Laura_ballet Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 You can ask to change the time. I have heard of parents that have requested previously. However, like @Millicent I didn’t want to ask, so i just took what I was given. My daughter struggled to come to terms with leaving her Saturday classes at first and there was one point in the first term where she was debating leaving JAs so she could resume her Saturday classes! More of a comfort thing I believe and once she started to enjoy the JA classes and made some friends she settled in well. She still misses her Saturday classes at her dance school however you can’t do it all and I believe the JA classes have been a brilliant foundation for her technique/artistry but also a whole range of experiences she would never have had I.e. audition for Royal Ballet works, watch rehearsals etc. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littledancer99 Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 We got a yes yesterday! For year 6 in Manchester. So unbelievably surprised if I’m honest. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tendu_mum Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 1 hour ago, Thelittleswans said: You can ask to change the time. I have heard of parents that have requested previously. However, like @Millicent I didn’t want to ask, so i just took what I was given. My daughter struggled to come to terms with leaving her Saturday classes at first and there was one point in the first term where she was debating leaving JAs so she could resume her Saturday classes! More of a comfort thing I believe and once she started to enjoy the JA classes and made some friends she settled in well. She still misses her Saturday classes at her dance school however you can’t do it all and I believe the JA classes have been a brilliant foundation for her technique/artistry but also a whole range of experiences she would never have had I.e. audition for Royal Ballet works, watch rehearsals etc. Thank you, I think it will hit my daughter quite hard to begin with if she needs to stop her Saturday morning classes. But wow, what an opportunity she’s been given. I’m also really surprised they don’t get assessed for Y6 as I too have been led to believe (from social media) that the kids only move up a year if they pass an assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrise81 Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 When dd1 was a JA and they did in class assessments each year. Some were told they wouldn't be given a place for the following year......unless it has changed recently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderPink Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 2 hours ago, Millicent said: Yes you automatically go into Y6 if you have a Y4 or Y5 place. When applying I think you could request either 26 weeks or 32 weeks but once you have an offer I think you just need to graciously accept! And you can't request a different time of day. My DD missed out on Saturday classes at her local studio for 3 years but it was definitely worth it. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderPink Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 2 hours ago, Thelittleswans said: You can ask to change the time. I have heard of parents that have requested previously. However, like @Millicent I didn’t want to ask, so i just took what I was given. My daughter struggled to come to terms with leaving her Saturday classes at first and there was one point in the first term where she was debating leaving JAs so she could resume her Saturday classes! More of a comfort thing I believe and once she started to enjoy the JA classes and made some friends she settled in well. She still misses her Saturday classes at her dance school however you can’t do it all and I believe the JA classes have been a brilliant foundation for her technique/artistry but also a whole range of experiences she would never have had I.e. audition for Royal Ballet works, watch rehearsals etc. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderPink Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, sunrise81 said: When dd1 was a JA and they did in class assessments each year. Some were told they wouldn't be given a place for the following year......unless it has changed recently? Thank you! Useful to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointeshoesarethedream Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 1 minute ago, Tendu_mum said: Thank you, I think it will hit my daughter quite hard to begin with if she needs to stop her Saturday morning classes. But wow, what an opportunity she’s been given. I’m also really surprised they don’t get assessed for Y6 as I too have been led to believe (from social media) that the kids only move up a year if they pass an assessment. A few years ago now for us but my DD said after audition that she enjoyed it but didn’t want to do it because she didn’t want to give up her Saturday classes… 4 years later she’s enjoyed 3 wonderful years as a JA, a year of Mids and looking forward to year 8 in Sept. JAs is a wonderful journey. Both my daughter and I have made life long friends and have experienced things that we would never have done had we not received that wonderful email in 2019. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderPink Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 3 hours ago, Millicent said: Yes you automatically go into Y6 if you have a Y4 or Y5 place. When applying I think you could request either 26 weeks or 32 weeks but once you have an offer I think you just need to graciously accept! And you can't request a different time of day. My DD missed out on Saturday classes at her local studio for 3 years but it was definitely worth it. