Dance Schools Abroad

[tutoo2much]

I have checked out the school of the Hamberg Ballet.  The website is in English.  It does seem cheaper than ballet training here.  The fees stated  on the web-site are about £6500 pa, that includes board and tuition.

 

http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/schulgeld.htm

[Lisa O`Brien]

Gosh that is cheap compared to the schools here.Have a feeling this may be the way forward for lots of people.Maybe if the UK schools find less and less people auditioning each year,it will force them to address their exhorbitant fees.

[Pas de Quatre]

These schools may be cheaper, but they are very hard to get into - think RBS and ENB for the standard and competition for places!

[tutoo2much]

The National Ballet school of Portugal offers tuition for £2600 a year. 

 

http://www.edcn.pt/

[afab]

These schools may be cheaper, but they are very hard to get into - think RBS and ENB for the standard and competition for places!

Absolutely... With kids auditioning from all over the world...

[tomuchtallent]

But look at the difference in price!!!So not fair!

[tutoo2much]

To be honest I don't know anything about them!  I think they might be partner Prix de Lausanne schools, so would expect the standard to be high.  Some parents are obviously concerned that if there dd or ds got into ENBS or another top school here they wouldn't be able to send them.   I thought it might be interesting to see what else is out there.

Edited February 6, 2013 by tutoo2much

[Jan McNulty]

These schools may be cheaper, but they are very hard to get into - think RBS and ENB for the standard and competition for places!

 

Would the young people applying, who would be of the standard accepted into RBS or ENBS, not have an equal chance at these schools?

[afab]

Yes I suppose they would...

[primrose]

Dont forget that different schools look for different things. The Bolshoi Academy in Moscow charge 12,000 euros per year. You then need to add on the cost of flights and any spending the child might need. I think the Vagonava in St Peterburgh charge a simular price. The standard of the students is incredibly high but so is the training. Its not an easy path training abroad, especially with language and cultural differences. Dont forget that parents dont get as much say abroad with their childs training regardless if they are paying. I also have to add that where your child trains can have a positive affect on doors being opened and I have to say I have had some experience of that.

Edited February 6, 2013 by primrose

[tutoo2much]

The Royal Swedish Ballet School offers a free year's tuition to select International Students and board is just over £300 a month.

 

http://www.kungligasvenskabalettskolan.se/international-course

[toursenlair]

Canada's National Ballet School charges approx $40,000 Cdn (about 25,000 pounds) for non-Canadian residents for tuition and room and board. Then in addition summer school is another $4,000.

So I guess y'all won't be rushing over here anytime soon.

 From their website:

"Assistance is available to students in the full-time Professional
Ballet Program based on financial need. Families wishing such assistance
must complete a detailed bursary application form, and all such
requests are evaluated on the basis of family means. In keeping with the
School's status as a national training institution, every effort is
made to ensure no Canadian student is deprived access because of
financial circumstances.

Limited assistance may also be extended to non-Canadian students based on financial need and bursary funds available."

[Tulip]

Just a little point to make our British students have to be of a very high standard not just at the royal or ENB but also Central, Elmhurst, Hammond and Tring. The evidence at Central is there to see as quite a few internationals are training throughout the school. These students leither chose to come to Britain or they didn't get into their own dance schools. But if they did have a choice and their schools are cheaper why have they still chosen to come to Britain? Just a little thought to mull over.

[tutoo2much]

 

They can afford it?

[Tulip]

Or could it possibly be that they think our schools are better. The grass can always appear greener and perhaps it may be, all I can add is thank goodness my daughter is getting everything she needs as regard to her training in Britain and thankfully because it is a degree course she is eligible for a student loan.

[Julie 2 Milner]

We found that many of the foreign students were non EU at elmhurst. Large Japanese contingent.  The schools that are the equivilent of Elmhurst RBS and ENB are as hard if not harder to get in to. But they are so much cheaper. The standard of teaching is very high. The students are expected to be very dedicated and work very hard. I know when my son was an apprentice in Vienna he had some involvement with the school and was stunned how hard they all worked. That was not the case at Elmhurst.

 

I think also some overseas students do think the UK is the place to come so accept offers here even if offered in their own countries.

 

It isn't only dance where people are going abroad. My non dancing son is at Trinity Dublin and there is a definite increase in UK students there since our tuition fees went up so high.

[Belljul]

Thank you for this useful information. I'm starting a file on overseas schools now!

[Tulip]

The dance schools abroad, are they cheaper because their government subsidise them? A stupid question but how come they are so much cheaper. I know some of the schools abroad have much smaller class sizes than some of our schools here in Britain which ofcourse has got to be better for the students, how do the schools abroad afford to run? I don't think our government recognises talented youngsters in our country, one would think after the olympics that there would be more support, more chance of seeing a flying pig.

[allegro11]

Standard is very high in every school in UK...so many school has more and more international students...look Central has 2 finalist at the Prix de Lausanne, last year and this year....

 

[tutoo2much]

I wasn't questioning the quality of UK schools. Some people were saying that they might send their children abroad because they can no longer afford to send them to Uk schools, which I am sure would be their first choice. I simply had a look on various web-sites to see if it was the case that they were cheaper.

[Tulip]

Oh I know you weren't tutoo2much. I'm just hormonal with a gass of wine writting down my thoughts whilst the football is on.

[tomuchtallent]

I think the point of this thread is only to investigate other options available for dance students not compare the standards of schools in different countries.

