KS or NBS

[Balletmum08]

Just looking for some opinions. My dd has been offered places at KS Dance & Northern Ballet Manchester she wants to presue the classical route. We are having a really hard time choosing between them as there are pros & cons at both schools. So looking for any advice on which school would be the best option for her to presue classical. 

[Dancing unicorn]

KS every time!!!! Kate Simmons is passionate about what she does! Her staff too are amazing. My daughter started at KS having come from vocational schools that had taken away her confidence in her dancing. I never thought her love of ballet would return but she has flourished at KS. Full or shortened versions of ballets are taught each year for their annual tour and performances at the Brindley!  My dd has done Romeo & Juliet, Beauty & the Beast, Peter & the Wolf, La Sylphide and now Swan lake! And this is with covid in the middle!!! Never mind the number of solos and pas de deux she’s learnt! And that’s just the ballet side! 
If you want any more info please message me 💗

[Dancers Dad]

I suspect you will get strong advocates on both sides here and will ultimately have to find your own criteria to make the decision on.

 

My daughter has loved NBS in her first year and we're really pleased with our/her choice. She's very ballet-focused but has enjoyed (nearly) all the other styles too, which have definitely helped her as a more rounded and confident dancer.  NBS is very focused on preparing students for a career in dance, which is to their credit, but of course there are very few careers available in classical ballet, especially if you're not at RBS or Elmhurst, so they are quite selective re: who goes on to pursue the classical route from Year 2 onwards. My daughter hopes to be one of those...

(All students continue with ballet throughout I believe, just the focus/volume is different depending on which route they take).

[Mamaderuby]

I will be following this thread with  interest. My son will be applying for September 2023 entry, at age 18. He has visited NBS and loves it. Also considering KS and Central, if anyone can help with comparison.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Anna C
Edited by Moderator; author informed.

[Anna C]

Hi Balletmum08 and welcome to the forum.  Asking here is a great idea.  As well as the feedback from other parents, it’s also worth trying to find out where graduates of each school get jobs, what qualification(s) do they leave with, what funding options there are, what the accommodation is like and where/how much is it, what happens if students get ill/injured, how much performance opportunity there is, what’s the pastoral care like and so on.

[Balletmum08]

She has been lucky enough to have received dada offers for both coving fees with a good amount for maintenance as well. I have been trying to source graduate destinations from the classical course on NBS & havent really found much and from what I gather a big percentage on the jazz graduate to go onto cruise ships. Whereas KS seem to have great graduate success in the classical world. Accommodation wise both seem fine and Ks offer a great health & wellbeing package included in the course. She has also been offered another great school which I believe I cant name on here we are also considering as it's a BA instead of a diploma. 

[Hairpinseverywhere]

39 minutes ago, Balletmum08 said:

She has been lucky enough to have received dada offers for both coving fees with a good amount for maintenance as well. I have been trying to source graduate destinations from the classical course on NBS & havent really found much and from what I gather a big percentage on the jazz graduate to go onto cruise ships.

Hi can I ask when you heard about DaDA for NBS? DD is hoping to attend and is yet to hear regarding funding. 

 

How fabulous for your DD to have a choice, I'm sure whichever she chooses will be excellent. 

 

Did she get a feel for a particular one when auditioning?

[Lou Lou]

My dd has also been offered places at KS, NBS and one other school. She has accepted her place at KS. It was her first choice (and mine too)  We were so impressed with the pastoral care and the emphasis on health and wellbeing. We attended an open day last year and my dd found the standard of teaching and the whole atmosphere of the school very inspiring.  There's a good variety of graduate destinations too. My dd decided against the BA route as she didn't want to use up student loan and we thought DaDA Funding was the better option at this stage.  Good luck with the decision making!

[Dancing unicorn]

Congratulations on your place at KS 🎉 your dd will love it! I can honestly say from experience that the pastoral care is amazing at KS! They are on to things straight away and nothing is ever too much trouble 💗

[Lou Lou]

Thank you Dancing unicorn. She's very excited. We certainly got the impression that pastoral care was important to them so it's good to hear that its definitely the case.

[Balletmum08]

@HairpinseverywhereWe got out dada award letter from NBS on Friday. Have you been onto the BIMM portal & completed everything you need to on that? They won't send a offer till thats done. 

[Hairpinseverywhere]

Just now, Balletmum08 said:

@HairpinseverywhereWe got out dada award letter from NBS on Friday. Have you been onto the BIMM portal & completed everything you need to on that? They won't send a offer till thats done. 

Hi

 

Thank you we did that last week so good to know things are moving! 

 

Congratulations to your DD!

[Balletmum08]

@HairpinseverywhereThank you so much we really weren't expecting it but a lovely surprise. Wishing your dd the best of luck. 

[Balletmum08]

@Lou LouCongratulations on your DDs place at KS yes the graduate destinations are pretty impressive as is the health & wellbeing set up they have. Yes I'm a bit hesitant to go down the BA route as like you say its using up her student funding should she ever need it in the future. 

[Dancing unicorn]

Dd got her Level 6 Trinity Diploma at KS, and declined topping up to a BA as she’s not academic! But it can be done at KS!! 💗

[Lou Lou]

@Dancing unicornDid your dd do the DDE modules alongside the Trinity Diploma? 

[Anna C]

2 hours ago, Lou Lou said:

My dd decided against the BA route as she didn't want to use up student loan and we thought DaDA Funding was the better option at this stage. 