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointeshoesarethedream Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, sunrise81 said: When dd1 was a JA and they did in class assessments each year. Some were told they wouldn't be given a place for the following year......unless it has changed recently? I think where there are children that aren’t benefitting they don’t continue and you do receive an email each year to say you have been offered another year but there’s no formal assessment like mids. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tendu_mum Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 7 minutes ago, Workhard_Dreambig said: A few years ago now for us but my DD said after audition that she enjoyed it but didn’t want to do it because she didn’t want to give up her Saturday classes… 4 years later she’s enjoyed 3 wonderful years as a JA, a year of Mids and looking forward to year 8 in Sept. JAs is a wonderful journey. Both my daughter and I have made life long friends and have experienced things that we would never have done had we not received that wonderful email in 2019. Thank you. This sounds really positive! I hope our RBS journey is as wonderful as yours 💖 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennyballet Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 For London, there would be no point asking to switch times as the timetable for next year is such that both year 6 classes are running at the same time and both year 4/5 classes are running at the same time. Hope that helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceMum82 Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 6 hours ago, kimsballet said: Really good to know thank you. A couple of questions if possible?! So sorry!... - What was cost attached to these please? - Were they about once a month? - What approx. time of day were they? Thank you! I'd love to know this too, if anyone knows 🤗 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tendu_mum Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 1 minute ago, Jennyballet said: For London, there would be no point asking to switch times as the timetable for next year is such that both year 6 classes are running at the same time and both year 4/5 classes are running at the same time. Hope that helps. Ok thank you. Do you happen to know what times they are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunhead13 Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, kimsballet said: Really good to know thank you. A couple of questions if possible?! So sorry!... - What was cost attached to these please? - Were they about once a month? - What approx. time of day were they? Thank you! There are around 10 sessions over the 6 months so it’s works out around every 2 weeks, occasionally a 3 week gap. The classes were in the morning into early afternoon. Edited June 13, 2023 by Bunhead13 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimsballet Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 48 minutes ago, Bunhead13 said: There are around 10 sessions over the 6 months so it’s works out around every 2 weeks, occasionally a 3 week gap. The classes were in the morning into early afternoon. Thanks so much for the information! Really helpful. What was the cost of them approximately please? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance5678 Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 I have noticed there are now approx 12 girls from the same dance school in 1 JA class/location after this round. I may have counted wrong but it is a high number, is that unusual/usual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Hello @Bunhead13 and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissEmily Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 @dance5678 There are a couple of schools and locations you could be referring to. Both are phenomenal teachers, but also the more students you prepare for auditions and the more experience you have of seeing who is successful and who isn't, the better you get at putting the "right" children forward and making sure they show themselves in the best light. There is also an element of auditioning being part of the culture of a school. Some excellent schools don't allow students to audition; others encourage it. Also, the more children you advertise as being JAs, the more it attracts the kind of families who want to audition. And sometimes a school just gets lucky with a particular generation of gifted students! Lots of factors at play. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura_ballet Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Well said @MissEmily 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance5678 Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Thank you this is really interesting. I have a child wanting to apply next year so I have been watching this years acceptances with interest. We are not a dancing family and wondered if there were preferred schools the RBS look for or work with. I presume not, your reply was really helpful thank you. Would you say there is an advantage of joining one of these schools for the next year onward? We are Midlands based, for any advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunhead13 Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said: Hello @Bunhead13 and welcome to the Forum! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 3 hours ago, dance5678 said: Thank you this is really interesting. I have a child wanting to apply next year so I have been watching this years acceptances with interest. We are not a dancing family and wondered if there were preferred schools the RBS look for or work with. I presume not, your reply was really helpful thank you. Would you say there is an advantage of joining one of these schools for the next year onward? We are Midlands based, for any advice. I have noticed this in the past too and it probably is a mix of things. My daughter didn’t get into JA in year 6 in spite of having been encouraged to apply by a JA teacher on another RBS related course. She was much taller than the others at the time and it felt like there was a certain type they were looking for. I think the successful candidates were more prepared than my daughter was and maybe gave a better vibe (more confident and sure of what was going on) at the audition, thanks to their teachers being experienced at putting children forward. 