Summer Schools

[Frangapani]

Hello all! I am (finally) back after house move, no laptop etc etc. Hope I haven't missed too much!

Well, with all the STRESS of the last few months, I slipped up re applying for my daughter to have a summer school place. Hoping that she can at least do York..... anyone else going to be at week 1 at York just incase I can get her in?

F x

[swanprincess]

Hiya Fran!

Im doing Week 1 of YBSS (hopefully!!!) still waiting to hear though. Don't really know how good the odds of getting in to ybss are though?? Xx

[All4dancers]

My dd is doing both weeks x

[swanprincess]

Have you heard back from them them then All4dancers?? Im still waiting to hear :/ x

[All4dancers]

Hi Swanprincess, yes I have heard but only because dd was lucky enough to be awarded a week's scholarship for this year at the end of last year's summer school, so then I just added on the second week x

[Moneypenny]

Have applied for both weeks at York for dd.

[I<3ballet]

I'm waiting to hear about first week of York

[balletla]

All4dancers,

Do they award some scholarships at the end if the course then?

How many?

[All4dancers]

Ribbons, I am not actually sure.  I think they awarded one for the full two weeks and then two for a week each although I could be wrong.

[Oldermum]

Good luck this weekend to all those going to funding auditions at Rambert for YBSS, safe journey.

[LinMM]

My friend who is living in Sydney Australia just emailed me this morning to say her daughter 13 has just been offered a place at the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School. She was offered an ENB place as well but they wanted The Yorkshire one so relief all round over there.Now they can book their flight at last. I've been following her DD's dancing progress for some years now, but as I only get to see them every 2-3 yrs it is always fascinating to see the leaps in progress. She seems to get a little more confident each time so am dying to see ow she is this time. I believe you can get tickets to see classes......don't know whether they do any little show at the end. Her DD is studying at Advanced level one RAD at her Sydney school. Good luck to all others hoping to get to this summer school or any other!! Just a thought as she will not be taking up the ENB place anyone on a waiting list for that could get lucky now!!

[afab]

I don't really understand how YBSS works as some people have been posting about being accepted there but from what I understand it is a SS without audition... How can one be accepted if it's first come first serve basis? Can someone explain it to me?

[Tulip]

I think you have to submit photographs and have to be at a certain level?

[Anna C]

Afab, there are auditions for YBSS this Sunday, but they are for those seeking a scholarship/bursary, of which there are several. If you don't need funding, you apply via photos and with a copy of your latest exam report (or, I believe, a letter from your teacher saying what level you're studying if you don't take exams).

 

I think there must have been a record number of applicants this year, as dd's friend got a "no" yesterday and she's at Vocational school. :-(

[swanprincess]

I got a 'No' too

Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear xx

[balletla]

Spanner, Swan, was that by email or letter? My DD still waiting to hear and is not attending scholarship audition tomorrow.

[Anna C]

Not sure, sorry.

[celb]

My DD is also not attending the YBSS scholarship audition.I had an email saying that we would hear after May 6. ( i.e. after the scholarship audition).All the best to those heading to London tomorrow.

[LinMM]

My friend in Sydney was told by email(which she then sent to me!) that her daughter had been offered a place.....in her case I only know she had to submit photos but don't know whether her teacher had to write a report. There must be another condition as photos alone wouldn't really reveal that much. So maybe it s the level they're at too....I will ask my friend as soon as can but 12.30 am in Sydney so not right now. Also I got it wrong about what she is doing(emails were a bit confusing) but her DD is doing only one week at Yorkshire summer school.....the first week....and then a week at ENB which follows directly on(lucky girl) so she is taking up one of the ENB weeks but not both the Yorkshire ones. Again I don't know what she had to do to be accepted on the ENB summer school. She is not at a vocational school in Sydney but is following the vocational course at her ballet school there. I don't think she has been offered funding so they're all probably living on baked beans for the next two months.

Swan princess I have been following your ups and downs re summer schools and really was keeping fingers crossed for you about the Yorkshire one......maybe it's worth checking down the line as I'm sure a few people will not take their places(unforeseen circumstances and all that) but I hope you get a place soon!

[afab]

There must be another condition as photos alone wouldn't really reveal that much. So maybe it s the level they're at too....

Actually, photos must reveal a lot since many big SS (RBS, Elmhurst, Monaco...) use that to pick their international students without having to provide levels or letters from teachers...

