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RBS junior associates auditions


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yes i have just received a letter today, for the london date 31st may.... :) ..so i assume they are just going out...

do they ask EVERYONE TO AUDTION?  some say 'yes' others say 'no',

 

which is it? if its a yes, then why do they ask for so many photographs? does anyone know?

Hi REEM

A few years ago when my dd was auditioning for year 4 we were a late entry and took our photos along to the audition with us.  So maybe it is for reference after audition.  Good luck to everyone auditioning and fingers crossed for those waiting for results.

Ax

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REEM even though my dd has auditiond for ja's once and been unsuccessful and mid's once and also been unsuccessful I would always recommend new ballet shoes, however I've just taken the most armature photos for elmhurst summer school and she's got a place !!! But even with my OCD i would never have her turning up in dirty ballet shoes ( and believe me they were dirty) I would always go with your own gut instinct and if that's to get new then do it xx wish your dd well the ja audition is lovely and something to cherish on this very very very long road xx

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Our letter came today Balletmum20. Sadly it's not the same day as yours; we've been given 30th May. I thought the letter was very friendly and sensibly worded.

 

Really excited now. Whatever the outcome, we're focusing on being brave enough to try, and the opportunity of dancing at the RBS, even if it's just once! :D

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Hi! I'm new to this. My daughter did her audition at Manchester in early may, it's a long wait for us! KATYCUSTARD, I replied to a post you made on another forum but I'm going to try to post it here for all these ballet mums to see...

 

My daughter was very nervous as soon as she saw all the other girls (lots of which were showing off their extreme bendiness - v off putting for a not v flexible child!) but as soon as she went off with the teacher I could see her relax and she came back having had a wonderful time.

 

Before they are taken off, the JA official person comes and introduces the panel (her and two others), pianist and teacher (5 in total) and explains that all the children are good dancers, otherwise they wouldn't be there etc etc, but only a few get in etc etc, then they are whisked away....

 

the following is what I gleaned from her on the way home:

-they stand in lines which alternate and take it in turns to dance

-they do stretches such as the froggy one on their backs, touching toes while sitting and box splits , and some others I think

-a couple of exercises having taken off their shoes and socks

-very basic exercises in centre and some at the bar (which threw my dd a bit because she hasn't got to bar work in class yet)

-we don't find out the results until July

 

they didn't have to dance alone at all or make up a dance to an unheard piece of music at this audition.

 

Like I said, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed it, and is realistic about the outcome but she says she'll know exactly what to expect next year.....

 

Good luck to all those left to audition!

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hi there twiglet, 

well this is the most truthful and straight to the point post i have seen...thankyou..

it is excatly what i am expecting/ imagining !!

 

yes i can see my dd being put off by the sho offs, as she is not! AND not flexible.....yet..., but i can see other good points too..

 

hmmm fingers crossed.

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Oh yes Twiglet, the joys of witnessing competitive 'warming up', doing stretches for which I always hope they have already warmed up properly - and in what often seems a blatant effort to show off to/psyche out the other audition candidates....

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Well, I don't agree with the previous posts about worming up and stretching. It's not always a show off. My DD always does it ( well all 3 times she ever auditioned) because for us it was always almost 2 (or more) hours in a car and early start of the day. And I know that she would like to do her best (jump high, try splits etc) so first of all it's to avoid any injury. And second- it

gets her ready, maybe slightly increases her

chances to do better? So why not? Isn't it what

professionals always do before performance? So yes, maybe some do it to show off but most will be just getting ready.

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Hi Twiglet,

 

Thanks for your account of your experience,I popped over to the other forum just now and saw your post but couldn't reply because I forgot my password!

 

It's been really helpful; I read it out loud to my DD (she giggled at the bit about the warming up!). I can see how it may come across as competitive, and if she'd seen that whilst waiting and feeling nervous it may well have started to fill her with self-doubt, as she is so inexperienced she wouldn't really know where to begin with warming up stretches, and as neither she or I know what we're doing I'd rather she didn't lest she pulled a muscle.

