YDA success

[Guest Autumn days]

I feel that not all associate classes are equal, either! Having followed your posts for a while it seems that your dd is a RBS associate which is great but it will be interesting to see if anyone replies to the other question about whether any SAs have upper school!

[tomuchtallent]

Spax, do you know how long it takes to get from central to YDA by public transport? My dad lives next to central and YDA is very appealing, thanks xxx

[Spax]

13 stops from Barbican and 25 mins straight through.

[Tulip]

I think being a senior associate can also give a false indication of being one of the top dancers and what is out there. I say this as about four of our associates didn't get offers of places in the end. There is a huge amount of talent out there coming fromots of different dance schools ALL over the country.

[swanprincess]

I think being a senior associate can also give a false indication of being one of the top dancers and what is out there. I say this as about four of our associates didn't get offers of places in the end. There is a huge amount of talent out there coming fromots of different dance schools ALL over the country.

 

Do you mean they weren't offered RBS places, or weren't offered a place anywhere? It's quite daunting to think a child chosen from hundreds for an SA place still wouldn't be 'right' for vocational 6th form, when I didn't even get SA's...

[balletla]

SAs are generally chosen in year 9 and as someone said on the RBS Upper School thread, a lot can happen to a girl physically in years 10 and 11 i.e. age 14-16. It may be that they become unsuited to ballet physically.

 

The other thing is that attending an SA class once a week for 2hrs is never going to get you into a vocational school 6th form. You need to supplement this with at least a couple of hours a day at a very good local school as an absolute minimum, as well as attending as many workshops, seminars and easter/summer schools as well as other associate classes that you can. Very occasionally an SA gets into RBS Upper School and it is usually when they have done hours of extra training on top of what most people would consider normal and they have usually had to get up very early or come home very late, several times a week, as well as attend RBS associates on Saturday and some other form of associate class on a Sunday. It's not easy.

[taxi4ballet]

Very true, Ribbons. Trying to fit in enough hours of good dance training on top of doing their GCSE's full-time is incredibly hard, and I take my hat off to all the students not at vocational school, who have to do just that in order to stand any hope of being able to compete with full-timers for an upper school place at 16.

[Pasdebourree15]

SAs are generally chosen in year 9 and as someone said on the RBS Upper School thread, a lot can happen to a girl physically in years 10 and 11 i.e. age 14-16. It may be that they become unsuited to ballet physically.

 

The other thing is that attending an SA class once a week for 2hrs is never going to get you into a vocational school 6th form. You need to supplement this with at least a couple of hours a day at a very good local school as an absolute minimum, as well as attending as many workshops, seminars and easter/summer schools as well as other associate classes that you can. Very occasionally an SA gets into RBS Upper School and it is usually when they have done hours of extra training on top of what most people would consider normal and they have usually had to get up very early or come home very late, several times a week, as well as attend RBS associates on Saturday and some other form of associate class on a Sunday. It's not easy.

Yikes! I thought I was doing a lot, and this makes it seem like I've been doing next to nothing!!! But reading this has given me an extra push to work harder for 6th form auditions...

[Gingerbread]

Gingerbread

My ds went along for evening classes and Anna offered him a scolarship in YDA.

Have you enquired before you think it is out of your reach. Never know

Spax - thanks for your comment. My DD is sorted as she's at a really good school that have taken her under their wing and she goes every night after school so definitely getting the hours in. Not sure if ballet will be ultimately the way forward but the work ethic she's getting is fantastic and she's quite pragmatic about the future (I think)!!

Useful however for others to know that scholarships are available so thanks for posting 

[swanprincess]

Same, Pasdebourree15!! Xx

[Tulip]

Hi Swanprincess, the girls were right for vocational school, infact beautiful physiques and dancers, but so were a lot of others. At auditions you get a moment to prove yourself and that is it until the next time. I'm not going to say anymore about these beautiful young ladies for identity purposes, but just because of where you have trained or the name of a school does not get you into a good vocational school. I am sure by 16 they are looking at physique, technique, musicality and that little bit more than what some of the others might be showing during the 1 1/2 or so audition slot. My daughter completely messed up at her

[Tulip]

Ooops problem with my computer, just about to say that my daughter messed up at her ENB audition due to another girl jumping in to her group just as they were all about to dance, my daughter ended up out of time. We both laughed about it and it was a really good learning experience for her for future auditions.

[balletmadmom]

I think that what Anna and her teachers do is really nuture and bring out the best in the students, as clearly they are already talented. However, the tuition and the performances improves their confidence and technique enormously.

 

I appreciate that some are associates when they join but many are not. The fact that every year Anna gets 2/3/4 students into years 8/910/11 at white lodge is proof of this. Some are students who have never had finals before and yet get one of only 2/3 places available.

 

Also, back to Easter classes. Obviously some schools are back already but the classes are at the new studio (opened by Darcey Bussell in the autumn) and are just near Westfield in Shepherd's Bush. The school number is 020 8743 3856 and the email is westlondondance@aol.com. I think you don't have to book but worth checking.

[Guest Autumn days]

Thank you for the info!

