Tring or Central?

[thewayforward]

My DD wishes to apply for 6th form at both Tring and Central. Can anyone tell me which of these has a better reputation for classical training? 

[Twiggy]

For classical I'd say central and for all round training Tring x

[tutugirl]

Don't under estimate Tring for classical - it also offers a great choice of A levels .

[Nana Lily]

If you are looking for classical then why not consider ENBS and Elmhurst? Most children don't have the fortunate position of chiding? It depends on where you are offered.

[Lifeafterballet]

Tring has accommodation and houseparents ! Central worried me for a 16 year old ! Central London on their own ! Maybe at 17 or 18 ! But not for us now !

[Jan McNulty]

There's a good article about Tring in the October 2014 Dancing Times.

[Harwel]

2 classical graduates of Tring this year have jobs with Scottish ballet. Ex students can be found in BRB, ENB Matthew Bourne, Dans theatre Nederlands.... And the list goes on. They have students enter the Adeline Genee every year plus the Molly Lake awards and the checcetti awards. People seem to think that they are more musical theatre but that is because they are excellent at that too. They have 4 seperate courses at 6th form: classical ballet, which splits after first year so you either specialise in classical or jazz and contemporary, musical theatre, drama and commercial music. If you have the ability and the determination, they can train you. The most important thing is to go to as many as possible and decide which school fits your personality.

 

The crucial thing for me is that they have great A'level options which are built into their day, not tagged on the end of an exhausting day. They also have great pastoral care.

[Twiggy]

The idea of not having to do alevel classes after dance definitely appeals.The molly lake competitors from tring danced beautifully maybe tring deserves a huge boost to its classical reputation! Both are good schools but like was said before its where the dancer feels the best xx

[Nana Lily]

Or has been mentioned above, where the dancer is lucky enough to be offered a place at 6th form vocational school and additionally as is mentioned on another thread where the family can afford the funding depending on the scholarship system the schools are using.

[DancerMiax]

Some of my friends goes to central and one is now in 3rd year and two have just started in September and they all love it. I think the fact you are on there own gives them great independence and prepares them for real life. I think central is more classical but they are also very good at contemporary. I think Tring is better if you like performing arts and all rounded dancers

Edited October 30, 2014 by DancerMiax

[JulieW]

The trouble now with ENBS and Elmhurst Nanalily, is the funding.

 

Good points made about both Central and Tring - most depending on your viewpoint - eg for us: A levels - we weren't worried about at the time as although we've always been realists the dance training was the most important; living in London at 16 - more important to us and a big reason why we turned down ENBS. And the "feel" is very personal too. The teaching's good at both :-)

 

And as NL says, not many people end up in the fortunate position of having a choice of offers so my advice is to apply to anywhere you would like to go (and could afford), arm yourselves with as much info as possible in case you do get a choice and then see what happens.

 

Good luck.

[yetanotherdancemum]

Something that may be worth considering is that students end up with a BA hons degree at the end of their three years at Central 

[Miracle]

Do Central offer a audition to all that apply? As they only have 2 dates for London. X

[Nana Lily]

Tring is also DADA funding.

[Harwel]

A question I have often asked myself, and I really don't know the answer is: if you can no longer dance and only want to dance, so end up leaving the dance world to pursue something else entirely, is a dance degree valued highly with employers? I know all about the work ethic and commitment and determination demonstrated by dancers in training, which make a person highly employable but I also know a lot of 'regular' people struggle to see the value in dance.

 

It's all very different to when I was training, no dance degree courses existed and when I had to stop I went back to university to get a law degree (first I had to sit A'levels in my early 20's). Is a dance degree considered strongly enough to get you into further training for an alternative career? If you then have to do a further degree, you have used up your degree funding! Yet, if it's the only way you can fund your dance training, as DaDa's are not available to you due to financial thresholds, then that's what you must do to follow your dream.

 

Oh good grief - it's all so difficult, and I wonder if I just end up over thinking the whole thing. life is full of ups and downes, twists and turns. All you can really do is follow your dreams, take the opportunities that come your way and go where it leads.

[Harwel]

I believe Tring also offer some MDS awards at 16. But, I don't know whether that is for existing students only or whether open to new 16 year olds. Probably very hard to get at 16, as will want to open up more opportunities to the junior and middle school ages.

[Lisa O`Brien]

A question I have often asked myself, and I really don't know the answer is: if you can no longer dance and only want to dance, so end up leaving the dance world to pursue something else entirely, is a dance degree valued highly with employers? I know all about the work ethic and commitment and determination demonstrated by dancers in training, which make a person highly employable but I also know a lot of 'regular' people struggle to see the value in dance.

 

It's all very different to when I was training, no dance degree courses existed and when I had to stop I went back to university to get a law degree (first I had to sit A'levels in my early 20's). Is a dance degree considered strongly enough to get you into further training for an alternative career? If you then have to do a further degree, you have used up your degree funding! Yet, if it's the only way you can fund your dance training, as DaDa's are not available to you due to financial thresholds, then that's what you must do to follow your dream.