 

You've all been so kind and helpful on this forum, and I can't wait to post about our experience. I myself am looking forward to a wander round Covent Garden without the childerbeasts in tow for once! :D

 

Katy

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Warming up - not stretching - is great, pre-class or audition, it can get you into the "zone" and tune out what's going on around you. My dd's teacher has given her a little warm up routine which has changed as she's matured. Now she can hear the music in her head, so she finds a quiet corner and cracks on.

 

However, it NEVER has any splits or ambitious stretches in, as IMHO these should only ever be done when fully warm - after a full barre session or halfway through class.

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spanner and pony,

 

can i ask? you are staff?? at the royal b ? 

what do you do ?

Hello REEM,

 

I'm "staff" here on the forum; I'm a Moderator and Committee Member. Definitely not staff at RBS or any other school! Just a ballet mum of a teenage dancer whose ambition is to have a ballet career. :-)

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Absolutely, spannerandpony. Happymum, I very much agree that they need to warm up, but have often seen children who are indeed doing 'splits or ambitious stretches' as spanner says rather than warming up. And sometimes it is done to show off and to psyche out 'the opposition' - I have been told that directly by parents of some of said children....That was why I called it the competitive 'warm up' ;-)

 

I know that some children safely incorporate splits and ambitious stretches into the end of a warm up but it really does need to be a proper and effective warm up routine which leads onto that, the stretching itself is not a warm up.

 

Sadly it seems that many people equate flexibility with ability to dance, I have lost count of the times my DD has been asked what extreme stretches she does when they find out that she does ballet. There has been a previous thread on this I think, about the gymnastic elements seeming more celebrated than the actual dancing? I am sure this fuels these competitive 'warm ups'.

 

I tell my DD to ignore the madness sometimes going on around her and as spannerandpony says, to get on with her own warm up and 'get into the zone' ;-)

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RBS does not approve of all the stretching - I may have said before but at a workshop RBS held to prepare the JA's  for the WL/MA audition, they were all quite firmly told that the Royal did not want to see any of their JA's stretching as a warm up. A group of girls (non - associates) were indeed told off for stretching as it would be included at the audition class at the appropriate time after they were warm. So inside information - your dc's will get more brownie points by being seen not to stretch!!    ;)

 

I've had 2 dd's as Royal associates and neither of them could do splits when they auditioned,  it didn't hold them back. Try not to worry too much over it, relax and enjoy the day. Good luck to all 

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REEM - it says staff next to Spanner's name because she's a moderator on this site (as am I)

 

We, and the other moderators and committee members, have a lot of experience between us, of various different aspects of the ballet world, and are here to make people welcome and keep an eye on discussions :-)

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thankyou julie, yes i can see the 'STAFF' BUT as i am new to this...i wasnt sure 100% , INFACT I STILL DONT REALLY KNOW HOW this works..but enjoying joining in..

all the above sounds all so serious, and was hoping that these girls we re talking about 'warming up" are a little older than 8yrs!!!  :unsure: as we / my daughter wouldnt know what to do at this stage..

 

what is the level of dancers at 8yrs?? im panicking a little now??  :o

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REEM - it says staff next to Spanner's name because she's a moderator on this site (as am I)

 

We, and the other moderators and committee members, have a lot of experience between us, of various different aspects of the ballet world, and are here to make people welcome and keep an eye on discussions :-)

And very good you all are at it too!!

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REEM - breath!!!! Don't panic

 

Yes unfortunately the "competitive warmining up" does include the 8 year olds. Just keep telling your daughter that they will be professionally warmed up in the audition and it is important that they don't over stretch till then. It is no use pulling a muscle trying to show off. Walking round and not getting cold are just as important.

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I've seen it happen in an 8 year olds drama class! Bendy kids like to show off. The worst offender was a freestyle girl.

 

Dd does tend to warm up before auditions as she's used to MT auditions where there are no warm ups. She's not very flexible and so has been taught a routine to help by her jazz teacher. It starts with jogging in the spot then some floor stretches wirh one kwg bent behind then bending forward and only ends e with her seeing if she can get any further in the splits. There's more involved but I can't remember it all.

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