Non-ballet terms used mostly/solely in the ballet world

[Yaffa]

Every so often I come across terms such as 'assessing out' which seem to be used almost exclusively in the ballet world, and wonder how widely they are used and whether there are equivalent/near equivalents in other languages.

 

I just saw in the RBS auditions FAQ at: http://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/training/auditions/audition-faqs/: "You should come to the audition underchanged, (with your usual ballet clothes, under your street clothes)...." A quick Googling of 'underchange' gives few hits... Interested to know about the usage of this word.

 

Yaffa

[Ian Macmillan]

Why use 'underchanged' and then the explanation of what it means?  A needless neologism, I suspect - though it may have currency within the hallowed corridors of the RBS.  As to 'assessed out,' I doubt that I've come across it anywhere but here in 'Doing Dance.'  In my earlier RAF days, those who did not make the grade in training were 'chopped.'  I can't say, but in these more PC times perhaps they're 'assessed out' now instead?

[Yaffa]

Well, I'm not usually a fan of PC terms, but can appreciate the use of 'assessed out' in the ballet world and doubt whether it would  be used seriously in the RAF.

 

There's already a traditional term for being asked to leave school: "expelled" - which implies a moral lapse (possibly because school is compulsory, so pupils are not normally thrown out unless they have offended). But the negative moral connotations are not usually relevant in ballet school assessing-out, which is much more common and so often happens following an annual appraisal because of factors that are completely outside the pupil's control (physique changes etc.) at the sensitive time of adolescence.

 

Yaffa

[Anjuli_Bai]

I have never heardf either of those terms used in the USA.  We would probably say "not renewed" or "not invited back," or "will not be continuing" or something to that effect.  

 

As for clothes: probably something like this: "there is no room to change clothes, so come dressed to dance."  It would be assumed the student would think to wear something over the dance clothes.  

 

The terms I find both amusing and confusing (or in need of explanation to the uninitiated) are:  

 

A teacher gives  a class

 

A student takes a class

 

A choreographer takes a rehearsal

 

A dancer had a rehearsal  (Where were you?  I had a rehearsal.) or was in rehearsal.

 

When I was both dancing and teaching, my non-dance friends had difficulty understanding the difference when I said:  "I took a class at 10 this morning, then I gave two classes and took a rehearsal at 5p.m. and was in rehearsal at 7 p.m."

 

[Yaffa]

I have never heardf either of those terms used in the USA.  We would probably say "not renewed" or "not invited back," or "will not be continuing" or something to that effect.  

 

 

Does anyone know why only the graduate year of RBS is said to be 'by invitation only' when the School decides which pupils in every year can and can't continue? Would the term 'assessed out' still be used for someone who didn't make it from 2nd to 3rd year at Upper School? And if a pupil was not allowed to progress to the next year because he/she had committed an offense - would the term 'assessed out' still be used?

 

Yaffa

[Melody]

I doubt it, because the pupil wouldn't be leaving as a result of an assessment.

[Pas de Quatre]

I think every walk of life has its own specilised vocabulary. So it's not surprising if ballet does too

[Yaffa]

Just spoke with two dancers from the US and one from London. None had ever heard of 'underchanged." But they have all heard of "assessed out" being used in UK (though not American) vocational schools.. and of the small possibility for pupils in those schools to be "assessed (back) in"

 

Yaffa.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My little nephews friend has just been "dropped" from a local Premier League clubs Academy. A harsh term as he is only. 7 years old. A

[invisiblecircus]

Street clothes/ shoes!

 

I'd never heard the word "underchanged" before. If I heard it out of context I might have thought it was the same as shortchanged!

[Yaffa]

Street clothes/ shoes!

 

Actually I've also heard this quite a bit outside ballet circles, though mostly outside England and from older expats: hotel staff, police etc. who wear a uniform for their work and are constantly waiting to change back to "street clothes." I vaguely recall hearing it from a girl in London after her gym class, but might be mistaken.  

 

Yaffa

[2dancersmum]

DD has been to many a workshop/audition etc where she has been asked to have ballet attire under her normal clothing but never seen the phrase 'underchanged'  apart from RBS.

[Fonty]

I have never heard the word "underchanged" either.  Where on earth did that come from?  I agree, that the first thing that springs to mind is short changed!

 

As an ex-pupil of a vocational school, and with many friends and friends' children who also went, the term "assessed out" seems to be relatively recent.  In my day, you were simply told you were leaving. 

[Yaffa]

I've often heard of girls being told to come class 'with their hair (already) up.' 

 

One teacher said her pupils must be 'warmed up and bunned up' 5 minutes before class.

 

Yaffa

[Harwel]

When I was a ballet student over 30 years ago, the phrase my friends and I used was 'chucked out'! Harsh but true. I always have a wry smile to myself when I hear people talking about 'assessed out'. I sounds more friendly but still devastating.

[loveclassics]

When I was a ballet student over 30 years ago, the phrase my friends and I used was 'chucked out'! Harsh but true. I always have a wry smile to myself when I hear people talking about 'assessed out'. I sounds more friendly but still devastating.

I often hear the phrase 'you didn't make the cut' when watching US TV programmes.  A nicer alternative  is 'they went another way' usually in the context of auditions.

 

Linda

[Dance*is*life]

Underchanged - what is that?????  Wierd!  About assessed out -  it's all these politically correct phrases or whatever they call them - like saying sorry you were unsuccessful, rather than you failed! 

Edited October 12, 2014 by Dance*is*life