Appraisals

[Anna C]

I have never worn a pair of pointe shoes and your description made me do my "maths" face - i.e. Completely confused. If you mean with a deep vamp to flatter feet with a low/flattish arch or instep, then Freed Classic Pro can have the vamp adjusted for this sort of foot.

 

If you don't mean that, my apologies! Maybe we'd better discuss pointe shoes on a different thread.

[Pas de Quatre]

No a deep vamp is a long one.  The vamp is the length of the shoe from the end to where it stops.  Even if the width and the length of a block is correct, if the profile is too high the foot will slide down when on point.  If you can put a finger inside the top of the shoe where the drawstring ties, when the foot is flat on the ground or on pointe then profile is too high, 

[Anna C]

Oh I see, thanks. :-)

 

Well given Freed's ability to special order shoes I would think they could make a lower profile shoe. Anyway, that's a discussion for another thread.

 

I join everyone in wishing all those students with appraisals and assessments coming up - including associates - a happy and successful appraisal. :-)

[Legseleven]

Regarding Freed shoes, I would be interested to know whether RBS students are all fitted individually by Freed staff every time they need new pointe shoes and whether students with difficult to fit 'off the peg' feet (albeit I assume most RBS students don't have difficult feet?) have the option of having their shoes specifically made for them.

 

I assume that there is a fitting for every student every time they need new shoes, as there would be dor non-vocational atudents, but do Freeds staff go to WL or the upper school just as often as required?

[Spax]

They can get very stressed about it. The Elmhurst students don't get assessed out of year 7 (or 8?) but they still get a letter effectively saying whether they passed it or not. Things are evolving all the time there with Robert Parker now in charge so the letters may be different from "my day".

 

Students have been assessed out of WL f year 7 so they're bound to be nervous. Waiting for these letters is far worse than any audition result imho!

My ds is very quiet this weekend  with appraisals Wednesday at WL coming up:(:

[Tulip]

Aw Spax good luck for your son, I hate seeing children being so stressed in their young lives.

[LinMM]

Good luck to your DS Spax

[Billyelliott]

Yes tell him good luck from us too ????

[Legseleven]

Good luck to your DS, Spax - and to each and every child undergoing appraisal or assessment.

[afab]

Good luck Spax!

[Amethyst]

Good luck to those with appraisals x

[DancingDays]

My ds is very quiet this weekend  with appraisals Wednesday at WL coming up:(:

 

Wishing him a great appraisal Spax and to all the other DCs going through the same process x

[ZooZoo]

I wish your son good luck Spax.  Whilst I know that there are other children out there who would love to get a place at RBS, it does seem very harsh that some children might be assessed out after less than 2 terms.  Does their class work not matter?  Is it all on one audition class?  That is terrifying.  

[ZooZoo]

My last post made it seem as if I was only wishing good luck to Spax - I didn't mean it to come over that way - I most sincerely hope that all the helpful lovely users on here have good news for their children.  I think WL said at the audition that they have one or two extra places higher up the school, so I hope that is a way for new children to join rather than having to take anyone else's place.

[Flit and float]

Just remembered, on the topic of appraisals, did anyone see the programme Ballet School about Welsh children at Elmhurst? (Think it's on YouTube it's only a few years old). It showed one girl on her first year at upper school doing her appraisal & getting the results in a letter Feb half term. She had been worried about pointe especially as she'd had an injury & hadn't done proper pointe work for a whole. She passed with concerns, obviously about her pointe work. She ended up leaving & going somewhere else for rehab at the end of the year (Rambert I think, not sure exactly what a rehab place was) but she didn't do the show or anything due to being injured.

 

I thought it was a bit harsh to give her that result as they must've known she wasn't full strength & even having everything depend on that appraisal class (like an exam) when she was injured wasn't really fair! I suppose there must've been more to it than was shown though.

[Melody]

It is indeed on YouTube.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4-q6N3Ib1M

[ZooZoo]

Thanks for posting that.  I have just spent 2 hours watching (thought I'd just watch the first 5 mins and got sucked in!).  I had a tear in my eye when D had to leave Elmhurst.    It seemed such a shame for him to have to leave when dancing was clearly his passion.  His friends at the Comp seemed very friendly though............Hooray for the end when it all worked out for him .

[rachaelballet12]

Mid associates Appraisil results out today So pleased for my DD another year with Royal Ballet school .

[swanprincess]

Congrats to your dd Rachaelballet12!!

