SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Are some of you known with the Australian ballet school? I'm thinking of applying for an audition, but I don't know much about the full-time program .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucinda Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hello SBallerina, I guess you have already looked at the website http://www.australianballetschool.com.au/ .There is also a Facebook page. The main intake for full time is at level 4 (usually 13 yrs as at Jan 1st of the year of starting at the school) and the majority of the students selected have been in the interstate or part time programme. It is very difficult to get a place in levels 5-8. The school year starts in January (like all of Australia and NZ). There are no boarding facilities. The students have academic lessons at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) and have dance for around 4 hours per day, Monday to Saturday. The majority of the students are Australian with a few New Zealanders and Asian (usually Japanese) students. The head of the school is Marilyn Rowe who is retiring at the end of this year, Lisa Pavane has been appointed the new director. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Lucinda: thank you so much! I've looked at the website. Is level 5-8 the three years course ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmum Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 As Lucinda said the main intake is at level 4 ages 13-14. Levels 1-3 are the part time students on the associates. Level 5-8 (4 years) barely take any through the auditions student will need to be exceptional only a couple of students get accepted in these years. Upon graduation it is very difficult to get a job, there are so few companies, the same goes for the. NZ school of dance. Some of the girls will try for o/s schools but find his very difficult as they have not built up connections or have the knowledge if you had trained in Europe. This is why more and more Aussie girls are heading for Europe to train from the age of 16. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Okey, thank you! I aopreciate all the information. Is it worth applying at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hello SBallerina, Are you currently based in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, you would have to consider the implications of moving away from your family to the other side of the world. I know a lot of Australians and New Zealanders do it the other way round but I've not heard of anyone going from here to Australia just for the training. You do have to consider the long term job prospects. Remember that a number of dancers in British companies are from Austrialia or New Zealand and the bulk of them completed their training at upper schools in the UK (just off the top of my head - Steven McRae, Alex Campbell, Jenna Roberts, Callie Roberts, Delia Matthews). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Janet: I'm from Norway, so the travel will be awfully long if I end up applying. I find it really hard to apply for scgools because I don't know much about them. I'm 18, and I would like to go to a school with main focus on ballet. I'm just checking every opportunity.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Good thinking SBallerina. I'm not a dancer and have never even had a dance lesson but the drive and commitment of dancers never ceases to fill me with admiration. I do hope you can find what you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 A boy who was a friend of my dd moved to Australia with his family at 14. He went to the Australian Ballet School but at 18 headed straight back to the UK. He worked on cruise ships for a short while but is now in a West End show as a dancer. He told my dd he had no prospect of work as a dancer in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks Fiz and Janet. I think it is such a shame that it is as hard as it is to get into classical ballet schools for 18-year olds. I understand the physical abilities criteria, and that you can train a 16 year old to what you want in an easier way than 18 year olds. From another view: I didn't start to improve in ballet until the autumn I started high school.. I've been training seriously in almost 3 years, not from I was ten . I really hope there is a school for me out there, and I will not give up quite yet, though it is tough to alway be positive and stay encouraged. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 SBallerina if you read through the Upper School threads you will see that many of the UK schools welcome 18 year olds to audition for their diplomas/degrees - have you applied for entry anywhere this year? Echoing others responses,I have a friend in Sydney and her DD will be heading to the UK to complete her dancing studies - there is a lack of opportunity for dance related work there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks to you too, kat09. I've auditioned for Rambert and I'm currently placed on the waiting list. Also I got a no at ENBS and John Cranko in Gemrany - to be honest, it was expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Good luck for your waiting list at Rambert - have you contacted Ballet Wes?they have a great programme and audition across the Upper School age range - i believe auditions are ongoing. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 No I haven't, but I recently heard of it. Do you know how the opportunities are after doing three years at Ballet West? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 If you look at their website you will see that they have had success at the Genee and have Alumni at ENB amongst other places. In the third year they tour in China so you get some great performance experience - there is a thread running so check it out and good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Thanks again, all the information is great ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Here are the links for a couple of Ballet West specific threads but if you do a search they are mentioned on a number of other threads: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/6257-ballet-west/ http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/6553-ballet-west-age/?hl=%2Bballet+%2Bwest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katymac Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Also coming from Norway Scoptland might be an easier transition for you. My brother did it the opposite way and moved from Scotland to Sweden (but not wrt Ballet ) But that is just based on impressions not any knowledge.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katymac Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Opps sorry - very badly written as I was on my phone - what I was trying to say was that the Scandinavians I have known generally found Scotland less of a cultural change than England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 Katymac - I've never been to Scotland, but I guess the transition is easier ! Thank you so much for the links to Ballet West related threads. They are much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastel Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Hi SBallerina, we are in Australia too - just about to move to the UK. I doubt it would be worthwhile applying for ABS at this age and as others have said, the opportunities for work here are slim. Also, the Australian Ballet company does a lot of contemporary work, even their ballet productions are often very new choreography. That isn't a criticism, I just noticed that you seem keen on a very classical route. My dd is also focussed on classical so has never aspired to the AB. Best wishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBallerina Posted April 15, 2014 Author Share Posted April 15, 2014 Pastel - thank you so much. I've decided not to apply for ABS, because I don't think it is right for me. Best wishes for you and your dancer daughter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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