4 years later my DD tried again for RBS SA and was successful. By then she was much more average looking in terms of height etc and had all the splits etc they look for. So in conclusion perhaps going to a school that has connections does help but I can’t tell you for sure! Sometimes the RBS teacher also happens to teach at associates and I guess that might have a small influence. When it comes to changing schools I would only do that if there were other reasons to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissEmily Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 @dance5678 I wouldn't move your child only for that reason. There is a lot more to be said for loyalty and sticking with a teacher who knows and has nurtured your child's love of dance up until now. First of all, I would speak to your child's current teacher about your aspirations as they will be best placed to advise you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceMum82 Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 I have just seen on an older 2021/22 thread that they will be placed into groups and the classes will be sunday mornings ranging between 9am & 1pm and classes 1hr 15 each. Ao possible will run very similar to this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tendu_mum Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Evening all, I’ve started a new thread for those whose child got offered a place in September. I thought it would be useful 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satin2014 Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 On 10/03/2023 at 22:15, MissEmily said: Does anyone know if children on the Short Waiting List will be offered the online course this year? My DD has been offered online and wait list 2023. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Be careful of conflating correlation with causation @dance5678 As @MissEmily so rightly points out there are many factors why particular schools may have a lot of JAs and it isn't necessarily because the teachers there are "better" . Aside from anything else, it must be a fairly big school that even has 12 pupils who want to be JAs and simply having a bigger pool of pupils will make a difference. It's easy to see those numbers and assume the studio is crammed with such pupils, but how many do they have who are unsuccessful or don't audition? And in locations where there are plenty of schools people tend to gravitate to ones with a particular style, so you'll not uncommonly get a school that "collects" the ballet enthusiasts, another where all the best tappers go and so on. Not that its a bad thing to go to a ballet focused school if you are a ballet focused child of course and if you move for that reason then fair enough, but personally, unless you are unhappy with your current school I wouldn't move just to try to boost chances of getting into JAs. Aside from the fact that a lot of it depends on physical characteristics so a change of teacher wont necessarily make any difference anyway, at this age in particular there is a lot to be said for learning a range of styles and being with friends in a happy environment. As you will see written here many, many times, it's the journey that matters. The probability of any young dancer, even those who get into JAs and subsequently full time training, having a lasting career as a professional ballet dancer is absolutely tiny, so it is crucial that they are happy and fulfilled along their dancing journey. So I'd say move if you think your DD would be happier in a different school, and don't if not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satin2014 Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 On 13/06/2023 at 14:03, kimsballet said: Really good to know thank you. A couple of questions if possible?! So sorry!... - What was cost attached to these please? - Were they about once a month? - What approx. time of day were they? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimsballet Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 3 minutes ago, Satin2014 said: I think there have been a few answers to some of this- sounds like the online Associates are Sunday mornings, and I guess 12 sessions it says online divided over Sept to March? - so every few weeks I guess. I'm not sure what the cost was though! If that helps 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceMum82 Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 I have received an email this morning for my DD as a place has become available and she's been offered a space for sept. I'm beyond excited for her and can't wait to pick her up from school to break the news 💞 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderPink Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 Does anyone know what time the Y5 girls' JA class in London is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimsballet Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, DanceMum82 said: I have received an email this morning for my DD as a place has become available and she's been offered a space for sept. I'm beyond excited for her and can't wait to pick her up from school to break the news 💞 Amazing news! Huge congratulations to your child! Edited June 16, 2023 by kimsballet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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