Having to undergo assessments at ballet theatre uk associates to see if we will be offered another year was stressful enough, I am totally in awe of the courage and strength that vocational school students must have to cope with the incredible pressure of their appraisals!!! Big hugs to all xoxo

[charlie4dancin]

Congrats to your lovely dd Rachaelballet12 from both of us xxx

[dramascientist]

Well done to those who have good news from appraisils, reading JulieW's posts have really helped me. My DD had her appraisils at her school yesterday, she has worked so hard all year to learn to control her new height, she had grown nearly 15cm in the previous 18 months so last year was tough for her. Plus she was told time and again that she was"too fat". After her exam yesterday they were all called in one at a time. She had her turn and the principal of the school praised her dancing, told her she was very nearly moved to tears several times during the class because of the quality of her dancing (quite a tall order in a class situation when you are doing exercises don't you think?) the principla then hit her with "but I cannot give you a high grade because I don't think your "form" is right" ie.implying that she was too fat. She has a strong athletic build, 173cm tall, a little underweight for her height but not dangerously so, you can imagine how devastated she is! Hence we have not waited to see if DD will be offered a place at the upper school, she is off to Ballet West in September, thank goodness! So as I was saying The fact that one school may be right when the children are younnger will not necessarily be the case when they become sixth formers your DS's success certainly supports that, but it is so harsh for our DCs gto have to go through this. I am just thankful that she is very strong and seems to be coping well (better than me in fact I am spitting mad! As iI am sure you can all tell from my post. Still I feel better now getting it off my chest, once again thank goodness for my virtual friends on this fotum!

 

Dramascientist

[Circe]

That is harsh dramascientist . Sounds like the sooner your dd can get off to a new start at ballet west the better!

[Fiz]

That is terrible, Dramascientist! So your dd brings tears by the depth of her passion and ability but does not conform to some false picture of a dancer? The sooner she is out of there the better! Hugs to you both. x

[mel]

Dramascientist show your DD this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6kZ90_0eKc

 

It's Misty Copeland talking about what makes a dancer and it is really inspirational.  As she says, "stay strong and find motivation...it's possible."

 

And how great that your DD has somewhere to go that will value her.

[Tulip]

All I can say Dramascientist that your daughter will be much happier in her new school . Your daughter will also be going through puberty and her body will be going through drastic changes, once she has gone through puberty her body will settle down. How horrendous of a school to criticise a young girls body, especially at this crucial stage in her life. I don't suppose you are allowed to say which school she is at? Good luck with her future and success. I hope she loves her new school and thrives.

[aileen]

Dramascientist, is your daughter at a vocational school in the UK?

[dramascientist]

Aileen no my daughter is not in the UK,she is at a national ballet school in Europe. I am pretty sure that this type of critisism would not be allowed in the UK, that is why we chose to audition for sixth form there. We are British but have been out of the UK for many years DD did not want to go to boarding school when she was younger so that is why she went to the national ballet school here so she could still be at home with us, it was the right decision then but now we are definitely glad for her to be moving on. Luckily when DDwas auditioning back in the u K earlier this year I made a point to ask about physique, nutrition etc. when I mentioned about what DD had been told I was met with shocked faces, one head of dance told her she had the perfect physique for a modern dancer so at least she has this to hold on to. I just cannot believe that the school is happy to continue to promote this dangerous picture of a ballet dancer in this day and age.

[2dancersmum]

The success your DD had at auditions this year, and not just at the school she chose to attend, quite rightly shows that this person is in the minority with their opinion. In any case, the dancer whose performance moves me is the one I would always remember rather than a smaller or taller than average dancer. Glad your DD is moving on and I am sure she will be happy in her new school.

[Lisa O`Brien]

How dreadful for your daughter,Dramascientist. So pleased she will soon be putting this school behind her. Personally,I think you should name and shame the school right here on this Forum,if not for a bit of revenge[which always feels good !],but also to let other parents and children know to avoid this school .It`s not Paris Opera is it? I have heard they are really picky about physique.

[primrose]

Unfortunately this type of criticism does exist in vocational schools here in the UK. My dd who was barely a size 8 was told by the dance principle she was not bird like enough.she sucesfully auditioned elsewhere and was offered multiple places with dada funding.The school is very well known. I wont name and shame as too many parents who have children training there would be worried. My dd is far from the only one this happened to.

[Lisa O`Brien]

Yes,I see what you mean Primrose about your hesitation to name and shame; to protect the feelings of those already at the school.But even so,can someone just get away with speaking to a young person like that? 

[Spax]

I have heard from a Birdy that Elmhurst are talking about stopping the 'assessing out' for the first 5 years.

The children are so nervous after Christmas knowing that they are due.

I have watched children along with my ds stressing over this. It is awful to say the least!!

[Anna C]

I sympathise with the instinct to name and shame, especially when a school or teacher is very critical of a student's physique. However, I would issue a gentle reminder that in accordance with the AUP, "highly critical comments" must be made under a member's real name, not a pseudonym. This could inadvertently "out" and identify a student, which may not be wise in the long term.

 

As a parent I would possibly complain to the school in that situation but that is not the same as "naming and shaming" under your own name on a very public forum.