[Guest Autumn days]

Are you able to update us about how yr 11 are doing, balletmadmum, now that some of the results are out? Hope they have had good news

[Spax]

1 has got into ENB

[Guest Autumn days]

Do you know how many had finals? If only one has secured a place at royal, elmhurst and ENBS put together then it is perhaps not such a good year for them

[sophika9899]

Actually it was a very good year for them. A lot of this years year 11 at YDA have always planned to go the contemporary route. To this end, one has Laines AND Bird. Two or three of them have Millenium, most of them have Central finals next week. One has ENB ( she's WLSD, not even full time) and people are still waiting to hear from ENB, Arts Ed Chiswick etc. Every year is different, last years year 11 kids mostly wanted to go the classical route and the majority got into the major ballet upper schools.

[Anna C]

That's very good. Do they study Contemporary at YDA? I didn't think they did, although they do study tap, jazz and hiphop if I remember correctly.

[Kitschqueen_1]

Are Laines, Birds and Millenium classed as contemporary colleges? I always thought they were more performance/ musical theatre. The specialist contemporary colleges are London Contemporary Dance School, Trinity Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Rambert.

[afab]

Isn't Rambert as much Contemporary as Ballet?

[Pas de Quatre]

Just started typing a similar reply, but you beat me to it Kitschqueen & afab - that is how I understand the various courses.  Rambert bills itself as ~Classical & Contemporary but most of their successful students seem to end up in contemporary companies.

[Anna C]

Are Laines, Birds and Millenium classed as contemporary colleges? I always thought they were more performance/ musical theatre. The specialist contemporary colleges are London Contemporary Dance School, Trinity Laban, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Rambert.

I agree. I would also class Arts Ed Chiswick as a "Performing Arts" specialist (not that there's anything wrong with that!). Sounds as if the Musical Theatre training at YDA has been very good this year but Laines, Bird etc are not classed as Contemporary schools.

[Marianne]

I saw the Laines grad show a couple of years ago and the contemporary pieces were excellent. If you are on the dance course there, I believe it is an integral part of the training.

To get into Laines at 16 is an achievement indeed! I heard that one of the boys from White Lodge has turned down top classical ballet school to go there - a brave decision but best for him I'm sure.

[robin64]

Spanner I agree. My DD is interested in MT in the future and those colleges are the ones that always come up. Kitschqueen's list is where a contemporary dancer would be aiming for. Just thought it might help anyone looking ahead to post 16 training to know this. However, for example, you can do a dance course at Bird which is separate from their MT course and would still do a ballet class as part of an audition for most MT schools so that is perhaps where studying at somewhere like YDA would give you the edge although not necessarily. Not contemporary focussed there though.

[Kitschqueen_1]

I don't want to upset or offend anyone here as YDA have a loyal and passionate following and are obviously very, very good at what they do especially ballet.

However, at my dd's Contemporary CAT ALL auditioning students have also secured places for full time training at the main contemporary and performing arts colleges. I think we don't recognises the success of these schemes enough on here and they are a fraction of the price of YDA and in some circumstances they are free. For they first time ever a ballet CAT student has gained a place at RBS US!

Sorry mods if I have gone off topic! :-)

 

'

[robin64]

Marianne didn't see your post before mine. To be honest I am sure some people might choose somewhere like Laines. Perhaps the reality of employment is making a more commercial route more tempting to some although if you love and are excellent at ballet then certain schools must still be the dream I would have thought.

[Balletgirlsplease]

I saw the Laines grad show a couple of years ago and the contemporary pieces were excellent. If you are on the dance course there, I believe it is an integral part of the training.

To get into Laines at 16 is an achievement indeed! I heard that one of the boys from White Lodge has turned down top classical ballet school to go there - a brave decision but best for him I'm sure.

My brother got a full scholarship to the Laines at 16. He is now 28 and been in full time work on the westend since!

[sophika9899]

I was replying mostly to mum in a spin (great name!) as she was saying that only one acceptance to a major ballet upper school suggested not a good year for YDA. I was trying to say that this years year 11 didn't really want to go the ballet route but had been successful in getting places in non ballet colleges. Yes we are quite passionate about our school because our kids are so happy there, well trained, secure, and we get to keep them at home!

[Pas de Quatre]

Over the years there have been many ex-WL dancers who have chosen to go to Laines and other "commercial schools" rather than continue with ballet.  In general dancers enrol for "commercial/jazz" etc and "Musical Theatre" is based on the voice, although there is of course a cross-over.

[Kitschqueen_1]

To get into Laines at 16 is an achievement indeed! I heard that one of the boys from White Lodge has turned down top classical ballet school to go there - a brave decision but best for him I'm sure.

There is quite an interesting discussion on another forum regarding the pros and cons of going to a performing arts college at 16 or 18. One parent reports that because the majority of students are 18+ a lot of the socialisation involves drinking and going to nightclubs so the 16 year olds are excluded from this. I wonder how a student who has been relatively closeted at WL would adapt to this, though I guess a lot of young people leaving home for the first time have to learn to deal with these pressures.

Your brother obviously survived balletgirlsplease! :-)

[Balletgirlsplease]

Yes he lodged in one of those houses where the attic has about 8 kids in! Lol! He got breakfast and a pack up if I remember right. He was quite a young 16 and had never been away from home but he loved it there. He goes back and teaches there now.

And he was offered a place at Performers and Northern Ballet. But got a full scholarship from Miss Laine so the decision was easy!

Edited March 22, 2013 by Balletgirlsplease

[dramascientist]

I trained at Laines too many years ago to mention but the quality of their contempory training was excellent then. Don't know if the teachers have changed or not. However, it was just part of the curriculum so everybody benefited not just those interested in going down the "contemporary route". I know it is thought of more as a MT college and that was certainly the big focus back then.