Looking for feedback re vocational schools

[Guest Mariska]

I would like to ask for advice regarding choosing a vocational school our son, who is a talented young ballet dancer (from Germany but going to an English school, hencce language no problem) and who has set his mind on going to a vocational dance school from year 7 onwards in the UK. We will be looking at the schools in October, and he will most likely audition forall four (these are the ones known to us; RBS, Elmhurst Tring, Hammond). However, it would be really good to get some helpful input/feedback from parents who have (had) children at those schools. I have also read about the YDA, but am hesitant, as there seem to be no boarding facilities and we as both our jobs are in germany and our daugther goes to school there too, it would mean having to uproot the entire family, which is not really an option.

[2dancersmum]

I would advise to audition for all four as competition for places is strong and it may be more a case of which school chooses your son than which school you prefer.  He would get good training regardless and to some extent it will be down to your and his 'feel' for the school when you visit as to where you think he will be happiest.  Good luck with the whole process.

[Anna C]

Hello Mariska and welcome to the forum. There are numerous threads about all four schools and I will see if I can post links here to some of them.

 

In the meantime, if you type the name of any of the schools into the search bar you will find a wealth of information!

[Anna C]

Here are some threads:

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3663-tring-vs-hammond-for-ballet/?hl=%2Bwhite+%2Blodge#entry43192

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2823-wl-or-elmhurst/?hl=%2Bwhite+%2Blodge#entry32372

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/176-what-does-the-rbs-look-for/page-2?hl=%2Bwhite+%2Blodge#entry32082

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/2124-white-lodge/?hl=%2Bwhite+%2Blodge

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/1927-vocational-school-open-days/?hl=%2Bwhite+%2Blodge#entry23137

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/3361-elmhurst-lower-school/page-2?hl=elmhurst#entry46361

 

Hope that helps!

[Spax]

I would like to ask for advice regarding choosing a vocational school our son, who is a talented young ballet dancer (from Germany but going to an English school, hencce language no problem) and who has set his mind on going to a vocational dance school from year 7 onwards in the UK. We will be looking at the schools in October, and he will most likely audition forall four (these are the ones known to us; RBS, Elmhurst Tring, Hammond). However, it would be really good to get some helpful input/feedback from parents who have (had) children at those schools. I have also read about the YDA, but am hesitant, as there seem to be no boarding facilities and we as both our jobs are in germany and our daugther goes to school there too, it would mean having to uproot the entire family, which is not really an option.

They can arrange Host Families.

[Billyelliott]

You may need to appoint an English guardian as even the boarding schools close down for long weekends and children have to leave !

[Guest Mariska]

Thanks to all so far!!

 

2dancersmum: Yes, of course he will audition with all four

Spannerandpony: Thanks for the threads

Billyelliott: We are aware of the guardian requirement, which is a requirement with all boarding schools for foreign pupils, and a good friend of ours in London will kindly fulfil this role, even though for holidays and long weekends our son would come home

Spax: Thanks for the advice re host families. I have also written to YDA, as they make a nice impression.

[Julie 2 Milner]

Where abouts in Germany are you? My son now dances professionally in Munich. Isn't it funny. Recently more UK people have been looking to Europe for training as it is so much cheaper and of a comparable standard.

 

As everyone has said apply for all. Good luck.x

[afab]

It's an interesting point as I would have thought German training to be extremely good... What makes you chose the UK if i may ask?

[Guest Mariska]

We are in Cologne. I think it's one because of the academic school system (he goes to the english school here in Cologne) and because his ballet teacher, when he started at the age of three, is English. He is at the ballet academy in Cologne at the moment, but it is not integrated with his school, which means he misses some (academic) lessons a few times a week, and the day is a lot longer because of the distances that need to be driven between school, academy and home. He came up with the idea, as he believes (and I think he is right, gong by the initial correspondence with the schools in UK) that academic and dance is more integrated with each other. I looked at some places in Germany, but as far as I could find out, none have an integrated academic/dance school. Even if they are boarding schools, the dancing facilities and the grammar schools are not in one place and the grammar school is not exclusively for the dance pupils.

