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RBS junior associates auditions


happy days

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Hi Dance Taxi!  I am sure that others will give you some advice but I can tell you our experience.  Firstly it's really good to be recommended for this so well done to your daughter!

My son auditioned for entry in year 4.  Every child that puts in a form gets an audition so don't worry about that!  Your dance teacher should help you with the photos!  My son didn't get in for year 4 but got a letter asking him to come back again and audition for year 5.  He did that and got in!

The audition class is very informal and just like a ballet class.

 

This is info I have managed to glean.

Not many year 4 places are offered and it is more unusual to be offered a place for year 4 than year 5/6.

About 10 girls audition for every place.

About 3 boys audition for every place.

Even a good dancer, if not the right body type, won't get through. There is a girl in my son's ballet school who is just the most fantastic dancer but she does not have the RB body type so she didn't get in.  She is shorter than average and very strong rather than lean and taller.

It helps if you are bendy (can do splits etc) especially for girls and maybe less so for boys.

After the audition in May, I think we heard in about late June/early July.

After the audition there are 3 letter types

Yes you're in.

No, but thank you for coming.

No, but please try again next year.

 

Good luck to your daughter!

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Hi my two DDs auditioned for a year 6 and year 4 place in Leeds last year. The audition was a very simple ballet class looking at posture, flexibility, musicality, body shape etc. Both my daughters were grade 1 ballet so not very experienced. I recommend doing the JA for a day experience if you can. They auditioned on the 2nd may and the letters came out on 15th June. My eldest Dd got a year 6 place. My youngest DD didn't get a year 4 place. Her letter did day children develop at a different rate and could try again another year. However, she doesn't want to (SHA is way off her splits, and has short hair she hates to brush so doesn't want a bun - little things!).

Anyway my eldest has absolutely loved her year 6 place and has since auditioned for mids (still waiting to hear!). She has come on amazingly in technique, core stability and confidence. I would definitely recommend it!

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My Dd couldn't fully get her splits and like I said was only just grade 1 although she did get a 90

and honours in it. She was just about down on her left side but not her right or box spilt. She is very petite though and very driven to work hard! The audition was very enjoyable for both of them and they both came out smiling. I think you just have to treat it as a fun class and not make a big deal out of it! Enjoy and good luck!

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my recommendation (for what it's worth) would be to concentrate on posture, zipping up her abs, more than worrying about splits too much. As long as she has a reasonable degree of flexibility, being able to do the splits is not a requirement. Best of luck, it is a lovely programme of great training and a real priviladge to be involved in.

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There are two JA classes. One for Y5 children and one for Y6. The accepted Y4 children do the Y5 class twice before moving to the Y6. There are four Y4 children In my DD's JA class of 16.

 

And yes, my DD was accepted and she's Y4

Edited by Happymum
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I would say it is worth auditioning for year 4 as you may get in!  But if you don't then it will be excellent practice for year 5!  But I would say that you should audition for year 4 with an expectation that you might not get in.  If you do it will be a great bonus!  It's just a maturity thing I think, as some year 4s can and some can't concentrate and 2 and a 1/4 hours is a long class!

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Having said that my DD was totally put off auditioning again after getting a no for year 4. But I think that was to do with her year 6 sister getting a yes and not the experience of the audition. Especially as we only auditioned her sister as an afterthought and it was the year 4 dd that wanted to audition first. So go for it. The more relaxed you can be about the whole experience the better. Just get her to smile and enjoy!

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Has anyone's year 4 ever been offered a place?

Hi my DD got in as a year 4, she was the only one that year, her friend got a swl letter.  DD now year 5.  Last year there were 3 year 4's got in, two of those had auditioned the previous year and had received a no and a swl.  I would say its worth auditioning if your DD wants to even if its just for the experience.  My DD really enjoyed the experience.

Ax

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Hi my DD got in as a year 4, she was the only one that year, her friend got a swl letter. DD now year 5. Last year there were 3 year 4's got in, two of those had auditioned the previous year and had received a no and a swl. I would say its worth auditioning if your DD wants to even if its just for the experience. My DD really enjoyed the experience.

Ax

How did the 3 year 4's that got in, audition the year before or do you mean they were unsuccessful at year 4 but then got in at year 5?
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Lol!! I think my brain is working faster than my fingers tonight!! I thought i had included to say there were also 2 year 5's who also got in who had auditioned as year 4's same year as my DD that had a no and swl.  Sorry for the confusion! I havent even had a sat night tipple either!!

Ax

Edited by amber21
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Has anyone's year 4 ever been offered a place?[/quote)

My younger dd was a yr 4 JA .... The year she was successful there were 4 girls that were year 4.

From all the other comments ,despite what RB say about taking few yr4s , there seem to be quite a few gain places.

It is worth remembering that leaving it until yr5/6 there will be fewer places especially for yr6.

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My DDs is a year 4 and she does struggle with the length and intensity of the class, so anyone going for a year 4 place has to have a think about the personality of their dc and whether they would cope better leaving it a year. The day also involves a lot of travel as it does for most, so this needs to taken into account too. It's a lot for a 9 year old!

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My dd did fortnightly classes for her JA's then went to weekly from Mid's.

It's not too bad if the classes are in the afternoon. The 9am start was a bit tough to start with when it meant leaving home by 7am, but the great thing was we would be home by 2pm, so we had the rest of the day free.

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Its does make me smile at the speculation of what qualities are they looking for?

As from another thread you will realise after 8 years I am none the wiser.

The associate schemes are a big commitment with regards to time, money and effort.

They may often not produce the results you were expecting.

Don't feel it's necessary to go to weekly classes in order to secure a place in the Mids.

Enjoy the scheme for everything it can offer which includes dancing in state of the art studios, lovely teachers, rare opportunities (if the timing is right) to perform at the ROH, lessons accompanied by a pianist, learning how to travel to & from London, use of the Underground, learning your way around the West End, parents spending lots of money shopping whilst waiting for dd.

I've enjoyed going to London for the last 8 years ( apart from when it rains and it gets dark early!)

I've never bored of it.

Would I do it again?

Probably but I would go with realistic expections.

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I think you have to have realistic expectations from the start. It is easy to get swept along with the whole thing if you get a DC on an associate place. It is our first year at year 6 and whilst my dd has really enjoyed it we had to resist the temptation to get swept along with the White Lodge auditions knowing it wasn't right for my dd nor us as a family. Obviously though this is the perfect route for some children and I'm not saying my DD would have been offered a place but I could feel us getting all caught up in it all when the application forms came out. My DH and I had a serious talk about where this could lead (along with our DD and her dance teacher) and decided to audition for mids only. Having talked to a few mums at the classes some were so relived that there were other people who felt the same way. So just go into them with an open mind. And keep your feet on the ground.

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I think you have to have realistic expectations from the start. It is easy to get swept along with the whole thing if you get a DC on an associate place. It is our first year at year 6 and whilst my dd has really enjoyed it we had to resist the temptation to get swept along with the White Lodge auditions knowing it wasn't right for my dd nor us as a family. Obviously though this is the perfect route for some children and I'm not saying my DD would have been offered a place but I could feel us getting all caught up in it all when the application forms came out. My DH and I had a serious talk about where this could lead (along with our DD and her dance teacher) and decided to audition for mids only. Having talked to a few mums at the classes some were so relived that there were other people who felt the same way. So just go into them with an open mind. And keep your feet on the ground.[/quote

Even iif you just tick the mids box it doesn't stop the school from inviting your DC to White Lodge finals if they want to. This happened to a girl in my DDs JA class who was then offered a place at White Lodge which she turned down but did accept a MA place.

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