Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 (edited) My daughter (14) is going to be an associate with BTUKS next year. I also put her down for ballet boost but before I message them I thought I’d pick the brains of those parents much more experienced to ask if it would be okay to be an associate at two different schools? The thing is, it would be her last year of most associate schemes as she’ll be year 11 next year. Only one day a term would clash, so if she attended every session at BTUK, she’d miss three sessions out of nineteen from Ballet Boost. She is just very keen to “catch up” after an illness, to give herself the best chance at full time training in a couple of years. But before I ask ballet boost, I’d really appreciate any advice. Edited June 17, 2023 by Anna C Edited by Moderator to remove potentially identifying details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiaramum Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 get in touch with Ballet Boost and see what they say. The whole Ballet Boost team are wonderful and the teacher at Hull is quite simply awesome! Does your daughter think she can cope with both? Can you cope with the travelling and time commitment for both? I have no experience of BTUK so can't comment on that specifically, however associate schemes are great and certainly open up opportunities to students who can't attend vocational schools for whatever reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Wow. Thank you, @Tiaramum I had hardly dared hope for actual recommendations of BB. It’s very much appreciated to hear such great things about them and their teacher, as our dance school have never sent anyone to them before. I don’t mind about the travel and time commitment myself. I am just so thrilled that DD is back doing what she loves that I’d bend over backwards to make things happen for her this next year. My instinct is to be honest and to say a version of the above to BB, as I am not inclined to play games and say she’s ill or something on any clashes. Thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverdancedjustamum Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 I’m not sure if associates schemes are fine with it but I think if you’re open and transparent and inform them, they usually are. I know in Birmingham there are many RBS JAs who are also Elmhurst Young Dancers and in London, there are RBS SAs who are also associates of ENBS. And a lot of DCs attend Saturday AND Sunday associates. I actually know of young dancers from previous years who were associates of 4 (!) schemes. I don’t think it’s unheard of to be an associate of 2. In fact, I think it’s becoming the norm, now that the dance world and gaining places in vocational schools are increasingly becoming more and more competitive. There are many young dancers who try to squeeze in as much as they can within the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Thank you so much @Neverdancedjustamum that is so reassuring, albeit slightly terrifying that girls are doing so much. I worry a bit that DD is terribly behind after illness although she was at the senior dance day at Tring the other week and met girls she’d been at Elmburst summer school two years ago, which was reassuring for her. She’s missed the chance though of so many things for next year as she didn’t want to jinx her recovery by applying for anything too early, and her photos probably wouldn’t have been be strong enough before the end of April when she did them. I’ve just had a chat to her and I am going to leave contacting BB until next week. Fingers crossed 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 To my mind you need to think very carefully about overloading your DD. Yr 11 is very stressful for everyone with GCSE mocks and then the real exams. You don't mention auditions for post 16 full time courses or will she stay where she is for Yr 12-13 (6th form)? What are her long term ambitions? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 That’s not a problem @Pas de Quatre DD is home educated and is aiming for 5 or 6 GCSEs. She’ll be looking for vocational courses in the next couple of years, and she already has one conditional offer for 2024, but I want her to stay with her current dance school for two years ideally and look to move away to a vocational school at 17+… But she wants to stay very open minded. Basically, she needs to see how summer intensives and then associates works this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhatsThePointe Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 It's really common for dancers to attend more than one scheme so I wouldn't worry about that. Also Ballet Boost are very reasonable with their attendance expectations so I don't think you will have an issue there. I can't comment on Hull, but my two DDs have experienced several different teachers at the London branch and it's absolutely brilliant, so I'd highly recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Thank you @WhatsThePointe That’s very reassuring 😁 Of course, she may not be offered BB, but it’s good to know it’s not unreasonable to do two if she is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 My dd did two lots of associates simultaneously, fortunately they were different days. No issue with it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygirlsmum Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 I can 100% recommend the teacher of BB Hull, fabulous teacher 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Thank you @taxi4ballet that is very reassuring. A very apt username too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Thank you @shygirlsmum I am so very glad I posted it was Hull (although I’m sure all the teachers are great) as the reviews have really been brilliant. DD really wants to do ballet boost so fingers crossed 🤞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixiewoo Posted June 6, 2023 Share Posted June 6, 2023 My DD has never danced with BB or in Hull, but we know many girls who do. It may be that if you can't make the audition, they offer you an 'in class' audition another time? I know this is something they do. Good luck and best wishes to your DD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 My daughter was a Central Prep & Pre-Senior (every Saturday) as well as a Tring CBA student every other Sunday, so it absolutely can be done. If I had to choose between your two schemes, I would choose Ballet Boost. Also, do either of the Associates do Contemporary as well as Ballet? That is incredibly useful, as many ballet companies now have Contemporary in their repertoire, and some really good upper schools like Rambert and Central provide excellent Contemporary training alongside classical ballet. Lastly, all dance students need a Plan B, so don’t underestimate the value of a good set of GCSEs, including some facilitating subjects (especially a science) should your dd ever need to change pathways and do A Levels. