smallbythesea Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I know it's a long way off yet until auditions for 2013 start but just wondered if someone could give me some brief information please? Generally speaking, does the majority of the audition take the format of a class? I am guessing the children have to do a solo piece. Is it 1 min 30 secs & do they take the cd/music in with them? Do different schools specify a specific dance style? eg with Elmhurst being ballet - do they specify a ballet solo whereas Hammond will allow ballet,tap or modern?? Finally, do the children have to sing? I am sure I have read this somewhere on a forum but I might be wrong. If so, what is the purpose of this? Many Thanks xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Are you talking about auditions for year 7? The auditions vary from school to school. We only have direct experience of Elmhurst and Hammond but I think RBS auditions are like Elmhurst and Tring are like Hammond (but sure someone with wider experience will correct if I'm wrong) Elmhurst: both prelim and final auditions take the form of a fairly basic ballet class. At final auditions the children also have a physio exam and sit a non-verbal reasoning test. Hammond prelim: ballet class plus a more contemporary/jazz movement type class. Solo dance performance of 1min 30 secs (in dance style of own choice) and solo song (the later, they assure, has no bearing on final outcome) Physio and non-verbal reasoning assessments also carried out during preliminary auditions.Solo dance music had to be taken on a cd and sheet music for the solo song. DD did not do funding audition at Hammond so can't adivse on the format of this although do know there was another ballet class and I think a musical theatre worskhop??? Sure others will be able to fill gaps! Good luck x Edited April 13, 2012 by angela_stapleton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 There are definitely no solos at the Elmhurst and RBS auditions, both the prelim and final at these schools take the form of a simple ballet class, with a physio exam and basic academic tests at the final. RBS interview the children at the final as well, but it wasnt too gruelling, I am told! Tring is the same as Hammond (see above) but the physio exam takes place at the funding audition and then it is only selected students that go forward to the physio stage. the Tring final was just a ballet class ( I think - it was a while ago!). The solos at Tring and Hammond can be any genre and I recommend that your dd/ds does whatever style they are most comfortable in. They do not wear costume and I'm sorry, I can't remember how long it was meant to be but you will be told when you apply. At Tring you are invited to sing/play an instrument/do a short drama pice but they are all optional and dont seem to have a bearing on the result. I think you have to sing at Hammond! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallbythesea Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 Yes it is for year 7. What is the purpose of the singing exercise? Also, if you take sheet music, unless you have singing lessons, you will only have ever sang with a CD which is completely different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I am afraid that I really don't know! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Hammond definately state that vocal solos cannot be performed to a backing track. I have heard of children just singing happy birthday (without sheet music!!) for this part of the audition. My elder non-dancing daughter does have singing lessons and she has some audition solo books that have both a backing CD (to practise to) and the corresponding sheet music. You should be able to get these from your local library. As for the purpose of the vocal solo I really don't know other than Hammond has a very strong musical tradition and they encourage choir membership across all the courses. Elmhurst seem to have a strong musical orientation too (MDS funding covers music tuition which can include vocal) x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingGirl123 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 When I auditioned for Hammond for sixth form (Sorry not sure about year 7) I just sang happy birthday to the piano as did many! Xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophika9899 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 In her audition for Tring year 9 my DD sang a short song from Disneys Little Mermaid without any accompaniment at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afab Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 In her audition for Tring for year 8, my DD played a piece of flamenco on her harp. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Did she take the harp with her, afab, I thought you lived in France? That is true dedication!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomuchtallent Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 angela_stapleton Hi, I was just wondering what they actually do in the physio exam.Is it to see flexability and turnout,what tests do they do? Also you said a fairly basic ballet class,what was the most difficult thing they did?do they do jete, pirouettes or any turns from the corner. Im talking about for year 7. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyG Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 The only one I can remember from Tring physio was DS being asked to balance on one foot, they were there for a very long time. Out of all the physio's sessions Tring allowed the parent in with child or they did the day we auditioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Hi toomuchtalent DD at a sleepover tonight - I'll quiz her and post tomorrow! x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afab Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Did she take the harp with her, afab, I thought you lived in France? That is true dedication!! We did! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomuchtallent Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Wow! i love the harp xxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomuchtallent Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 would it be best to sing a song from a musical?And as for the acting,any suggestions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 An age appropriate song is definately the best bet and I would think something musical theatre - something they can sing with clear diction and comfortably within their range. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallbythesea Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 I personally would pay attention to the lyrics as you don't want your child singing a song that is too old for them or that is inappropriate Lots of songs my daughter loves would just give out the wrong message even though it would be unintended. DD loves notorious by the saturdays (she's not notorious & she's not a gangster), california king bed by rhianna (a 10 year old singing about a 'little last night on these sheets' ) and Miley Cyrus' I can't be tamed As much as she loves the songs & may be innocent to some of the words, if a 10 year old sang I can't be tamed, i would wonder what I would be letting myself in for 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 If it helps, my dd sang "Castle on a cloud" from Les Mis - she was offered a Musical Theatre place on the strength of it. It!'s age appropriate and not too long so a good choice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomuchtallent Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Spannerandpony,my dd loves that song and sang it on stage last year.Thanks for reminding me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Don't think it matters what they sing if they are auditioning for the dance course. many people don't sing at all and still get offered the dunking final. Parents do get to go to the physio with their children at Tring. they look at flexibility and range of motion in various joints and there were also tests for coordination etc. They are indeed asked to stand on one leg - with their eyes closed! harder than it sounds!! Edited April 13, 2012 by Jellybeans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 My dd now stands on one leg with her eyes closed while waiting in the queue for lunch at school! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I was just wondering what they actually do in the physio exam.Is it to see flexability and turnout,what tests do they do? Also you said a fairly basic ballet class,what was the most difficult thing they did?do they do jete, pirouettes or any turns from the corner. Im talking about for year 7. Thanks. Hi there In both the Hammond and Elmhurst physio, they paid lots of attention to the feet and the flexibility of these, standing and rising on one foot, holding demi plie position (to assess achillies), spine checks, assessing their turnout, and (at Hammond) watching them walk! Most difficult thing dd said they were asked to do in ballet class (at Elmhurst final) was turns from the corner using spotting (she describes them as heel toe/ turning skips combinations not sure of their correct terms!!) single pirouettes (in parallel only at Elmhurst) and arabesques. No jetes at all, few sautes, good range of basic exercises at the barre - tendu, grande battement, round de jambe etc. xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingmuppet Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Hi, how did they assess turnout? Not sure how much my dd has, and I don't think she uses it fully! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Hi, how did they assess turnout? Not sure how much my dd has, and I don't think she uses it fully! They just stood in turnout according to dd! Doesn't sound very technical really! The only'hands on' bit were the feet and spine x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomuchtallent Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Thanks for that! very helpfull xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Just browsing the Elmhurst website and found the following info re dvd auditions for overseas students for year 7. Might give some insight into what they do in the audition class. http://www.elmhurstdance.co.uk/DVD-Year-7.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancerbabe82 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Angela - just out of interest did your DD get into Elmhurst or Hammond? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 It is of course entirely up to Angela if she wants to answer that question by Private Message (or indeed at all) but some posters may not like to specify which school their child attends. It's up to each member whether they choose to keep their child/ren's anonymity. Thanks. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Dancerbabe82 Have sent you a pm. Angela x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 At last year's yr 7 audition my dd saw the physio at Tring at her first audition. I was not present. She also said that the stretches she was asked to perform in the stretch class were very challenging. She was offered a place but not a callback for funding audition. She has been offered a MDS place at Hammond where the physio assessment was also at first audition (also no parent present) and she felt that the stretches required were well within her capabilities. Paperwork from Tring stated that they wished children to sing and perform a monologue as they sometimes found that children who auditioned for one programme were in their opinion , more suited to another and this range of performance gave them the opportunity to see this. Hammond stated that they liked to hear how children for the dance programme sang, but that it did not have any bearing on dance course decisions. My dd used the song book sheet music with cd to practice with as described above and sang ' you're never fully dressed without a smile' Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancerbabe82 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Ooops sorry for any offense caused! Congratulations to all your clever dancing children and I hope they are all very happy where they go :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 You didn't cause offence. :-). It was just a reminder to all that some people prefer to keep their children's anonymity in what is, after all, a public forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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