Am I right to be cynical?

[robin64]

Bancruptmum, you have such a great attitude, I am sure your DD will do really well. I hope she finds the right place at 16. Let's face it she will have grown so much in strength and character by her experience that she will show a future panel how resilient and determined she is to dance. I think that is a very attractive quality in a pupil and also counts for a lot in life. Your DD will appreciate a mum who has been there for her to pick up the pieces and stay positive. Wishing you both all the best and hope the GCSE's go well.

[primrose]

Famcandance2 I thought you said that you had been given some feed back from the head of dance as to why your dd wasnt selected. It probably just isnt your dds time yet. The schools will pick the ones that they feel meet the criteria of their school. Its not their fault that your dd isnt able to access the type of training that you would like her to. My dd was a Royal associate but didnt get a place at White Lodge. The reason being was that she wasnt as good as the other kids there, thats just the way of the world. We know that she probably would never have got into the Royal Ballet School so we had a choice, either to keep trying for a school that was interested in giving her a associate place (which was great) or auditon elsewhere, which she did and was successful.

[famcandance2]

I had only been told that she wasn't flexible enough, and this for me is not a good enough reason as the school she auditioned for is a school of the arts, not a ballet school and she could do well in musical theatre. This is the last time she can audition until she is 18 as she needs to finish school first and she is now nearly 13. I don't agree with changing schools in a GCSE year. As far as distance being all the same when they're boarding, I don't agree. I have a son in full time vocational education at one school, how would I try and reconcile dates and performances so we could see both? I also have a disabled older child at home and have to try and get care for her when we go to performances as she can't take loud music. If I was juggling two different schools, it would be very difficult. Also the distance to get to a school any further than we have tried would cost so much it would not be viable. I think if I thought the feedback was reasonable I would feel happier about her not being successful. As it is, it just seems to me an excuse. We were told performance was the main thing, and now they want her to be able to put her leg around her ear! It needs to be clear what they're looking for and at the moment it's very cloudy.

[Anna C]

Famcandance, don't forget post 16 places; it's not the case that your DD will have to wait until 18. The choice - certainly for ballet schools - opens up vastly at 16 so your DD could get her GCSEs and then apply for the Upper Schools or the large number of excellent performing arts colleges. If your DD is more interested in Musical Theatre and she has potential in that area then even 18 isn't too late as long as you can keep dance, singing and drama classes up in the meantime.

 

I know it's frustrating - my DD was turned down for Tring CBA a few years ago on the basis that she wasn't flexible enough, which is funny as she's very hypermobile! I think it was actually the case that her performance skills weren't very strong so why they blamed flexibility I don't know. My point is that you never know what a particular school is looking for on any given day, so there is no point tying yourself up in knots over it.

 

If you think there may be an issue with your DD's flexibility, is seeing a dance physio feasible?

[Pas de Quatre]

Bankrupt mum - you have all my sympathy, it must be a very hard time for you. However it is not the end of the road for your dd and I sincerely hope she will find the way forward. When you say she has been assessed out of Yr 9, do you mean she is currently in Yr 9? If so this is where I start to get confused. One of my pupils applied to audition at Elmhurst for Yr 10 in September and was told there were no spaces. Her mother discussed it with me and decided to go ahead anyway for the experience and because she would like to go summer school there. She didn't get through to finals, but does this mean there are places in Yr 10 after all?

[Dadadance]

This is again the position where the schools may not know if there will be any spaces when the auditions first take place. The schools usually don't know until the apprasials come around if any child will be assessed out. So there may have been no places when the first auditions took place but now there could be.

 

Also Elmhurst has very flexible accommodation so beds generlly isn't an issue.

 

Bankrupt mum our thoughts are with you as it is a very tough time for both the family ad your daughter, good luck in the future.

[Jellybeans]

But why not be more open about this? Why say there are no beds and put people off auditioning in the knowledge that there MIGHT be beds? I would have thought it is in a schools best interest to see as many children as possible not try and put them off!! And yes, we now have a new scenario! A child that did audition, did not get a final and possibly assumed until now that it was simply because there were no beds!

 

I wonder, when they audition children before appraisals, if they are actively comparing them to those that are already there with a view to making way for any that they feel are stronger dancers?

[balletla]

Bankrupt mum will be able to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that there are about 20 girls in year 9 at Elmhurst and they did say they were going to have to assess quite a few out this time. That doesn't mean therefore that there are spaces in year 10.

 

I do get the impression that they try to cover all bases at Elmhurst and take a lot of girls in because they aren't quite sure sometimes. Unlike RBS who are very sure of themselves and go to the other extreme and carry spaces.