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 17 hours ago, Sunflower said: Thank you @taxi4ballet that is very reassuring. A very apt username too! Honestly, the miles I clocked up... ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing unicorn Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 I’m with Anna C - I’d just do Ballet Boost 🥰 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummy twinkle toes Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 My Dds did the BT one simultaneously with a different scheme and enjoyed it. If I remember rightly it was once a month on a Sunday and included contemporary. They both then attended Balletboost in London and my older one did their vocational focused ABA scheme. Both good schemes-ABAs was a Saturday and Bb a Sunday. Not sure if they offer ABAs in Hull. Bb includes contemporary. As others have said just be open with both schemes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 On 06/06/2023 at 22:16, Pixiewoo said: My DD has never danced with BB or in Hull, but we know many girls who do. It may be that if you can't make the audition, they offer you an 'in class' audition another time? I know this is something they do. Good luck and best wishes to your DD Thank you @Pixiewoo That is an excellent point, if she doesn’t recover enough in the next week 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 On 07/06/2023 at 08:15, Anna C said: My daughter was a Central Prep & Pre-Senior (every Saturday) as well as a Tring CBA student every other Sunday, so it absolutely can be done. If I had to choose between your two schemes, I would choose Ballet Boost. Also, do either of the Associates do Contemporary as well as Ballet? That is incredibly useful, as many ballet companies now have Contemporary in their repertoire, and some really good upper schools like Rambert and Central provide excellent Contemporary training alongside classical ballet. Lastly, all dance students need a Plan B, so don’t underestimate the value of a good set of GCSEs, including some facilitating subjects (especially a science) should your dd ever need to change pathways and do A Levels. Thank you @Anna C from the look of it, ballet boost don’t do contemporary, but BTUK definitely are doing for this coming year. I don’t know if that changes your mind at all? But fingers crossed she can do both if BB would like her. She’s doing Central and Northern summer school, and is waitlisted for Rambert. It was a struggle to find anything that late, but they all do contemporary too for the intensives so that will at least give her an intro. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 19 hours ago, Dancing unicorn said: I’m with Anna C - I’d just do Ballet Boost 🥰 I’ve already accepted BTUK, so it would be both of just that, if BB don’t choose her 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 18 hours ago, Mummy twinkle toes said: My Dds did the BT one simultaneously with a different scheme and enjoyed it. If I remember rightly it was once a month on a Sunday and included contemporary. They both then attended Balletboost in London and my older one did their vocational focused ABA scheme. Both good schemes-ABAs was a Saturday and Bb a Sunday. Not sure if they offer ABAs in Hull. Bb includes contemporary. As others have said just be open with both schemes. Thank you @Mummy twinkle toes. I was struggling to find much still open. I shall go and look at ABA, but I think most associates schemes finish at year 11, so we’re a bit late to the party 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Have you considered Kings International Ballet Academy in Leicester? They have Pre vocational associates and an excellent Vocational course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 2 hours ago, Sunflower said: Thank you @Anna C from the look of it, ballet boost don’t do contemporary, but BTUK definitely are doing for this coming year. I don’t know if that changes your mind at all? But fingers crossed she can do both if BB would like her. She’s doing Central and Northern summer school, and is waitlisted for Rambert. It was a struggle to find anything that late, but they all do contemporary too for the intensives so that will at least give her an intro. I have personal experience of the full-time course at the school we don’t discuss, but not of their Associate Scheme. Contemporary is always worthwhile, and I hope your dd’s Rambert SS waiting list place comes good, because that was a superb summer course; one of my daughter’s favourites. Assuming Central still does Contemporary as part of its summer school, that’s also a great well-rounded course. Tring Park School’s CBA scheme went on to 18 when my daughter was there, but I’m guessing that might be quite a way from you if you’re looking at Leicestershire and Hull? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 14, 2023 Author Share Posted June 14, 2023 On 08/06/2023 at 16:29, Pas de Quatre said: Have you considered Kings International Ballet Academy in Leicester? They have Pre vocational associates and an excellent Vocational course. Someone else in person mentioned this to me, but I don’t know much about it. I shall look at them, but they will be a good drive. Thank you 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 14, 2023 Author Share Posted June 14, 2023 On 08/06/2023 at 17:41, Anna C said: I have personal experience of the full-time course at the school we don’t discuss, but not of their Associate Scheme. Contemporary is always worthwhile, and I hope your dd’s Rambert SS waiting list place comes good, because that was a superb summer course; one of my daughter’s favourites. Assuming Central still does Contemporary as part of its summer school, that’s also a great well-rounded course. Tring Park School’s CBA scheme went on to 18 when my daughter was there, but I’m guessing that might be quite a way from you if you’re looking at Leicestershire and Hull? Me too for Rambert, but she’s still on the wait list… Tring is sadly too far. DD went to their senior dance day in half term, and it required an overnight the night before. Thank you so much for your help x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYR Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 [JOKE] Yes, so long as you make sure that you wear something from every associate scheme whenever you take class, so nobody can be left in any doubt that you are better than they are. [/JOKE] 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Posted June 22, 2023 Author Share Posted June 22, 2023 😆 @TYR I shall keep that in mind now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerfuffle Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Plus all the intensive ones 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Don't forget the logoed water bottles and bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now