Are most home schools supportive

[Dancenewbie]

Just wondered if most home schools are supportive of children being asked to audition else where for associates and cats etc

Was quite surprised at how negative and unencouraging my  child’s was and wondered if this was normal? Thanks 

[Farawaydancer]

We found this tricky to negotiate, mainly because the CAT programme ran on days when she’d usually be having lessons at her ‘home’ school. But ultimately her teacher understood that she needed things that her school couldn’t provide. 

[BalletGirlAndBoy]

We have this issue at our school as well. Instead of encouraging associates schemes, the principal doesn't promote them at all, believing the students don't need any extra training outside of the school. I have found it difficult to broach the subject. I think a lot of it is exactly as @Farawaydancer says - Saturday associates would mean a loss of the best students from the Saturday class programme (which runs all day). 

[Colman]

I’ve always been suspicious of teachers - of martial arts or dance - who discourage their students from training more widely.

 

Specific concerns about programmes or teachers are one thing, but a blanket discouragement - or outright forbidding it - suggests both insecurity in their own teaching and an inappropriate possessiveness. 

 

It’s good manners to inform them and (perhaps) ask their advice, but all the good teachers I know have encouraged training elsewhere (except maybe when training a new style of martial art or dance when you aren’t reasonably secure in the current one, which can lead to confusing crossover and learning neither well.)

[Peanut68]

I wanted to ‘like’ your post above Colman but there was no heart symbol to click for some reason….🤷🏻‍♀️

[Betty]

My daughters home ballet teachers is hugely supportive of associates, intensives, and performance opportunities - the teacher suggested them in the first place and is always sending ideas through. We let her know what’s going on and she gives advice. She also doesn’t plaster it all over her website/Instagram. Sounds like we are v lucky with this. My daughter trains in 3 places including the local school in the church hall. We’ve kept going through loyalty, and it is good solid RAD syllabus work.

[LinMM]

Yes I’ve found this with Colmans posts on other threads you can’t “like” them 

Perhaps you can opt out of this if you want to I don’t know. 

[Colman]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Yes I’ve found this with Colmans posts on other threads you can’t “like” them 

Perhaps you can opt out of this if you want to I don’t know. 

My account is limited by admins in an effort to stop me reacting badly to reactionary posters and upsetting them*.  I have my own special group "Just4DoingDance".

 

I'm only allowed post or comment in Doing Dance and the ticket forum as far as I know, and I can't like posts or be liked.

 

(* The admins might phrase this differently. It's the least tendentious way I can think to put it. 🤷‍♂️)

Edited January 22 by Colman

[taxi4ballet]

22 hours ago, Colman said:

Specific concerns about programmes or teachers are one thing, but a blanket discouragement - or outright forbidding it - suggests both insecurity in their own teaching and an inappropriate possessiveness. 

This is pretty much it. In a nutshell.

 

Some dance schools enter a lot of competitions, so I could understand that they would want commitment to rehearsals and competitions, especially in group dances, but if they have students who are really talented and need the opportunities and additional training that associate programmes offer, they should put the student's best interests first.