 It might also be well worth having a closer look at NYCB’s training programme too, as well as Boston Ballet? 

 

Wishing your Son and Husband full recoveries - you certainly won’t have an excess of sun over here! 

Not forgetting a change in family dynamics and financial demands not forgetting other siblings may impact on a child’s ability to continue with full time vocational training.
Just the same if a child was attending a private/public school whether that’s boarding or as a day pupil. Even with the offer of a Scholarships and Bursaries may not be enough to support the child. Sad but a true reality of life. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by balletbean

[Dance*is*life]

I would suggest waiting until she's 15 or 16 and capable of living on her own.  Training in the US is much more intensive than in the UK and if she's at a good school, getting sound training and is happy there, I wouldn't rush into anything.   Many students don't even make it from White Lodge to the Upper School.  Family life is not an easy thing to give up on in the sensitive formative years of adolescence.  There are so many fantastic schools in the US - why break up your family now when she is so young and needs you and you obviously want to be with her.   If she's that good, she'll get in at 16 for the years that count most!  Anyway that's my two cents worth, but reading through the posts here I think most posters agree with me.  At least at 16 you'll know if her body has stayed the same and if she still wants it.

[Jones&dance]

Answering to the needs and planning for the future a new choice  of vocational training is available . Students are happier progress faster and achieve the results they desire. 
options for a “homeschooling” academic plan runs through the the day and older studatevtrained as part of a “Company” after which they are all supported to gain full company places around the world through placement auditions and visits.  You can find out more here or join the summer intensive’23 and leave that impressed with your improvements and a s part of an award winning choreographers film! 
now that’s great for your showreel 

www.emerging ballet.com 

[Anna C]

1 hour ago, Jones&dance said:

Answering to the needs and planning for the future a new choice  of vocational training is available . Students are happier progress faster and achieve the results they desire. 
options for a “homeschooling” academic plan runs through the the day and older studatevtrained as part of a “Company” after which they are all supported to gain full company places around the world through placement auditions and visits.  You can find out more here or join the summer intensive’23 and leave that impressed with your improvements and a s part of an award winning choreographers film! 
now that’s great for your showreel 

www.emerging ballet.com 

Hi, Jones&dance, and welcome.

 

Assuming you are representing emerging ballet, and/or have a commercial interest in the company, please add your commercial contact details as your “Signature”, as detailed here (under “Commerce”):  https://www.balletcoforum.com/topic/417-the-balletcoforum-acceptable-use-policy/
 

Many thanks,

Anna C

 

 

 

[Kate_N]

This thread popping up again made me wonder (I am very nosey) about the original poster & her daughter, and whether they ever did relocate the whole family to London for the RBS or other London ballet school. 

[Anna C]

42 minutes ago, Kate_N said:

This thread popping up again made me wonder (I am very nosey) about the original poster & her daughter, and whether they ever did relocate the whole family to London for the RBS or other London ballet school. 

Indeed! @Entrechat hasn’t posted since 2021 though, so we’ll probably never know.

[Peanut68]

I'm struggling to understand exactly what the www.emergingballet.com propsoition is....

What/where/when/who for/taught by who/how much etc.....

[taxi4ballet]

12 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

I'm struggling to understand exactly what the www.emergingballet.com propsoition is....

What/where/when/who for/taught by who/how much etc.....

Me neither.