Taking photos for RBS summer school

[Dance*is*life]

I have two 12 year olds who want to apply for the RBS summer school.  They will both be 13 by August, so according to the forms they need to do the more difficult audition poses in pointe shoes.  They only started pointe last year in IF and are not yet at home enough in their pointe shoes to be able to balance easily - not to mention that holding the leg a la seconde en l'air with both legs turned out for long enough for me to catch them in the pose is nigh on impossible!  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make the task easier??? 

 

They are both good girls - one of them won a prize at the RAD SS last year - but these poses are hard enough for the older students in pointe shoes - I do think they should be allowed to do them in soft shoes at this in-between age. They can both hold the pose in 4th en pointe with no problems - it's the arabesque and a la seconde that are the tough ones. 

Edited December 28, 2013 by Dance*is*life

[Tulip]

Hi dance is life, you do know that all the poses except one are not en pointe. My daughter got her dance friends to do her photos in the studio. Good luck.

[Dance*is*life]

But it says that they have to wear pointe shoes for the photos - that's the problem - they find it hard to balance in them rather than soft shoes.  If they were all poses on pointe they might find that easier!   Holding an extension to the 2nd wearing pointe shoes is so much harder........

Edited December 28, 2013 by Dance*is*life

[Legseleven]

Would it be possible for them to wear soft pointes or deshanked (and utterly bashed and pummelled) pointe shoes for the photos, duly pancaked if required? Could that be a compromise in that they would be wearing pointe shoes but without the balance issue?

[Dance*is*life]

I have thought of that, but they don't have them yet and won't need them for another year. Guess I'll just have to struggle on with them Thanks anyway!

[afab]

You're not alone as most kids their age will face the same problem as yours... The RBS team must be used to seeing it!

[JulieW]

If they're meant to be in pointe shoes, then I think you're just going to have to bite the bullet and get the best photos you can. (I've just been showing my dd this thread and she's a bit confused about what the problem is exactly.) Everyone's in the same boat, and at least it's easier now having digital cameras so you can take loads of shots to get the best they can manage :-)

[Dance*is*life]

You can say that again - in the past I wasted a fortune printing photos that weren't any good!   The point is that now there are no videos required, they choose from these photos, so I naturally want to get the best I can out of them.  I just wondered if anyone had any tricks up their sleeve - like having someone hold their hand whilst they develope into position and then nip away out of camera range at the last second or whatever!  Does anyone know if they are looking for something specific - apart from perfection that is?  

[Pas de Quatre]

Yes, that is what we often do, have someone act as a partner and then step away.

[Spax]

For my ds and dd I had the ballet teacher there while I took photo's. She guided the two of them. Took loads and let her pick the ones that she thought was appropriate.

Paying for a professional photographer is a big mistake unless they are an expert on ballet posses.

[Moneypenny]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the photos, just do the best you can. We have taken many photos for auditions and summer schools in the kitchen and in the sitting room and taken multiple shots of each pose and then picked the best of what is usually a very amateur job on my part! I'm sure they are not looking for perfection and as someone above said, most folks will be in the same boat. I also agree that it is a bad idea to pay for a professional photographer unless they are a dance photographer with a dance background. Also very expensive for a photographer, though we did do just that for sixth form applications this year.

[aileen]

Isn't this question about the requirement for dancers new to pointe to pose for photographs en pointe? If this is a requirement for the audition for the RBSS then it's hardly surprising that barely teenage British dancers find it so hard to get places in this summer school, competing as they are with overseas trained dancers who have been dancing en pointe for years. Someone needs to tell the RBS that 12 year old non-vocational students in the UK are only just starting pointe work and won't be able to do much beyond rises and a few simple exercises at the barre. If the RBS isn't happy with this then the School should tell UK based applicants not to bother applying as it is a waste of their time.

[Lottie]

Why don't you take the photos the best you can with what ever ballet shoes they can do the positions in and write a covering letter. Surely they'll see the potential.

 

Years ago DS was given a waiting list place for the Senior Summer school and at that time we took those pictures in the garden.

 

Good luck.

[LinMM]

I'd been thinking this was a bit strange of the RBS reading this thread.

I thought the Royal only just put their own pupils on pointe at about 12 so they should know what a child in first year of pointe work is capable of and holding a develope in second on pointe is not that easy......in terms of holding a balance in this position......what are they expecting the Rose Adagio!! But seriously this position might be moved through more.....as part of an enchainement.....rather than held for any length of time. Still thinks its difficult for most 12 year olds though.

 

Perhaps one can resort to photoshop......have someone hold their DD's hand and then try and remove the hand from the picture somehow! Sorry if this sounds a bit subversive.......I suppose it depends how reasonable one thinks the request is.

 

Perhaps though they are just looking for precocious dancers for their Summer schools!

[Tulip]

The photos required are not on pointe, all flat footed except for one. They only nee to be wearing point shoes.

[LinMM]

Ah misunderstood that then. Bit of a relief!

 

However I still can't understand why they would want the pictures with pointe shoes on!

 

When they actually do the summer school I doubt very much they will be doing whole lessons wearing pointe shoes anyway.

[angel]

The photos in pointe shows are for 13-18 years which seems reasonable.  I'm sure RBS realise that 13 year olds won't be at the same level as older girls wherever they are from. 10-12 year olds are required to have bare feet.

