Advanced 1

[twinkletoes]

hope it goes well, my DN is Newcastle based i'll ask if she has any recommendations, are you tied to RAD or would you be willing to study a different board but at the same level

[Regattah]

Sorry to hear that, Stardancer.

 

I grew up in Newcastle and throughout childhood/teenage hood was with Eve Trew. At that time she was very very ballet focused. Since then the school has obviously widened its offerings, but knowing her the ballet will still be of an extremely high standard and also prioritised within the school.

 

She's based in Gateshead, which would be accessible for you?

[stardancer]

Thanks everyone I was thinking about another style but as she is nearly in advanced 2 I thought what a shame.

Thank you everyone any help would be fantastic

[Regattah]

Sorry - I might not have been clear enough. Eve Trew is a well respected RAD ballet teacher! I'm sure she will do Advanced 1 and 2! I did the majors with her!

[Dance*is*life]

Here is the web link to Eve Trew http://www.evetrew.com/dance-school  - Sounds like it could be a good fit for you.  Good luck!!!  Just one thought - would you be interested in sending your daughter away to vocational school?   It would solve all your problems I think (well except for the expense  )

[LinMM]

I must say looking at this website I can't see that clearly what level the ballet is throughout the week....it does say ballet several times but not what grade or level perhaps this would be clarified with a phone call?

[stardancer]

Hi thank you everyone.yesterday I phoned the school and was told because I left the other school ,and was not happy,it made the other school very mad, as she is very good friends with the other school it would be best if my dd did not attend.

[Lildancer96]

Did you try the other two I sent you details about Stardancer?

[stardancer]

Hi sorry .I did the first one that is idta ,that lady was very nice,but not rad

Then I phoned the other school but she only has one advanced 1 class and that is beginners.

Thank you for your,e helpxx

[twinkletoes]

could you consider a different board from RAD? the work already done won't be wasted and remember that to be a professional dancer the grade doesn't matter, no-one looks at it during an audition they just want to know can you dance, its an indicator for the students and by opening up to other options you may find a school that is more suited and supportive

[stardancer]

Hi twinkle toes

I am not having much luck with rad .doe,s anyone no of the legat system

[Jan McNulty]

Stardancer,

 

I think a lot of people have given you some really sound advice on this forum.  Surely the main thing is to find a reputable school where your DD can be happy and flourish.  I would have thought the "system" has, by this time, become less important than that.  Several people have mentioned that, if in future you DD is auditioning for vocational training, grades and system are not taken into consideration as long as the potential is there.

[straceydor]

I have heard that RAD and IDTA new syallbus' have merged.??????

[Pas de Quatre]

Legat method teaching generally comes under Russian Style.  You could google some of the Russian ballet associations/societies.  Ironically, the Legat school is now staffed mainly by teachers who are RAD examiners although I would think their normal classes would be non syllabus.

 

Edited for typo.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Pas de Quatre

[Legseleven]

Hi straceydor, the RAD and IDTA haven't merged and their ballet syllabi remain very different (both boards are in the process of updating syllabi). They have become affiliated but remain separate and different organisations.

 

The Legat system is Russian ballet. My DD did a couple of years of NATD ballet, which i understand is or was Russian style, alongside her RAD children's grades and it reminded me very much of the RAD ballet I did way back in the 1970s and 80s. Legat or another Russian system may well work for and be enjoyed by stardancer's DD.

 

I agree that it seems that stardancer's DD may have to change to a non-RAD school and that exams in themselves are not important in the long run if ballet as a career is the aim, but it does seem very sad that through no fault of her own she would not then be able to take her RAD Adv 1, having studied it for so long.

 

Stardancer, could you phone the RAD and chat to them about the situation? You could also ask for their registered teachers in the area and explain the issues you have had with the school you have just left and the school which won't take your DD as a result.

[Dance*is*life]

I took and passed my RAD vocational exams on one class in the syllabi a week, both at my arts school and at the RBS.  However during the rest of the week I attended non-syllabus ballet classes on the equivalent level and this in my opinion is what's important.  We use exams in our school to motivate the students rather than to evaluate them.  Not every student suits exams and many a time I have had a good girl get a lower mark in the exam than I expected and vice versa of course.  It's the hard work and the process of preparing seriously for the exam that is the key to advancement.  Knowing that you have to master a particularly difficult step in order to perform it in the exam makes a student stick at it and keep working.  However, what is crucial is the number of good classical classes at the advanced level that a student takes during the week - the exam is IMO an extra.

