Ballet Training in the UK. What should I know?

[Beezie]

As we look to move to the UK (Central London), I am trying to learn more about how Ballet Training in the UK works.  Can anyone give a high level overview, or any tips for outsiders?  My daughter will be 10-11years old.  Things that have crossed my mind:

When do studios typically require registration?

What is Associates/Jr Associates?  When is the audition process, and for what age does it apply?  
Do most studios require auditions?

Do studios follow the UK school schedule?  (We are looking at international schools that don’t follow the UK schedule, and I am wondering if that will lead to issues.)

Some studios only seem to have 1 class/wk + Jr associates.  This seems like a somewhat light schedule.  Is it assumed the child may be attending more than one studio?

 

Any advice you could give would be very much appreciated!

[Pas de Quatre]

A few observations that I hope will help. Most regular ballet schools will allow you to join at any time and run according to UK school terms. The top vocational schools such as Royal Ballet School hold auditions months in advance. In general UK dance schools offer other disciplines such as tap, jazz, modern theatre and sometimes contemporary alongside the ballet classes. So many children just have one lesson a week of each discipline. 

 

If you wish to specialise in classical ballet I would suggest you look at Masters of Ballet Academy and Natalia Kremen Ballet School. Both are excellent establishments teaching Vaganova classical ballet.  

 

Associate schemes are varied. Originally they were run by establishments such as Royal Ballet School and Central School of Ballet,  and pupils accepted on these schemes are considered external members of the school. Now unfortunately there are many classes that call themselves Associates but have no connection with any major training establishments, it is just a label that is overused.

[Kate_N]

There is no single answer to your questions, Beezie! I think if you do a search for those terms (eg "Associate") on this website, you'll find lots of threads with varied experiences & opinions.

 

The main thing is to find a studio which fits for your child and your family. You'll find that many of your questions will be answered via your studio.

[Dance*is*life]

I had a very promising student,  who moved to the UK - also London - at 11 and she too was rather put off by the limited amount of hours the studios offered.  For example, had she continued with us she would have had 3 x 90 minute ballet classes a week plus modern, jazz and flamenco.  She found one school where she could do 1 hour of ballet and 1 of modern,  so she learnt to supplement.  She took classes at different levels and added on others at different schools - including at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in Battersea. And yes she joined a proper Associate programme. It took time, but she did very well in the end going to vocational school from 16.   If you're not looking for RAD training, then the two schools recommended by Pas de Quatre might well provide the solution and are definitely worth checking out.  

[Kate_N]

There are various 'pre-professional' studios in London which offer more than 1 hour a week - a search of this forum would probably give you a few leads.

[Beezie]

Wonderful!  Thank you all!  
 

As for training hours, we’ve had some years where my daughter wanted to do more and some years where she wanted to do less.  
 

The issue we have had since moving to Europe is that the International Schools hours don’t match local school hours….so we often find we cannot attend the early ballet classes, which are based on a local school schedule.  Then, with few class offerings already, it quickly becomes limiting.  …it is getting better as my daughter is getting older, as the ballet classes for older kids start a little later.

 

Cobbling together classes at different studios is hard too!  We had to do it one year, out of necessity.  Some schools won’t let you, or very much frown on it.  Then you always run the risk of overlapping recitals/dress rehearsals at the end of the year, which hits the dancer the hardest.  It sounds like UK may be more flexible on this, which sounds nice.    

[Kate_N]

I think you were also asking about north-ish London - so a couple of suggestions: one at SHepherd's Bush, the other Highgate village, both reasonably accessible by Tube or bus. 

 

A school that's been well-spoken of on this forum is the West London School of Dance, run by Anna Du Boisson, who is a highly regarded teacher of children & adults of all levels. 

 

The Highgate Ballet School is also well thought of and offers a good programme. The Principal, Julie Cronshaw, is highly knowledgeable, particularly about the work & teaching of Maestro Enrico Cecchetti. I think there have been some good reports of this school on this forum.

 

Both schools offer multiple classes per week at the more vocational or advanced levels.

 

Danceworks used to run a very comprehensive children's programme in the Before Times ... I don't know if they still do?

[Beezie]

Thank you so much.  Haha, ‘the Before Times!’  Love it!

[Kerfuffle]

Hi Beezie - in my experience it’s best not to join multiple schools, try and find one that offers as much training as you’d like and perhaps one well regarded associate course. Schools can make it very hard to leave, asking for a term’s notice which is awkward and stressful. Have trials at ones you like the look of, check out whether there are plenty of older students who are still motivated because some schools really empty out at secondary school age especially ballet classes. 

[Laura_ballet]

In my experience, most local/after school dance schools do not have an audition for entry. They usually offer a trial class and then discussion after on whether the school suits the child’s interest or not. Most schools let children register anytime during the school year unless there is a show or exam session during that term. 

 

Auditions for Junior associates are around March and applications usually jan 2023 (check Royal Ballet website for more precise dates). Mid Associates auditions are usually are around October therefore applications would be few months before. The associates programme for the Royal Ballet are by audition only however other dance schools run their own associate schemes which may or may not require an audition. 

 

Local dance school usually operate between 330pm-10pm weekdays and 830am-5/6pm weekends. Again, each school is different, this is just my experience as a ballet teacher. 

 

Private lessons maybe an option in terms of daytime (during traditional school hours) but will depend on studio availability for the teacher. 

 

Most dancers who attend an associate class will also attend a local dance school. Places like the Royal Ballet school understand that dancers who are passionate about ballet and their training will do more than one class a week! 

 

There are so many schools in London. I would start by looking up names of schools depending on whether you are based in N, S , E, W or central. Then look at their timetable, see if they do one or two classes per week per level which will indicate whether their prioritise certain genres. I would check the schools Instagram or Facebook and see what sort of festival/completions they run. Also workshops and day trips etc to get an idea how involved the school is with the dance world and outside workshops/activities. 

 

Hope this all helps.

Fire away if you have any more questions.

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by alison
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[Beezie]

Thank you so much!  🙏  I love that you answered all my questions!