[LinMM]

I think it's just that the initial poster said the girls are only 12 right now but will be 13 by the time of the summer school......hence the difficulty because at 12 they are being asked to do the 13 + poses.

 

Obviously I haven't seen the application form so assume that it must say if the girls will be 13 by the time of doing the Summer School they must do the harder poses in pointe shoes. However August is a long way off so at this point I can see the dilemma these younger girls are in.

[angel]

The RBS students do pointe class twice a week right from year 7 so I'm guessing they are hoping that SS students will be keeping up with that level?

[Moomin]

Would it be worth checking which set of photOs are required? If they are only 12 at the time of application perhaps you could get away with the bare footed ones?

[angel]

As far as I can see 13 years = current UK year 8 

 

10 – 12 years (UK current Academic Years 5 – 7): may apply for one week only at White Lodge 13 years (UK current Academic Year 8): may apply for one or two weeks

14 years (UK current Academic Year 9): may apply for two weeks only 

Edited December 29, 2013 by angel

[LinMM]

Well in UK 11-12 is year 7, then 12-13 is year 8 and then 13-14 is year 9

So depending month of birth a 13 year old could be in Year 8 or 9

 

Not sure why we have got to discussing year groups though!! Unless you mean RBS students will have done two years of pointe work by the summer school if they were applying at this point age 12!!

[angel]

Hmm sorry I'm confused myself now! The form seems to contradict itself but RBS usually puts children in year groups.  By the time RBS students get to Summer at the end of year 8 they will have done almost two years of point though.

[LinMM]

Year groups are always difficult for the children born in June/ July/ August as there will be some within the same age group almost a year older and this can sometimes become significant in puberty years the difference between 12 and 13! But I'm sure Ballet Schools recognise this.

Well as someone posted earlier I suppose....re the photos....all the current 12 year olds applying will be in the same boat at least!!

[aileen]

The summer school is not just for RBS students, though. Most local schools are very careful about putting their students on pointe and wait until they are 12 which may be at any point in year 7. Even when they start pointe they only do half to three-quarters of an hour a week. I think that it would be fairer if the RBS told UK based applicants that they need to be doing the same amount of pointe work as their own students if they are to have any chance of getting in. It's just wasting everyone's time otherwise. I'm always quite surprised that vocational school students attend summer schools anyway. Why is it necessary or desirable when they already spend many hours a week training during term time?

[Moomin]

Sorry downloaded the form and it is age at the summer school not at time of application so ignore my comment above! What sort of camera do you have? Ideally you'd want very good lighting so that you could use a very fast shutter speed (outside or 'daylight' bulbs inside). Can you set your camera to do multiple exposures?

[Tulip]

I would presume vocational student attend summer schools because they love to dance and they want to experience other teachers. Eight weeks is a long time to go without dancing during the school holidays.

[LinMM]

Just been looking at this application form and there is a bit of confusion in that it adverises the courses in the younger age group as being for aged 10-13 year olds but then photographs are for 10-12 year olds (and then 13 plus)

I cannot see why the photographs don't completely tally with the courses offered so that all 10-13 should have the same and then post 13 have the same. I'm sure however there is some weird and wonderful logic behind it all!

 

Good luck with the piccies everyone doing them anyway!

[LinMM]

Just seen your post Tulip and I agree with this. No doubt not ALL vocational students opt for summer courses and anyway parents can't always afford them if paying out already for school but to young keen students going to Summer school is still an exciting experience for them in a different environment! And it's usually only one week in a long holiday!!

[tutoo2much]

My dd who turned 13 in the August, applied and got a place for a year 8. She didn't wear pointe shoes for the photos. The photos were sent in a tiny bit late and weren't all there..

[LinMM]

Well the summer school .....latest one finishes on the 2nd August .....at least the 2014 one. .....were you referring to last years? so perhaps your DD counted as being 12 if she wasn't 13 till later in the August even though she is officially still year 8 (turning 13 by 31st August.

I can feel a fit of the giggles coming on with all the logistics of this age and year group thing it's time I signed out for my bedtime cuppa!!

[tutoo2much]

Yes. She turned 13 after the summer school, even though she was yr 8. I suppose my point was that it is easy to get a bit fixated on the photos and poses. it is possible to get a place without the perfect application if you are what they like. Puberty has also struck and I think we could send in an amazing set of professional photos of DD, not forgetting any poses and she still wouldn't be offered a place.

[balletla]

Most local schools are very careful about putting their students on pointe and wait until they are 12 which may be at any point in year 7. Even when they start pointe they only do half to three-quarters of an hour a week. I think that it would be fairer if the RBS told UK based applicants that they need to be doing the same amount of pointe work as their own students if they are to have any chance of getting in. 

 

I don't think most dance schools wait until 12 for the students with the most aptitude for ballet, which is what RBS is looking for for both full time school and summer school. My DD was an RBS Associate and in my experience, virtually all of them started pointe with RAD Inter-Foundation at age 10 at their local dance schools. 

 

My advice would be to do the photos in soft-blocks as you can't tell the difference in a photo and they are a lot easier to stand in (obviously not for the one where you have to balance on pointe). I agree with tutoo2much though - don't get too hung up on it. I have known students get in with all sorts of photos that don't conform in some way e.g. foot or hand chopped off in the printing/sizing process!