Dd's accepted as JA ... Now what?

[Jing]

Hi all,

 

I am not acquainted with the dance world at all. My Dd just got accepted as a JA at RBS, so I've got all these questions swirling in my head and I'm hoping you can help me out. 

 

Assuming she is still interested in ballet in the next few years, would we then apply for vocational schools for her in y7? 

 

Are these boarding schools, since we have none very local to us. I'm also not keen to let her go at such a tender age.

 

Could she have a career in ballet without going to a vocational school?

 

Sending her for ballet training will be a big sacrifice for us as a family - time, and effort, and finances. I know it's a decision only I can make, but what kinds of career paths would this lead to? And what sort of salary? Ultimately I am struggling to answer my question- is it worth it? (I sincerely don't want to offend anyone here, I am just in need of wisdom from experienced parents).

 

Thank you so much for your time to answer my questions!

 

 

 

 

 

[MissEmily]

I recommend you read this thread. It will give you a very good idea of the up and downsides. Let her do JAs though, no matter what your decision. It’s an extraordinary achievement and she’ll gain so much from it, not only in terms of her ballet training, but discipline, time-management, focus, self-confidence, dealing with constructive criticism, presenting herself respectfully and confidently… The list goes on!

[Ruby Foo]

Congratulations to your daughter! Becoming a JA is a lovely step to having some detailed ballet tuition under the guidance of experienced teachers, plus meeting other friends who are interested to do more ballet. 
It doesn't mean you need to go any further than that. It can stay as something special and extra that she does purely because she loves dancing. Plenty children will decide quite early that they want a career in dance and see JA's as a stepping stone to Vocational School to meet those needs. Equally, plenty children will decide to wait to make that decision and plenty will want to keep it as a hobby. There are many children who are accepted to vocational school, having never been a JA. Being a JA is a wonderful experience but it's not a golden ticket to becoming a professional classical dancer. There are many possibilities and choices and upsides and downsides to them all. My advice is to listen to your family values and not get caught up in anything you are unsure of or feel uncomfortable about. Oh, and enjoy every moment, in the moment, 😊

[Tiaramum]

I agree with everything above. Enjoy these moments. Congratulations to you and your daughter. Start looking at vocational schools. Read the threads, if vocational school looks likely start saving NOW. Be prepared to ride the rollercoaster of emotions. Getting in is one thing, staying in (for WL) is another thing, competing against internationals, home sickness, etc etc. My advice enjoy been a JA, save every penny whilst you can, but let her take part in anything and everything that can help her - YBSS classes, ballet boost workshops, summer schools etc etc. Keep every door open. Try not to be sucked into the world of dance mums and remain true to you and your daughter. Enjoy the ride 

[Kerfuffle]

Hi Jing congratulations to your daughter! Don’t worry about vocational boarding school yet, it’s a way off for you. There are other options which can still lead to a ballet career which might suit her better. My daughter trains locally (Russian style) with young people who have been successful in getting into a range of top schools both in the U.K. and internationally. She’s an RBS SA too. If you are lucky enough to live near a CAT scheme as well as associates and have good teachers there are other routes to success. In the mean time enjoy the experience, allowing for any outcome - she is still young and a lot can change. You don’t have to do every intensive there is out there. 

[Allwrong]

To give some longer term perspective, unless our region is vastly atypical, the clear majority of RBS JAs are not in vocational ballet training at age 16. Some find they prefer a broader range of dance styles, others lose interest entirely, others (many) realise it is not going to happen for them. Some go away to vocational school and come back for any of a variety of reasons. Those who are in Upper Schools at 16 still have a very long and uncertain road ahead. As has been said, it’s a lovely experience, and best enjoyed as that, take it one step at a time (excuse the pun), and don’t get sucked in to defining your DC by this achievement or thinking it means more than it does. It’s all too easy to do so, so do your best keep this nice compliment in perspective, have fun, and enjoy every ounce of the glamour! If it turns out that your DC is one of the ones that does have what it takes, you’ll want to be able to say the that journey to success  has been one you have all enjoyed throughout. Quite a challenge, so good luck !

[glowlight]

 

Congratulations to your daughter @Jing.  This is a great achievement to be savoured and enjoyed.

 

As others have said, I would treat this as a wonderful experience and opportunity for now, and worry about her career further down the line.

 

If she does want to become a professional ballet dancer when she grows up, then she/you might consider applying for vocational schools in year 7.  In many ways this is the most 'traditional' route for aspiring dancers, but by no means the only route.  Most children at vocational schools board, and even with a funded place it is expensive.  You are not alone in feeling this is a big step and commitment at a young age, and it doesn't come with any guarantees that your child will have a career in dance at the end of it.

 

The other main alternative is to go to vocational school at 16.  This means you can have your child at home during those formative teenage years.  The problem here is keeping up a high enough level of training but it can be done.  This is where associate schemes can really add value, because they give your child the opportunity to train with other students of the same age dancing at the same level, which can be difficult to to get in a local ballet school.  If you go down this route expect to spend a lot of time driving to classes at evenings and weekends, and the cost can mount up.

 

There are a few professional ballet dancers who never went to vocational school, but they are few and far between and had access to extraordinary local teachers.

 

My daughter trained locally until she was 16 with the support of good associate schemes.  She went to vocational school at 16.  During her 3 years at vocational school she realised that the chances of getting regular work as a ballet dancer were low so she broadened her horizons.  After graduating she worked for 5 years on cruise ships, until she had enough of travelling.  She has since had a complete change in careers and is a web developer.

 

She says she has no regrets about how things worked out.  She values the experiences she had during her training and had a great time on ships.  She recognises that the training she received as a dancer has set her up well for the world of work.  

 

I think if you view JAs as an experience which will help your child to develop as a person it is definitely worth it.  It doesn't have to be a lifetime commitment!

 

 

 

 

[Jing]

Thank you all, I've loved listening to your advice, and will take this JA journey as it is- an experience and opportunity to develop as a person. If it develops as a career, yay. If not, yay, too. 

 

Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

 

It is encouraging to hear what you children have turned out to be!