RBS London Auditions

[NotadanceMa]

On 09/01/2023 at 17:36, expatballetmom said:

This is my DD first time doing an in person audition at RBS, age 13. Would anyone have insight into what to expect. My daughter is a vocational student and not new to RBS style having been to the summer intensive, but more curious about how many typically in a room and anything that we should take note of ahead of the day. Also, any ideas on how many move onto the final round? Do they choose students for associates from that pool only? Good luck to everyone this audition season!! 

The only advice I would give your daughter from my child’s experience is dance how they always dance. Don’t dance how they think the panel might want them to dance even if they are not trained in the English style. Don’t change what they usually do.
Even if they’re not dancing like anyone else in the room encourage your daughter to just do her. (Obviously her technique needs to be clean and age appropriate)

Smile, engage the panel and have a really lovely time.

Groups are usually small, panel can be 6 plus the teacher taking the class. The RBS auditions in our experience are usually less technically difficult that other vocational auditions. 
 

[Kerfuffle]

3 hours ago, NotadanceMa said:

Really not one U.K. trained  girl? 😱

I guess they probably have seen a lot of potential UK talent already at year 6, so a girl would need to have access to some very good teaching locally - that’s hard to come by when the international competition is already doing full variations on pointe aged  12 -14 possibly taking 25 hours Ballet classes  a week. It’s not impossible but fairly rare here. 

[NotadanceMa]

2 hours ago, Kerfuffle said:

I guess they probably have seen a lot of potential UK talent already at year 6, so a girl would need to have access to some very good teaching locally - that’s hard to come by when the international competition is already doing full variations on pointe aged  12 -14 possibly taking 25 hours Ballet classes  a week. It’s not impossible but fairly rare here. 

OMG that is so depressing to read. I’m so glad we are past this in many ways. My child is in vocational training and doesn’t really want to dance professionally anymore. Thank goodness 😅 

[Kerfuffle]

23 minutes ago, NotadanceMa said:

OMG that is so depressing to read. I’m so glad we are past this in many ways. My child is in vocational training and doesn’t really want to dance professionally anymore. Thank goodness 😅 

Yes it is - and good for your son keeping going at vocational  but also having other ideas!

Maybe things open up a bit beyond lower schools, as I know several RBS/ENBS  success stories with home grown pupils? 

[DD Driver]

It begins...

Saw an Australian ballet school posting about a student just receiving an invitation to the RBS Upper School Finals in early March.

[Neverdancedjustamum]

7 hours ago, DD Driver said:

It begins...

Saw an Australian ballet school posting about a student just receiving an invitation to the RBS Upper School Finals in early March.

I have seen quite a few already - also from Australia, for White Lodge. There have also been quite a few YAGP finalists who did their short term scholarships (one can only assume this is some sort of audition too) at RBS then were off to Cranko the week after…

[DD Driver]

Yes, in the intl auditions the White Lodge candidates had a prelim audition by video or in person, to get into the London Finals.

The results were provided last year.

 

In contrast, the upper school audition was a prelim and then a semi-final video due by Jan 10.  It is those results that have just come out.

 & the dates (4/5 March)

 

[Kerfuffle]

On 24/01/2023 at 08:37, Neverdancedjustamum said:

I have seen quite a few already - also from Australia, for White Lodge. There have also been quite a few YAGP finalists who did their short term scholarships (one can only assume this is some sort of audition too) at RBS then were off to Cranko the week after…

Sadly looks like it becomes a competition between these schools to get the pupils, what’s happening to their own they are training? Must be damaging to their self esteem 

[BattementBatty]

On 12/01/2023 at 17:28, Nutcracker20 said:

Has anyone heard of any UK successes for finals for WL year 10? I have seen some Australian successes on Instagram but that’s it. Considering there is only London auditions left for that age group, I thought perhaps we would have heard of some finalists especially on Instagram by now!

 

86 (or thereabouts depending if everyone from the previous groups were there), year 10 girls auditioned for WL/ SA in London yesterday...

