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Young British Dancer of the Year Award 2014


Nana Lily

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IIRC, was it the RAD Fonteyn Nureyev competition that was only open to non-vocational students? That stopped before my dd was old enough to take part. The Genée Dance Challenge which I think replaced it is open to vocational students as well.

 

Very very well done to all those who got through to the semis and the very very best of luck to the finalists! :-)

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It would be very nice if some sort of competition could be held for non-vocational students only. I don't wish to offend anybody but I feel that where the finals are absolutely dominated not just by vocational students but by one school it doesn't seem like an open competition. Perhaps the RBS could hold its own competition. Sorry if this upsets anyone. Congratulations to all those non-vocational students who took part. You should feel very proud of yourselves.

RAD East of England Ballet Awards and ISTD Ballet Awards took place over this last weekend, certainly mainly non vocational

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Yes most RAD competitions and awards for pre vocational age groups ie up to 16, are attended by non vocational students, though the odd Elmhurst and Tring child appears under a private entry which can be annoying! Very proud that out of 18 awards on offer at the RAD East of England awards yesterday our non vocational school received the overall Junior award and 9 others too so 10 in total. Very very proud of our team of teachers,students and parents. But I do think we could benefit from a classical ballet using repertoire solos 'grand Prix' style comp in the UK as in the US which is a once a year with heats as opposed to the All England. Obv not with pointe work until 14 unlike some of the US entrants.

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It would be very nice if some sort of competition could be held for non-vocational students only. I don't wish to offend anybody but I feel that where the finals are absolutely dominated not just by vocational students but by one school it doesn't seem like an open competition. Perhaps the RBS could hold its own competition. Sorry if this upsets anyone. Congratulations to all those non-vocational students who took part. You should feel very proud of yourselves.

 

I totally disagree, it is very much an open competition as hfbrew states ,the judges are not RBS and they do not know until the final which school they are from, and this is the only competition open to RBS students. I think by saying it's not an open competition belittles the achievements of the students who have made the final, and there being a large number of RBS students in the final , probably tells you why a place at the school is so sought after.

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I totally disagree, it is very much an open competition as hfbrew states ,the judges are not RBS and they do not know until the final which school they are from, and this is the only competition open to RBS students. I think by saying it's not an open competition belittles the achievements of the students who have made the final, and there being a large number of RBS students in the final , probably tells you why a place at the school is so sought after.

It is very much an open comp as far as I can see and what I meant to say in my last post is that it is not unusual for a school of any kind to dominate a competition and I think that all the students deserve the recognition in their own right, it is pleasing to note some of this years YBDY finalists are not necessarily the often exposed ones and perhaps they felt they would keep the finalists within the realms of each other rather than one outstanding one. Watch this space!!exciting :)

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Yes most RAD competitions and awards for pre vocational age groups ie up to 16, are attended by non vocational students, though the odd Elmhurst and Tring child appears under a private entry which can be annoying! Very proud that out of 18 awards on offer at the RAD East of England awards yesterday our non vocational school received the overall Junior award and 9 others too so 10 in total. Very very proud of our team of teachers,students and parents. But I do think we could benefit from a classical ballet using repertoire solos 'grand Prix' style comp in the UK as in the US which is a once a year with heats as opposed to the All England. Obv not with pointe work until 14 unlike some of the US entrants.

DD was runner up in the senior award, she , the winner and musicality award winner are non vocational, as I know them - and yes, huge thanks to our brilliant teacher  :)

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Because they are normally entered privately and independently from the vocational school and some of their vocational school peers do not get the same oportunity, or indeed their white lodge peers and other schools do not always get that opportunity. I have no problem them being there it is lovely for vocational and non vocational students to work/ compete alongside each other and learn from each other as often as they can like at a summer school :)

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Having discussed the conversation on the page with my DD she is of the opinion that it is wonderful to dance alongside the candidates from vocational schools - it's a yardstick to measure where you are and how far you have to go .She doesn't enter to win but for the whole experience which in her words was "magical" (if a little scary)

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Back to the discussion about ybdy success for RBS - it might be testament to their training OR it might be that (being a selective school) it takes the best dancers from the country, (world?) including, as others have posted, dancers who have come from Elmhurst and Tring!

 

It's a bit of an unknown... Are they the best because they go to RBS or do they go to RBS because they are the best?!?

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It seems to me that although there is always debate about what RBS are looking for and whether they make the right choices - and they can't always make the right choices any more than any other selection process can do - their clean sweep of YBDY finalists mean that they are doing something right. This year therefore their students were the best - not only in the RBS's opinion as they were successful at audition (whether at 11 or 16 and whether previously non-vocational or from other vocational schools) and in annual assessments, but also in this year's YBDY selection panel's opinion, after at least 6 months of RBS training and in many cases after years of RBS training. I would say therefore that this year's finalists went to RBS because they are the best AND that they are the best because they are trained at RBS.

 

Plus of course students at other vocational schools can and do audition for RBS and if successful they do leave their previous vocational school for a place at RBS. Which would also suggest that those students believe that the RBS accepts the best students and that it is the place where they believe they will have the best training.

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Just a reminder that many schools were not represented at all e.g. Elmhurst, Tring and many others. Also ENBS for example does not have a year 10 or 11 from which to select students to enter. So the success of the RBS students is within quite a small selection of other schools.

Also a reminder that this competition is only open to British students or those who have trained in the UK for at least 3 years. That rules out quite a few students from all the schools.

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I think its fair...as a parent whose dd has been non vocational till 6th form we have had the opportunity to shine at festivals, istd ballet and janet cram awards etc.the students at wl. Elm etc haven't had. Its all about experience and it you don't make it to the next round/audition it simply should make the dancer more determined. It does my dd.

Its such a tough world in this lovely choice of career that our dc have taken that a knock should really just make them stronger.

Do wish sometimes my dd had chosen to be the first england mans football manager...it might be more realistic. Ha ha!

Gotta love the arts!

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I think Yaffa might still have a ticket available on the ticket exchange forum if anyone's interested.

 

I wasn't going to go this year but now I get to see two good friends' dancing (I've competing and one in the interval). Very excited!

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