Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Just reflecting on how lucky we are in our country. My daughter and all of her friends are now in the process of searching for professional work with dance companies. Up to now I really have to compliment the professionalism of Ballet UK and auditions for Anala. Their auditions are in the form of a workshop, so run for a few hours free of charge. For Anala audition today, just to experience what this company is about must wonderful and exciting. Vienna festival ballet were in London, again the dancers were treated so well during their audition, no rudeness and free of charge. There are some American ballet companies coming to London but you have to pay if they invite you to their audition. I'm sure there are different experiences out there, and my daughter has got a massive journey ahead of her in just securing a job in her field of dance. But I have to say I'm very impressed in the way these companies have treated these young students. We are also lucky regarding the amount of excellent quality summer schools up and down the country available to our dancers. They're not cheap but there are scholarships available at some. So my point for the morning is how lucky are we to have all of this in our country. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Well, at least the American companies are coming to the UK to audition. Going to the US to audition must be a very expensive business. Good luck to your daughter for her auditions, Tulip. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Yes that is another good point aileen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Good luck to your daughter Tulip,Hoping that you will keep us all posted with her news x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Yes that is another good point aileen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thankyou but the fact she got an audition I'm pleased with. I don't expect her to get Inala as I think that is strongly contempory and there are so many out there where that is forte. When I googled who Inala where, I just thought that to have an experience of a workshop with this company would be amazing. I will find out later how it all went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Wishing her loads of luck today and with the rest of her auditions x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 And the same for your daughter Lildancer96, they may even end up at the same auditions. What's lovely is the fact that they all know each other from SS etc, and they are all lovely and supportive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Just been laughing with my daughter. She has just come out of her Inala audition and she said she has never been outside her comfort zone so much. The ballet class was brilliant, but she found the African dancing part totally unfamiliar. She laughed saying she couldn't dance African. They have kept a few dancers back who my daughter said were brilliant. So all in all she has had a really good audition experience and has come out laughing. I didn't know much about Inala until I saw them on Google. They look like a really exciting company, I'd love to go and see them at some point. Has anyone else seen this company? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 (edited) They performed at Sadler's Wells last Autumn, along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and I believe that they are performing at the Wells again in a few months time. Edited February 1, 2015 by aileen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastel Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Yes, the opportunities here are amazing! Good luck to your dd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottokeepworking Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Tulip, what a wonderful posting and I am so pleased that your daughter has had wonderful experiences. Word of warning about American auditions free, paid, open or by invitation. Unless you have the right to work there then it is extremely difficult to get a visa. You have to prove that you are world class by loads of press cuttings, winning international competitions etc. A particular well known American company came to london a few years ago, many RBS students applied and were invited but after the first hour were sent away unless they had a visa! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thankyou GTKW. It's brilliant to get advice from mums who have kids who are now in professional companies. DD is really getting as much experience from auditions as she can. Learning the ropes so to speak. Are the rules when invited to company class, eg where to stand at the Barr, centre work, when to take your turn etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 The very best of luck with your DD`s auditions,Tulip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thankyou thequays. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 DD saw Inala with her school before Christmas and said they were fantastic. I think they are back at Saddlers Wells early summer. She would have liked to audition there - for the experience - but she is not starting the audition process until Easter as she has the graduate showcase tour and performances of La Bayadere this month and next. It is such an exciting and daunting time for them (and expensive). Good luck to all our DC trying to get their first professional contract. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Another thing that we are so lucky to have in our country now is dance medicine under our good old NHS. My daughter had an appointment in the London site for a hip flexor injury, she didn't have to wait long for an appointment and her check up was thorough. Sometimes we really do need to stop and look at all the fantastic things that is on offer to us in the UK. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottokeepworking Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thankyou GTKW. It's brilliant to get advice from mums who have kids who are now in professional companies. DD is really getting as much experience from auditions as she can. Learning the ropes so to speak. Are the rules when invited to company class, eg where to stand at the Barr, centre work, when to take your turn etc. I am lead to believe that in company class the Barre is the tricky one as everyone has their own special place and woe betide anyone who takes it (even other company members) so it is best to wait and slot in. Obviously you want to be seen so positioning yourself at the back in centre work isn't a good idea. Wait until a couple of groups have gone, just so you know what to do and if in doubt do it and go again. I will ask DS if he has any additional advise and get back to you via a PM. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thank you so much GTKW, appreciate the advice. The company class is tomorrow and again if nothing else, just good experience for later on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottokeepworking Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Good luck to your DD today in company class and any other auditions. Keep smiling! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double trouble Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Tulip best of luck to your daughter hope she enjoys it and good luck to all who will be looking for dance jobs this yr x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabitha Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Tulip, just resurrecting this post to ask how your DD and friends got on with their auditions last year and what they are doing now? Hope it all worked out well in the end. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hi Tabitha, my daughter is with Northern Ballet professional programme, which she is really enjoying. She was offered a place at a small ballet company, but the pay was so small, that you couldn't afford to live in London and pay rent. The training is very high standard and excellent for keeping her at her best whilst auditioning. Auditions start again soon. Graduates are listed on Centralschoolofballet website saying where students have gone, however graduate lists change as student gain employment after the list has been printed and like wise contracts end, leaving students unemployed again. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabitha Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Oh so pleased she found a place that she is happy with. I wish her the best of luck again this year with everything. It is a shame that there are a lot of jobs out there in smaller companies, both in this country and in Europe but as you say, paying barely enough to live on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 The best of luck to your daughter Tulip,and the other children of posters on this Forum who are currently in Graduate programmes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 A lot of companies are asking for dancers with three years experience after graduation. It is difficult out there. My daughter got to dance in the Nutcracker at Northern company and now the graduates are learning swans for swan lake, which can all be added to a CV. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 It looks like a lovely program and I hope she gets something she wants at the end of it. Lovely experience to work with the company too. Aren't northern holding open auditions in Feb? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Tulip, we had noticed the two or three years experience required by some companies before they will consider you for audition and also with some the minimum age of 20. It is a worry. Would you be happy to share details about the Northern Graduate scheme? For example numbers in class, ratio of boys to girls and opportunities to do PDD, hours of teaching and styles? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Here is the link to NBA's web page for the professional programme: http://northernballet.com/professional-graduate-programme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hi-jacking this thread, Royal Ballet of Flanders (a couple of British dancers are currently dancing with them) are auditioning now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 There is a Facebook page called starboard performers, which I have never seen advertised anywhere. It just happened to come up on my daughter little dance school private page. So there you go, some opportunities don't get seen on all these other websites. Starboard seems to be an agent for mostly cruise ships, I haven't heard of them before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Starboard performers is an agent and and in fact she does attend quite a lot of the graduate showcases and end of year productions for quite a few more northern based performing arts colleges. She does recruit for cruise ships and does in fact post vacancies on sites like Talent Cast and Ents Web. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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