 

I think this is an excellent and very wise move.  Without wishing to be the voice of doom and gloom, the likelihood of making it through 3 years of training without injury/illness/being assessed out/burn-out AND getting a paid contract in a classical ballet company is still really small.  If you haven’t used up the full course length + 1 year of Student Finance loans because you have a DaDa place then it makes keeping your options open afterwards SO much easier.  

[glowlight]

Congratulations to your dd on her offers.

 

This must be a very difficult choice to make, and I think she needs to think about what is important to her and use this to inform the decision.  

 

My dd went to NBS many years ago.  She was very much a ballet girl and was on the classical focus right the way through.  I believe she got a very good classical training, with lots of performance experience (A full length ballet each year in December, and pieces in the whole school end of year show each July).

 

During her final year she started to realise how difficult it would be to secure a classical contract.  She went to many auditions, but also decided to broaden her outlook.  She auditioned for all sorts of different things, and in the end went to work on cruise ships.  Looking back she now says she is very happy with the way things turned out, that she has had a much more interesting career than she would have done if she had  joined a ballet company.  I'm trying to remember what the other classical focus girls in her year did - there were only a handful of them.  At least one of them got a classical contract.

 

It is difficult when you look at graduate destinations on school websites to work out whether it is a handful each year who get jobs, or whether every dancer that goes through the school gets work.

 

I think almost everyone in DDs year who wanted to continue to dance secured paid employment in dance of some sort within a year of graduation.

 

But - graduate destinations aren't everything, there are many other things to take into consideration like whether the ethos of the school is a good fit, whether the location and living arrangements work for you.  My dd loved living in Manchester, but it wouldn't suit everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Danceonthrough]

3 hours ago, Lou Lou said:

My dd has also been offered places at KS, NBS and one other school. She has accepted her place at KS. It was her first choice (and mine too)  We were so impressed with the pastoral care and the emphasis on health and wellbeing. We attended an open day last year and my dd found the standard of teaching and the whole atmosphere of the school very inspiring.  There's a good variety of graduate destinations too. My dd decided against the BA route as she didn't want to use up student loan and we thought DaDA Funding was the better option at this stage.  Good luck with the decision making!

I’m not 100% sure and others may be able to give clarity but I was under the impression that if you receive a dada you cannot later have student funding??? Whichever funding you can only have a combined 4 years. Can anyone confirm this please?

[Lifeafterballet]

4 minutes ago, Danceonthrough said:

I’m not 100% sure and others may be able to give clarity but I was under the impression that if you receive a dada you cannot later have student funding??? Whichever funding you can only have a combined 4 years. Can anyone confirm this please?

My Dd had a DaDa for upper school and is now at University with student funding. The DaDa does not affect it. Only if my Dd had gone on to turn the Trinity Diploma into a degree in Professional Dance then she would have not been entitled to a second funded degree. 

[Danceonthrough]

37 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

My Dd had a DaDa for upper school and is now at University with student funding. The DaDa does not affect it. Only if my Dd had gone on to turn the Trinity Diploma into a degree in Professional Dance then she would have not been entitled to a second funded degree. 

Thanks for clearing that up. Makes me open to more options now

[Dancing unicorn]

3 hours ago, Lou Lou said:

@Dancing unicornDid your dd do the DDE modules alongside the Trinity Diploma? 

I’ve sent you a pm 💗

[Canary]

My DC wanted a career in dancing and viewed upper school as the stepping stone to getting a job, so they got copies of the timetable and talking to other students especially 3rd year and looked to see how many days are dedicated to creating showreel and CV and support for auditions. 

[Taxibank]

I could have written this OP myself. Can I ask did you accept the offers from both?

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Taxibank and welcome to the Forum!

[Taxibank]

21 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Taxibank and welcome to the Forum!

Thank you!

[MrsKrabz]

Just wondering what is the health and well-being package? 

[Dancing unicorn]

Hi MrsKrabz

I can only voucher for KS

S&C 1/2 times a week - can pay for private also!

Massage on site when ever needed! 

Counselling on site, if needed!

All included in fees

Can’t speak highly enough of the care and attention paid to their students, more than can be said about another school dd attended in the past! 🤣

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Dancing unicorn

[Taxibank]

Can anyone tell me why some of KS Dance’s current dancers don’t stay at KS Dance but maybe look to other dance schools, for example like NBS, to take up their vocational training from the age of 16?

[Dancing unicorn]

Dd was only there from 16 so can’t comment on the under 16 dancers sorry. I guess everyone has the option to audition everywhere! I know KS does take on their current non full time students at 16 and 18! 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Dancing unicorn

[Dancing unicorn]

Yet another amazing performance tonight at the Brindley by KS Dance! 
First half interlinking performances of contemporary and jazz. Danza Voce, the Sun (balloon dance) was stunning and moving 🎈Spanish and tap fabulous as always! Then the junior school performed Coppelia, stunning performances by such young students. Swan Lake was just superb, huge congratulations to all who performed tonight. Can’t wait for next 2 evenings 💗🦢🩰🦢💗

[Diva05]

Re KS Dance...could anyone with experience tell me about the timetable for post-16 training, please, ie how many hours of ballet and other dance per day? 

[Canary]

Contact KS and they will explain the 3 year programme, timetables, performances etc