[LinMM]

Well I am surprised at this I must say!! My friend sent me two of the photos of her DD but again I will ask how many she had to submit perhaps it was a bit more than two. I would have thought that the level of competition for these places would require at least a DVD of them dancing!! But if you're saying that not even the level they are at or a teachers report is required for some summer schools and its all judged from photos....perhaps they are just after a certain look then...haven't the foggiest! For me On this occasion....and nothing ro do with ballet I was amazed at the difference between her as an 11 year old to 13 year old!! I imagine this is another difficulty for schools and pupils alike.....children developing at different rates. But that's another story!

[afab]

What's even more amazing I thought, LinMM, was that when I saw the SS school girls dance last year at White Lodge, they all had extremely similar levels! The girls though, not so much the boys!

[afab]

They are set pictures. Generally the same ones for all schools with a couple extra sometimes... Go to the RBS website and you can see them.

[LinMM]

What is the youngest age a child can apply for summer school by the way? My friends DD had also applied for RBS summerschool but assume she did not get offered a place there as she hasn't mentioned it. Ive emailed her to ask exactly what she had to submit to the schools she applied to. I know she applied a while back now though so don't know whether early application is an advantage or not.

[LinMM]

Yes just been to RBS site....my friend sent me photos 4and 5 I can see now. However on looking at the application form they do ask for levels reached, how long been doing ballet, and how many classes a week etc plus name of school attending. This probably does give them a fairly good picture as well as the photos.

[dramascientist]

LinMM I thing year 5 age is the earliest you can apply for WL summer school but from what I understand its quite common for DCs not to get places until year 6. When DD applied we didn't hear until late May though we were not in the UK so those who are in the UK may have heard earlier.

[Evie]

My ds was accepted at RBS SS years age 10,11 and this year age 12.

[afab]

LinMM, the school the kids dance in don't necessarily mean anything to them. When DD applied and got in, there is no way anyone knew her school as it is a very small school abroad. She's never done any exam, no RAD qualification... The number of hours does give them an idea but only an idea...

[LinMM]

She is obviously very talented afab. I don't know whether with the younger kids (say 10/11) not having done any exams plays less of a part than it might with an older child. I'm sure the people running these ballet courses can tell a lot from the photos they probably get a feel for level of technique etc. I still don't think it could give you much idea of someones dance quality though which I feel is as important as technique but people do like different things anyway and maybe they feel the dance side will come later.( One of the reasons I myself like Russian style training is I think the dance quality is incorporated in the training earlier.) I suppose too that once having attended a summer school....say at RBS and a child has been seen who they think is good then presumably it would then be easier to get in the following year. Is your DD going to an SS this year afab? I'm sure my friend would have been delighted with an RBS ss place but she did think the Yorkshire one looked particularly good as well so is pleased about that.

[Lildancer96]

Sorry to hear that swanprincess- did you do the ballet theatre uk audition?

[HAIRBELLES]

Sorry to hear that swanprincess- did you do the ballet theatre uk audition?

 

 

 

Me too Swanprincess....Are you going to any non-audition Summer Schools there a few good ones around depending on where you live.

[afab]

She is obviously very talented afab. I don't know whether with the younger kids (say 10/11) not having done any exams plays less of a part than it might with an older child. I'm sure the people running these ballet courses can tell a lot from the photos they probably get a feel for level of technique etc. I still don't think it could give you much idea of someones dance quality though which I feel is as important as technique but people do like different things anyway and maybe they feel the dance side will come later.

Thank you LinMM! She was offered a waiting list when she was 11 and got in directly when 12 and now at 13, she's again on the waiting list... I agree with you that choosing on pictures is strange because it doesn't show how the person dances but there must be something they see which we can't to be able to pick accurately! Some of the very young ones were very good dancers at RBS last year...

DD2 was offered a 4 weeks long SS at ABT in the States this year but we couldn't afford it. She's doing Elmhurst and Northern Ballet in Leeds. And still waiting for RBS...

[LinMM]

Will reply later afab what a lot of talented kids you have. Just a quickie some kids here in Brighton who have been offered the Vaganova in Washington SS apparently a chance for them to see if worth offering full time place later just can't afford to take them up, such a shame, one girl in particular is really good.....now at day classes in London