[afab]

We are in France and it's the same here. The grammar schools and the dancing facilities are not in the same place and kids go back and forth between them... It works well actually as the dancers are often mixed with musician or sport orientated kids at the academic school and it helps them broaden their horizon so to speak...

[Lisa O`Brien]

Where abouts in Germany are you? My son now dances professionally in Munich. Isn't it funny. Recently more UK people have been looking to Europe for training as it is so much cheaper and of a comparable standard.

 

As everyone has said apply for all. Good luck.x

How`s Martin finding the German language,Julie? I know most people in the Company would speak English, but I mean in the "Real" world, beyond the studio?!

[Julie 2 Milner]

Martin's first professional job was an apprentice with Vienna State Ballet. He spoke no German and had always done French. (Has A level) So he spent a  month in Berlin before starting Vienna. But when I first visited my German was so much better. But we've always been keen on the children pursuing languages so he put in a lot of effort. This is actually quite hard when the lingua franca is English within the company. Very quickly he picked it up. In Munich I think there are only 1or 2 Germans in the company and all classes are in English. Again he has made a concerted effort to speak as much as possible outside company. He also takes time to study and work on it. So now he is really very fluent. He is capable of most interaction in German. Deals with companies like electricity etc, all  in German. Also he is now far better than I am. lol

 

The key is be prepared to work and never just say everyone else speaks English so that is ok.

My daughter also spent a year acting in Germany. She did have GCSE but she too had to speak a lot as she was in and out of school. We were both watching The Bavarian State Ballet last week and something went wrong mid performance. Someone came out to explain what was happening. Obviously spoke fast. I got very little but she got much more.

 

Sorry long answer. You get back what you put in. My daughter has also just spent 9months in Barcelona made no effort and learnt little. She is a bit disappointed in herself but "everyone spoke English".

 

Anyone looking to train in a foreign country do not worry about the language. You will learn. Look at those who have gone to Russia. In Vienna Martin was helped in that as an apprentice they spent time with the school. There it was just German.

[LinMM]

I studied French and German when younger and what I found in Germany was that each area has its own dialect so when they are speaking amongst themselves couldn't understand a thing!! Of course they all speak 'hoch Deutsch" as well (Hanover German .... A bit like 'Oxford English') so you can communicate okay. I spent some time in a place called Reutlingen not far from Stuttgart where the local dialect is schwabish. In Munich there is a different dialect and up around Bremen another area spent some time in its different again. These dialects are more than just accents its a bit like the Scottish islands speaking Gaelic. Quite different.

[Seagazer]

Ahh Linn, I'm with you there. O level German at 16, then nothing whilst at central for three years, and then a contract with a German ballet company in the Ruhrgebiet at 19. Picked up plenty and was dreaming in German after 8 weeks.

A few years later I was working as a choreographer in Bamberg ( in Franken),not only did I struggle with the dialect but also the colloquialisms. It was as I I'd moved to a totally new country.

I remember going into a shop, buying something, and as I left the lady said 'Adé' , I went back into the shop and had to ask what she had meant, didn't cross my mind it was the Fränkische version of Tschuss, which in O level German was 'auf wiedersehen' ! You live and learn.

[aileen]

It surprises me that the language used in the company is English. I wonder whether this is the case in other companies in Europe.

[Julie 2 Milner]

Often English is used except in France I suspect. The huge variety of nationalities means English is often the only unifying option.

 

Re  language. Remember asking for Kartoffeln in Vienna.... a long slow look.... you mean Erdapfel! 

 

But had a very interesting thing. For years I've said "Danke sehr". Kids told me I was wrong. First visit to the Opera House in Munich and everyone was "Danke sehr". Felt I'd come home. I spent 2 months in Munich as an 18 year old, so I must have picked it up there.

 

I Wiederschon in Austria and Tschuss in Munich. But here is the cracker in my day orange juice was Apfelsinne now just Orangensaft!

 

Mind you it is all ciao now.

 

Apologies for all spellings.