[Macmac]

Yesterday year 10 & year 11 auditions numbers from 80+ to I think almost 120 in my dd group. Then apparently there was another group coming later straight after🙈

[BattementBatty]

Think 86 was the last year 9 into 10 and the rest were year 10 into 11

6 minutes ago, Macmac said:

Yesterday year 10 & year 11 auditions numbers from 80+ to I think almost 120 in my dd group. Then apparently there was another group coming later straight after🙈

 

[Summer47]

6 hours ago, BattementBatty said:

 

86 (or thereabouts depending if everyone from the previous groups were there), year 10 girls auditioned for WL/ SA in London yesterday...

Sorry I’m a little confused do you mean there are that many successfully going to finals at WL at the end of Feb

or

that many at the audition yesterday??

🤨

[Macmac]

That many at the audition auditioning for years 10 & 11 (currently in year 9 & 10).

[Summer47]

41 minutes ago, Macmac said:

That many at the audition auditioning for years 10 & 11 (currently in year 9 & 10).

I presume some of those will just be auditioning for SA’s and some for just full time and some for both 

[Kerfuffle]

I think everyone who applies gets the preliminary audition so there would be a large amount of dancers trying for senior associates and some of those (year 10) for WL. If there was that number at their finals that would be shocking ! 

[Dancer20]

1 hour ago, Nutcracker20 said:

I presume some of those will just be auditioning for SA’s and some for just full time and some for both 

Yes, I know some were there just for SA's and not for full time

[Peony]

I’m guessing most uk girls will have auditioned for year 7 if they want RBS and it would be unusual to have a teenager who didn’t and is at the right level. There will be many more international families who wouldn’t send an 11 year old abroad but would a 14 year old. If they’re selecting from students across the world there would likely be a much more diverse intake, unless they re-introduced the policy of actively favouring UK children.

[Surreycitric]

On 19/01/2023 at 06:14, Evangeline said:

Hi, I know it’s hard to tell but does anybody have an insight into how many dancers go to the final round of auditions and how many do they take for year 8? 
My DD got to the final round but I don’t want to keep her hopes up, so looking for some stats…Thank you! 

There are already 17 girls in the current year 8 and that is a bugger than usual year. No one will be assessed out until February ‘24 so likely to be no more than one if any places. Last year two foreign students were taken foe the start if year 9 but their class was 15 at the time.  

[Evangeline]

Got it, thank you! It’s strange they don’t actually tell you any of this in advance…it would be fair to know. My dd is applying for the year 8 - so current year 7, but I imagine that would be the same situation! Give everyone is guaranteed to stay if they want to for the first 3 years…

[expatballetmom]

7 hours ago, Surreycitric said:

There are already 17 girls in the current year 8 and that is a bugger than usual year. No one will be assessed out until February ‘24 so likely to be no more than one if any places. Last year two foreign students were taken foe the start if year 9 but their class was 15 at the time.  

Thank you for the insight! I suppose it's similar to any major pre-prof ballet school! Just curious are the numbers similar in the associates schemes? Do they also get assessed out along the way? 

[AllAboutTheJourney]

Associate numbers are much higher as there are centres all across the country and they don't really get assessed out during a particular programme unless there are major issues. Once you are in Junior Associates, you would generally stay in until the end of that programme unless you decide to leave (which does happen occasionally).

 

You have to re-audition for the next stage though, so once you're in Y6 you would need to re-audition for Mid Associates, and then again for Senior Associates and so on. There are less places as you go up the age groups, so less children will get a place in MA compared to JA for example. They don't run the older associates in as many centres as they do for junior associates.

[Neverdancedjustamum]

2 hours ago, expatballetmom said:

Thank you for the insight! I suppose it's similar to any major pre-prof ballet school! Just curious are the numbers similar in the associates schemes? Do they also get assessed out along the way? 

I can only speak for one centre, but yes, they do ‘assess’ out at MA level. For years the word on the street is that they don’t, but they definitely do. The important thing to keep in mind is that it really is not the end of the world if they aren’t offered another year of training. We have known young dancers who left of their own accord or ‘assessed out’ but are doing amazingly well and I truly believe some of these dancers will fare better (in some way or another) in the long run. Some might actually think that if you’re aiming at auditioning for a later year (not Year 7), there are pros to not being ‘in the system’ beforehand. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Neverdancedjustamum

[Jane156]

What's the best way to get to White Lodge for auditions. I wasn't sure if driving or trains is easier. More thinking about what the parking is like. Thanks

[AllAboutTheJourney]

If you get the train then you’d need to get a taxi from the station in Richmond out to White Lodge - it will cost around £15 and take about 15 mins. 