[stardancer]

Hi legseleven my dd said the same thing to me today I have worked so hard for my advanced 1 ,through no fault of her own why should I lose out.

The only reason we like exams is for the training ,when there is an exam coming the classes double the work gets harder ,then there is a stretching class.

There are no non syllabus classes where I live as they hardly have time for one class.

If I could find a school that does intense classes in rad and another style.aswell as stretching maybe contempory ,tap .modern under one roof ,that would be good.

[Guest Autumn days]

It could be argued, though, that the best training comes from non syllabus classes. Syllabus training trains you only for an exam and a dancer needs to be more versatile than that! I think you were looking for classes in Newcastle and I can't believe that there is no dance school there that offers a range of syllabus and non syllabus classes! I would certainly call RAD ornanother similar board hq and see what they can suggest!

 

Have you thought about vocational school for your dd, stardancer? It may solve a lot of your problems!

[2dancersmum]

If you can find Advanced classes of any syllabus or non- syllabus - that is what I would do.  If taking the RAD Adv 1 is important to her then you could always do the course at HQ next summer that has the exam straight afterwards.  Even if your DD just did the beginners Adv 1 class one a week at the school you found to keep it ticking over, at least she would be learning and advancing elsewhere on a different syllabus at another school .  That way she would at least take and hopefully pass the exam.  Surely the timing of it becomes less important if in the RAD system she is not going to continue into Adv 2.  Good luck with your search.  Have you found any ISTD teachers in your area?

[stardancer]

Hi the reason I left the other school was tha same reason ,she was in a beginners class and the teacher was going to put her in an exam 2015 when the other girls are ready.

Also doing 2 schools in my area is called poaching ,as I was told by 2 teachers yesterday.

If you do not tell them and they find out ,each school get,s together and then that makes it difficult to move on.

Anyway on a positive note my dd is going to look at a school on sat ,fingers crossed

[Anna C]

But I think 2dancersmum was thinking of the intensive course followed by the exam next summer, i.e. 2014, not 2015. Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Moving schools should never be this much of a problem, providing you give the first school appropriate notice. When I moved my dd from her first ballet school, 7 years ago, I was politely honest with both schools about my reasons for moving, plus I gave half a term's notice to the first school. It goes back to what I said about the ballet world being small, and how important it is not to burn your bridges - for your daughter's sake.

 

Good luck with the visit on Saturday, and do think about 2dancersmum's advice about the intensive course next summer.

[2dancersmum]

stardancer - I think perhaps you misunderstood my point or maybe I did not phrase it well.  As spanner says I was thinking of the intensive course followed by the exam in 2014.  I do not think it matters much if it is just 1 advance class regardless of beginners or not if the point of attending the RAD class is just to keep familiar with the syllabus in order to take the exam she has trained so long for.  My suggestion was that you found a school offering advanced classes in a different syllabus for your DD to concentrate on - that the RAD is just an extra class in order to take the exam.

Secondly, I would never advocate that you do two schools without telling them.  As you say they would find out and rightly so it would reflect badly.  Personally I would also advise against trying to do the same syllabus class at two schools (ie RAD Adv 1 at 2 places) even with both schools agreement.  What is however often an option is to take classes at different schools where they study a different syllabus ie RAD in one school, ISTD at a different one - provided that you are open with both schools from the start.  Advanced students do need more hours training and our personal experience has been that teachers do not mind you going to a second school if it is for a class they cannot offer themselves.

 

In any case, good luck for Saturday.

[stardancer]

Sorry 2dancersmum yes I think your,e idea is good ,I no my dd can do the advanced 1 next year in london,but she is ready now to take the exam and by September of next year will be more fed up .

I phoned the rad and was told my dd can only do the exam if the teacher at the rad on the intense says she is ready.And that is only if she does not attend another school.

I like your,e idea to try another syllabus as the more hours my dd has at this level would be good.

I did phone a istd teacher she was lovely, but was told it has a different style and this would confuse my dd at this level as she may pick up bad technique.

I told her my dd is an advanced child and should and can pick up different styles as I feel this will be good for her but was told she doe,s not like girls going to rad classes as two teachers do not mix especially rad teachers.

