Anna C Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Well, that is going off topic so I suggest we stick to the original issue. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Autumn days Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 A lot of this topic is "off topic" as happens in many of the threads. One of the good things about this site is that it encourages a flow of information that might not otherwise be shared! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I understand that, but for people searching for information it is a lot easier to have separate threads for separate discussions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audsjcanuck Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Just a note on San Fransisco School as it was mentioned as an option. I have no idea how 'russian' the training is but I was fortunate to watch the senior students perform recently and 4 years ago and both times blew me away. The style performed was classical with a modern twist. So many performances from the other schools leaned so far to contemporary but San Fran had beautiful lines and technique. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I think we are talking about two different schools. Harid Conservatory is in Boca Raton, Florida. It does not charge fees and consequently is very hard to get into with a very high standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Pas de Quatre I think CeliB's mum mentioned the San Francisco school as an alternative their Russian teacher had suggested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Thanks LinMM I missed that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Well anyway this Harid Conservatory might be useful to know about too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I believe it was BRB's Natasha Oughtred, Rowan. So it was. Thanks, Spanner! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeliB Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) just a brief update: the situation is now official the replacement teacher is in fact Russian (Nikoloz Makhateli) and looks good on paper. DS's current teacher negative about him but I won't go into detail on an open forum as it's all hearsay. Our plan is for DS to attend summer school (new chap will be teaching) and then consider what to do, but perhaps in the meantime make an audition tape and sent it around. List of places currently thinking about are San Fran, POB, Vaganova Inst, Houstons Ben Stevenson. Harid also if I can confirm they have a male teacher....DSs friend at Kirov I think came from Harid because of lack of male teacher but situation may have changed... In the meantime DS will go to Judy and up to LRBS a few times a week ... Many thanks for all your kind words and helpful advice... Will keep you all posted. edited for typo Edited May 31, 2013 by CeliB 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Is the new teacher related to David and Maia Makhateli? I would be careful not to get drawn into taking sides in disputes and grievances between people at the school out of a sense of loyalty. The departing teacher has an axe to grind and his views may not be reliable or trustworthy and, to be honest, despite his expressions of concern, he's unlikely to be able to help your son in any practical way once he has left the school. I assume that your son needs funding to continue his training and so even if the training *might* be better at another school (and you won't know whether it is or not until your son is there) it is irrelevant unless he secures funding at that school. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Another thing to remember is that all schools have their issues and they are not perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I think that it might be David Makhateli's father? I agree with Aileen - you should take the old teacher's criticisms with a pinch of salt; he is leaving with a keen (and sounds like justified) sense of grievance, which is bound to colour how he feels about any successor. And his earlier dire warnings about an unqualified, untested, un-Russian teacher seem to have been far off the mark. You are doing the right thing by waiting for summer school and your son's own take on the new teacher - which he must try to gauge setting aside any loyalty to his old teacher (not an easy task, but necessary if you are to get along in the ballet world - Ballet Masters, Artistic Directors, Choreographers will all come and go, often for unfair, political reasons, and dancers need to be able to go with it.) Putting out feelers to other schools, just in case, is a smart move too. Fingers crossed all will work out for the best. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeliB Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Just thought I would let you know the outcome as we had so much helpful advice. DH flew out to the school at the end of the SI (at eye watering expense)to meet Mr Makhatelli and discuss DS. He IS father to Maia and David Makhatelli, both of whom he trained at the school where he was the Director(David then won Prix de Lausanne and went to RB). DH was hugely impressed with Mr Makhatelli's background, teaching methds and approach to ALL the children (not just those he saw as having major potential). On of the other teachers told DS that Mr M is one of the last great Soviet teachers. DS loved his teaching, and thinks he has learnt loads (even whilst being in a large class compared with the year round program). He found him very dynamic and warm as a teacher. Mr M thinks DS is a bit behind technique wise but even so is thinking about entering him into the Prix De Lausanne next year and also YAGP (seems a bit soon/scarey to me but hey what do I know...). In the meantime the previous teacher has got back to us and is negotiating a position at a good school but one that only does after school classes, so there is no real possibility of DS moving. We will therefore keep DS where he is at least until Christmas and see how he progresses. A cautious sigh of relief!!! Thank you all for your advice and support... 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Great news CeliB am so pleased for DS so it looks like his training will continue uninterrupted. Gosh Prix de Lausanne eh? .....I loved watching it on YouTube this year and a great place to be seen by lots of ballet company scouts. I noticed that one or two of the slightly older pupils who didn't win prizes but were offered places in company's straight away as a result of being seen there. But perhaps you have to be 18 for this to happen. But the chance for sponsorship would be good too. I wonder what he means by him being behind in technique?!! Perhaps compared to equivalent school in Russia? Or general repertoire knowledge? He can't be too far behind from what I have seen so I'm sure he'll catch up. Glad seems to have turned out okay for you anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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