 

If you can drive then it’s probably easier - there is plenty of parking. Just depends where you are coming from really but on the whole it’s more easily accessible by car. 

[Jane156]

3 hours ago, AllAboutTheJourney said:

If you get the train then you’d need to get a taxi from the station in Richmond out to White Lodge - it will cost around £15 and take about 15 mins. 

 

If you can drive then it’s probably easier - there is plenty of parking. Just depends where you are coming from really but on the whole it’s more easily accessible by car. 

Thank you. Yes it’s close enough to drive but I wasn’t sure if spaces as said it was limited. I’d much rather drive as long as I can park 

[Dancer20]

1 hour ago, Hanmah67 said:

Thank you. Yes it’s close enough to drive but I wasn’t sure if spaces as said it was limited. I’d much rather drive as long as I can park 

You should be able to park, there is a fair sized car park at the school the first time my DD went to finals there were  70+ children at finals and we all managed to park. They opened the far gate and some people parked just outside on the last day pick up.

[LinMM]

Absolutely definitely  drive if you can White Lodge is a nightmare to get to by public transport especially in bad weather!! 

[AllAboutTheJourney]

Ha, I love how definitive @LinMM is - and I agree if you can drive it then go for that. Didn’t want to put you off if you had to use public transport but I do that journey regularly by train/taxi and yes, it can be an absolute nightmare sometimes! 
 

Such a beautiful location, so awkward to get to! You’ll be fine to park. 

[LinMM]

I was going to their summer show once and journey didn’t look too bad on the map so got a bus from Victoria to Roehampton and then spent ages in the long wet grass ( after a downpour) trying to find the right entrance lol. I could have walked from Richmond train station but that’s a long one too. 
I did get there eventually looking like a drowned rat! 
Luckily for the kids though the rain held off for the rest of the day so all the performances could be held outside …great dancing of course. 

I tried a different way back walking to Mortlake? Anyway that was miles too!! 
 

[Surreycitric]

On 19/01/2023 at 09:07, NotadanceMa said:

Really not one U.K. trained  girl? 😱

 

On 19/01/2023 at 09:07, NotadanceMa said:

Really not one U.K. trained  girl? 😱

Not a single one. Not a Brit from abroad or anything close.. 

If the numbers of girls UK girls getting finals are an indication then it doesn't look unlikely that it will be the same again this year. Not a single UK student a Prix de Lausanne either .

[Neverdancedjustamum]

23 minutes ago, Surreycitric said:

 

Not a single one. Not a Brit from abroad or anything close.. 

If the numbers of girls UK girls getting finals are an indication then it doesn't look unlikely that it will be the same again this year. Not a single UK student a Prix de Lausanne either .

Probably a bit related to this but I was wondering, now that RBS has clearly said there are distinctly different stages to their training programme which their own students would need to apply/audition to, would it be the case that after the first three years their WL students would perhaps be included with all other applicants for Year 10 for the finals for example? And maybe the same for their Year 11s auditioning for upper school? Or is it all still done in-house? I would have thought it would be to their benefit to see how their own students fare against others from other schools/overseas/non-vocational. This would seem a more transparent way of auditioning.

[sunrise81]

Current Year 9s have just done their appraisals. They will get told in the next couple of weeks whether or not they have a place for yr 10. They were told over Feb half term last year. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by sunrise81

[Neverdancedjustamum]

37 minutes ago, sunrise81 said:

Current Year 9s have just done their appraisals. They will get told in the next couple of weeks whether or not they have a place for yr 10. They were told over Feb half term last year. 

 

I would have thought assessments would be a separate process to auditions or applying for a Year 10 place. I’d expect both processes to have separate outcomes, that is, someone can pass an assessment but not get a place. I don’t know how it works though but know that’s how it works in some academic schools (they pass all subjects but don’t get into the school’s sixth form, for example). Unless they use the same criteria I guess in which case they can use the assessments as a 2-in-1.