Looking forword to saturday

[Aurora]

Yes I think if you treat each school in a respectful manner it doesn't cause any big problems.

 

I had issues with my daughter's gymnastics school and was extremely frustrated with them. I eventually pulled her out of the school but I did so in the correct way and was very careful not to burn any bridges because you never know!

 

Just to clarify, there are several schools around Newcastle offering RAD classes at advanced levels:

Primaacademy.co.uk

Lewisdance.co.uk

Jadeharrisonschoolofdance

Dorothybuggyschoolofdancing.co.uk

Kathleenburdonballet.wordpress.com

Elvetdanceschool.com

Gillianquinn.co.uk

[Anna C]

I wasn't clear on this bit Stardancer:

 

"I phoned the rad and was told my dd can only do the exam if the teacher at the rad on the intense says she is ready.And that is only if she does not attend another school."

 

Any RAD student from any school can be booked onto the RAD Intensive exam course - what did you mean by "and that is only if she does not attend another school"?

[stardancer]

Hi Aurora

I am sorry to hear about your,e dd I hope she has found somewhere nice.And as a parent of a child who does dance or gym ,I wish they would think of the child more.

Thank you I phoned most of them and they may have advanced 1 but they are all just beginners and was told my dd will have to take it with them ,and may spend another 2 years doing it. Does anyone not do private classes

[stardancer]

Spannerandpony Hi I was told that information if she wants to take an exam after the intense in september

[Pups_mum]

I wasn't clear on this bit Stardancer:

"I phoned the rad and was told my dd can only do the exam if the teacher at the rad on the intense says she is ready.And that is only if she does not attend another school."

Any RAD student from any school can be booked onto the RAD Intensive exam course - what did you mean by "and that is only if she does not attend another school"?

I didn't quite follow this either, but I wondered if it meant that the RAD would accept stardancer's daughter's exam entry if the course teacher felt it was appropriate, even if she was not currently dancing with an RAD school? As I understand it, candidates can normally only be entered for exams by an RAD registered teacher - maybe they were offering this as an alternative if stardancer does not locate a school that meets her DDs needs by then?

[Anna C]

Oh, I see what you mean. I read it as students only being able to attend the intensive summer course and take the exam if they are not also at another school - hence the confusion.

[2dancersmum]

I must confess that this thread confuses me rather. In an earlier post stardancer you mention that the teacher was talking about March for the exam (before the other teacher got involved) and now you say your daughter is ready now and will be bored by next September. Did I miss something?

I also find it strange that the schools all seem to want to enter all students for an exam at the same time as surely it is when an individual student is ready. Any teacher for a prospective school is bound to ask her to join their existing class as without seeing your DD dance they cannot tell you if she is exam ready or what her requirements are. It does not necessarily mean waiting 2 years for other students surely this is worst case scenario

Finally, the exam session following the intense course - the closing date for entry into the exam session is well before the actual course and you do not need to do the course to be entered into the exam session. so therefore you have paid to do the exam before the course and dates and times for the exams have already been set and advised before the course even takes place so I think you need to clarify that with the RAD.

[stardancer]

Hi pups-mum

Yes sorry you have explained it like I should of.

How was you,re week in London how did you,re dd like the classes ,I wish I had taken my dd .

I hope her exam went fantastic

[Jan McNulty]

I did an intensive course when I learned to drive.  We had to book and pay for the test on the Friday of the week of the course.  We were assessed on the Thursday and if the instructor didn't think we had done enough to pass the test we were not allowed to take it.  Perhaps it is something like that?

 

(PS - I did take and pass the test)

[FelixGirl]

I don't think that studying more than one syllabus should really a problem.....before she went to college DD was studying both ISTD and RAD ballet with three different teachers (all aware of what she was doing)...she took Intermediate ISTD and Advanced foundation within a week of each other in December (and achieved fantastic results in both) and Advanced 1 of both ISTD and RAD within a week of each other less than 6 months later on top of her GCSEs (she wouldn't have chosen to do them quite so quickly because she missed out on a Distinction by a couple of marks but her teachers wanted her to get the exams done before leaving for college!!). She also took non syllabus classes in both RAD and other styles (Russian included) and none of these differing styles bothered her at all...in fact I think they enhanced her ability to adapt.

 

I would say go for the other syllabi.....at least your DD will be studying at the right level for her and in the meantime you can continue your hunt for another RAD teacher!

 

Good luck!