 

Oh good grief - it's all so difficult, and I wonder if I just end up over thinking the whole thing. life is full of ups and downes, twists and turns. All you can really do is follow your dreams, take the opportunities that come your way and go where it leads.

I would say,a Degree is a Degree at the end of the day. Yes, for any career you have to have additional qualifications. For example to become a teacher you would need to do a PGCE ; a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. To become a Social Worker you would need to do an MA in Social Work.The same for Engineering or pretty much any other degree level career. The only downside to this is that as far as I can tell, for the Master`s degrees usually only about 20 places on a course are offered in any one university so competition is absolutely fierce.

[pas de chat]

I would cast your net wide as the places are so highly sought after in all schools at this level. You may have to go with what you are offered and it will no doubt turn out for the best!  Best of luck

[kiwimum]

I really wish that Tring would sort out its marketing... It's a real bug-bear of mine that so many people think the dancers are all musical theatre just because there is a separate musical theatre course in the school.

My eldest son was more jazz so he finished Tring in the commercial/ jazz set... Tho of course, he still studied ballet as the foundations of dance are strongly rooted there.

My older dd and younger ds are classical and . While they do have a jazz class/ contemporary class... The rest of their dance training has been classical with some very strong teachers.

When students are employed, they can complete a few modules with a university and obtain a BA Hons by converting their level6 diploma. The paperwork just came through for my ds this week.

There are some very strong classical dancers in the classical sets. Dada funding is a problem now for so many people, especially if have multiple children training, so more may move across to degree funded courses

[Anna C]

I agree, kiwimum. The difficulty for me has always been trying to find comprehensive information, all in one place, about graduate employment for Tring's classical grads. I know graduate employment isn't the be-all and end-all but for students whose ultimate aim is a contract in a classical company, it is so useful to be able to look at a website and see where the grads from each year have gone. On some schools' websites this info is easy to find. Others - not so much. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right place but on Tring's website, all the graduate info seems to be jumbled up on one page.

[Jazzpaws]

DD was offered places at Tring and Central, but chose Central and is loving every moment. Yes, I was very worried about her living in London at 16, but she is at Student Castle which is very secure, plus they all travel around together (free bus travel once the oyster card is sorted)

Apply to as many as possible, she may find she likes one that isn't her first choice

Good luck !

[Lildancer96]

Whether you are in receipt of dada funding or not is surely a big consideration. I know students who chose other schools with student finance as it was the only viable financial option.

[Pas de Quatre]

It can be difficult to follow the path of Tring's dance course graduates, as although some go straight into employment, many go on to further dance training - often a degree based course as they are entitled to Student finance.

[2dancersmum]

I'm not entirely sure the entitlement to student finance is accurate.  Last year I took a friends DD to a couple of auditions after my friend was unexpectedly admitted to hospital and at one of the Q&A sessions (not sure which school but definitely DADA funded) a parent asked about going onto a degree course afterwards and was told that a DADA was a form of government funding/student finance and a student would not be entitled to any further funding and furthermore that a level 6 diploma was higher education and that student finance was in any case only available for your first higher education qualification.  DDs friend went onto further dance training this year - a degree with student finance - she did not get a DADA but had got her level 6 diploma in Dance so it does make me wonder if it is another of those grey areas where sometimes you might be ok but other times not.

[Pas de Quatre]

This can't be so, many dancers who have benefited from DaDa funding have (for whatever reason) stopped dancing and gone on to study at normal universities with normal student funding.

[Moneypenny]

That does seem odd as a Dada is in effect a government funded means tested form of scholarship which doesn't have to be paid back whereas a student loan is just that, a loan which has to be paid back. They are completely different.

[Janice]

I think what 2dancersmum said might be right. I have recently started studying for a degree and when appling for finance was told that you generally qualify for finance if you have not already got a higher education qualification, even if It was self funded. There are exceptions for what you are studing such as doctor or teacher.

[Pas de Quatre]

If this is so, then it means those who had a DaDa and left straight after A-levels can have student funding, but those who stay on for the 3rd year for the Trinity Diploma can't!

[2dancersmum]

I was surprised to be told this at the audition too but they were quite adamant that as far as the government is concerned a DADA is government money to assist with a higher education qualification and that that is taken into account when applying for student finance.  I don't know if this is a change since the loans system changed in 2012 or since the new means tested DADA was introduced but it does state quite clearly on the student finance website :

"You’ve studied before

 

Generally, you’ll only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification. This is true even if your previous course was self-funded.

 

However, you may still get limited funding if, for example:

you change course

you leave your course but decide to start again

you’re ‘topping up’ a higher education qualification, eg you’ve finished an HNC, HND or Foundation Degree and now want to do an honours degree"

 

On that basis I would draw the same conclusion as Pas de Quatre. However, as I said above, DDs friend has just started on a BA Honours course with student finance despite having already done a 3 year level 6 Trinity diploma so who knows how they judge these things?

[gottokeepworking]

Do Central offer a audition to all that apply? As they only have 2 dates for London. X

It's a few years since my DS auditioned but it was certainly the case of you pay your money, you get an audition. Therefore everyone would be offered an audition. Dont think things have changed.

[thewayforward]

Thank you everyone for all the info, definitely food for thought.