With the new dada funding it would be devastating for anybody to finish lower school and then not be able to continue training, what's the point of starting!so I welcome any suggestions that might help

[tutoo2much]

Julie Milner- This is an interesting point.  In what way did these students in Vienna work harder?  Was it in or out of class?  Was their motivation to do so from  intrinsic or extrinisic factors?

 

Have  students who have gone abroad noticed this?

Edited February 7, 2013 by tutoo2much

[Julie 2 Milner]

You have to remember our experience of vocational school was when said was wasn't functioning brilliantly. Changes of AD, teachers not supported and some plain bullying teachers. The behaviour of many students was poor. Swearing at teachers with no sanctions etc. I think what my son saw was children in Vienna who appreciated being where they were. Teachers expected them to work hard and they did not get away with it if they didn't. Now obviously he only saw a snapshot but he was impressed.

I think too a real problem in his UK school was that those there felt some sort of god given right to get in to top companies. It was shocking how derogatory many were about some of the smaller companies. Though interestingly that changed when it was realised how hard finding a company, any company is.

 

I have a jaded view of his training. The school was in a mess esp in his graduation year, offering little help or encouragement to those auditioning. I'm sure that has all changed now.

 

I'm afraid I would also disagree that all the schools offer a universal high standard. A class is only as good as that particular teacher at that particular time. But I do think many do offer a high standard. It is a very strong view of mine that many train who will never work. Also I'm afraid just because someone has done lower school does not mean they should continue and will succeed.   The gov't only has a certain pot of money and surely that must be used towards those who have the best chance of working. In many ways that was why the old DaDa was so good because income wasn't a factor unlike the MDS.

 

Tulip I'm not sure why the fees are so much less but their Uni fees are too. So i guess it must be subsidy.

 

The main trouble is 16 is still young for many to be going abroad. But many do cope. I'm also not sure what the assessment situation is. Also one has to think about other qualifications.

 

Training for a future career in the arts is a nightmare and it is why I feel it is vital for teachers and parents to be honest about why they are continuing and what prospects are. Total honesty is needed. Sometimes wanting something just isn't enough.

 

Sorry if this is a bit muddled and it is of course only one view. But i think Europe has alot to offer. Might as well take advantage whilst we are still in it.lol

[CeliB]

in terms of schools abroad our experience in the US is that vocational training is much more expensive than the UK and similar to the cost quoted for Canada (I think you can see this in the cost of summer schools which is also much higher) but there seems to be greater scope for scholarships which are awarded purely on artistic merit. At DS's school there is also means testing for the remainder of the fees (e.g. board and academics) and the needs/costs of the whole family are taken into account in this. I also know someone offered a place post 16 who was allowed to not do (or pay for) any academics as there isn't much point at this stage trying to fit into a high school system (perhaps you could do a few A levels by correspondence if you wanted to?).

 

An interesting parallel is that the mother of DS's (non dancing) best friend at home is looking at universities abroad for exactly this reason- apparently you can go to university in Amsterdam for a fraction of what it costs in the UK and it's one of the top Universities in the world.... (and let's face it what student wouldn't want to go to Amsterdam- it's about the coolest place on the planet!!!). The cost of education across the board in the UK in ballet or anything else is simply depressing beyond measure...

[tutoo2much]

John Cranko School in Stuttgart.  Tuition is free! 

 

http://en.john-cranko-schule.de/admission/

 

DVD's accepted for auditions= not too late to apply!

[Julie 2 Milner]

Berlin also has a top class English taught uni. My son chose Dublin for family reasons but boy has it been so much cheaper than his other first choice UCL (London). Indeed a few weeks after starting we got a refund as their computer system had charged incorrectly so it was even cheaper. Again Trinity is a great uni and Dublin a wonderful city.

[Julie 2 Milner]

I would say though that the schools in Europe do not neccessarily feed to the companies anymore than the schools here. The only person I know at Cranko did not get into Stuttgart same in Hamburg.

[afab]

"I'm afraid I would also disagree that all the schools offer a universal high standard. A class is only as good as that particular teacher at that particular time. "

 

I agree but I also think that a class is only as good as the students are and not only the teacher. I hope I'm being clear... One excellent element doesn't make a good class. The class has to be working really hard to pull itself up... There is only so much a good teacher can do...

[toursenlair]

I would say though that the schools in Europe do not neccessarily feed to the companies anymore than the schools here. The only person I know at Cranko did not get into Stuttgart same in Hamburg.

 

All the same though I seem to recall reading an article last year in which Reid Anderson said he didn't even hold open auditions anymore because he just took new dancers from the Cranko school. Which seems to suggest that although going to the Cranko School doesn't guarantee you'll get into Stuttgart B, you won't get into Stuttgart B unless you've been to the Cranko School.

[Julie 2 Milner]

afab that is it exactly. You have hit the nail on the head! That was what was so dispiriting for our vocational experience. If students are disruptive, with no sanctions it is very difficult for the other students. During our time the classes weren't working really hard.

[Julie 2 Milner]

All the same though I seem to recall reading an article last year in which Reid Anderson said he didn't even hold open auditions anymore because he just took new dancers from the Cranko school. Which seems to suggest that although going to the Cranko School doesn't guarantee you'll get into Stuttgart B, you won't get into Stuttgart B unless you've been to the Cranko School.

That is interesting. He ceratinly did audition. Martin did at least one open audition there. But, thinking about, I haven't seen one for a couple of years. Wonder how many Neumeier takes? (Hamburg)

 

The Cranko school does have a great reputation doesn't it? Stuttgart is apparently a great city too.

[balletla]

How does Stuttgart Ballet compare to other German ballet companies?