[Jellybeans]

Bankrupt mum will be able to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that there are about 20 girls in year 9 at Elmhurst and they did say they were going to have to assess quite a few out this time. That doesn't mean therefore that there are spaces in year 10.

 

 

How did you hear this, ribbons? it is surely not the sort of thing that they should be saying publicly?

 

 

[famcandance2]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My dd is not at school in England so only finishes school at 18 unless she wants to leave with a pretty poor qualification. Unfortunately she is not going to get in then either with the quality of teaching we have access to. There are no dance physio's here either. She saw the dance school's physio when she did her audition and all she was told was that although she wasn't that flexible, she was tall with long legs and still growing and that it is harder for taller people to be as flexible as younger, smaller children.

[BankruptMum]

How did you hear this, ribbons? it is surely not the sort of thing that they should be saying publicly?

 

I'm not sure how this was heard as it is definitely something which wasnt communicated to the students or parents of the school. I honestly believe the appraisal process was fair to all in the year group and they were assessed to the school's requirements and the students perceived potential.

 

It is a large year group but they also have a large current year 11 so it is not unusual.

[Anna C]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My dd is not at school in England so only finishes school at 18 unless she wants to leave with a pretty poor qualification. Unfortunately she is not going to get in then either with the quality of teaching we have access to. There are no dance physio's here either. She saw the dance school's physio when she did her audition and all she was told was that although she wasn't that flexible, she was tall with long legs and still growing and that it is harder for taller people to be as flexible as younger, smaller children.

 

Tall or not, there will always be exercises that your DD can do at home to improve her flexibility. If you haven't already, it would be worth asking your local danceteacher, or the teacher at Associates, for exercises aimed at improving your DD's flexibility.

 

I understand the situation about having to wait until 18, but if she is aiming for a career in musical theatre then 18 is not too late to start vocational training. Can you keep up tap, ballet and modern classes locally? How about drama classes and singing lessons? Does your secondary school offer singing tuition?

[2dancersmum]

Bankruptmum - all the best to your daughter. You both seem to have a very sensible attitude. Make the most of your next few years before you lose her to school again at 16! I'm sure that time will be here before you now it.

 

Famcandance - at my DD's ballet school applying at 18 is more common than applying at 16, mostly for dance colleges and musical theatre courses, rather than ballet. Most of these dancers have only had 2 (or max 4) 45 mins classes a week. Certainly at your DD's age they would have only just been moving to that 3rd class. Maybe more classes, than she has now will be available for your DD as she progresses but in the meantime just keep regulary checking for any dance/drama etc in your area as things do change. Good luck and all the best to you and your DD

[fairytoes]

Hi famcandance2, just wondering after reading your posts whether it would be possible for you to make an appointment with your DD associates teacher to sit down and have a chat about your concerns ie flexibility extra classes etc. I know at my DD ballet school ( we live in Florida though ) they welcome you at any time to arrange a teacher conference with any concerns you may have. I know you said she only does associates once a month but hopefully they could arrange something for one of those Saturdays, or if that wasn't possible maybe a telephone conference. Hope this may help you and your DD. xxx

[famcandance2]

Thanks for all your help and suggestions. Will try above suggestion, it sounds like a good plan of action. Her secondary school offers no singing or drama classes other than the curriculum. My daughter has one 45 min ballet, one 45 min combined tap and jazz and for 6 months of the year one 45 min drama. She sings in the national youth choir. This is all that is available for her and this is not likely to change as our town is dying and not getting bigger. We will just keep on and hope that sometime she gets her chance.

[fairytoes]

Great famcandance2 I really feel that a teacher conference will help guide you in the right direction. It's so hard when you feel there's no light at the end of the tunnel and you really dont know where to go from here. Your daughter sounds so dedicated especially with her working on her flexibility at home as well as in her dance classes. My DD looks at me horrified when I mention that maybe she should do a little stretching during the odd evening, it's like I have suggested climbing Mount Everest or something!!!!!. Let us know how you get on and hopefully it will be great advise she gives you.xxx

[balletla]

How did you hear this, ribbons? it is surely not the sort of thing that they should be saying publicly?

 

Just heard it through other parents on the ballet scene. But as Bankrupt Mum says that this was never said to parents or students, it just shows you really can't believe everything you hear!

[glowlight]

Famcandance - sometimes when you think all the doors have closed, a new opportunity opens up unexpectedly. You just have to make sure you are ready for it when it does. Hope this will be the case for you and your dd.