Balletsister Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 My dd has been doing festivals for a few years and always enjoyed them. I realise that losing with good grace is a life skill but what to do when your dd doesn't place anywhere but dances her heart out. She came off stage with the biggest grin and gave me the biggest hug but by adjudication her best effort to smile through it was truely tested. She is still quite young and had success in the past but as the age range goes up the standard seems to have shot up particularly in ballet. She gets high 80's in exams but low 80's at festivals this week despite lots of preparation and hard work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzpaws Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Doing well in festivals doesn't really have much bearing on whether a child will go on to vocational school or a career in dance. If the fun goes out of it, then it;s time to stop. What about trying groups instead as they can be so much fun, or doing ballet awards through RAD, ISTD etc. For performance opportunities, she could always audition for EYB or join a local amateur ballet company if you are lucky enough to have one in your area.The most important thing is that she enjoys it . 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletsister Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Thankyou jazzpaws. I think it is the solo element that is much more tricky as there's no one to share the highs and lows with. She has qualified for regional finals with a quartet which she has had fun with. The experiences she has had with EYB and similar are what memories are made of so let's hope for more opportunites like that in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I have had some of my best and worst parenting moments at festivals and know exactly where you are coming from. dd has never been overly successful at festivals but has had good times. Learning to deal with disappointment at festivals is hard. I know she always prepares thoroughly and gives 100% and it can be extremely hard as a parent to see her disappointment. I agree with Jazzpaws that festivals should be fun - they give great performance opportunities but beyond that are not overly important in the bigger picture. When my dd gets upset when she doesn't do as well as she hopes I do lay down the bottom line - we are here to have fun or we won't continue. She always decides she really wants to be there whatever the result. But if that changes I would stop immediately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Try not to take festivals too seriously. If your child has done the best she can then that is to be celebrated. Who the judges choose as medal winners are their choice on the day for various reasons, it does not always mean they are better dancers. Festivals in my opinion are a time to enjoy watching your child perform on stage. If they get a medal then great but far more important is that they enjoy the experience. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletsister Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Nerves used to get the better of me and I would watch from the wings when she was little but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching her dance today (in the audience with my fingers and legs crossed!) and I know she danced her socks off. That memory will be with me always and I will treasure it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandsfoot Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have also had highs and lows at festivals, it is lovely when they get a medal but I always keep in mind it is a "festival of dance" and I just love to watch all the children from the tiny tots who are so cute to the young adults who would not disgrace a West end stage. Sometimes winning can also be a double edged sword as well, it can be just as disappointing to see your friends lose and I have found that some other parents (not their children) are not always so gracious in defeat. I would agree that groups are great fun and you get to share the glory or the disappointment which does help. I am always pleased if they have done their best, remembered their dance (not always the case!) and enjoyed the experience but it can be nerve wracking as a parent. As one adjudicator said - It is personal choice at the end of the day. I think all the children should be congratulated on having the guts to get up on the stage, I am not sure I would have done. Good luck to your dd, you are right that watching them is a memory to treasure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 We are just doing our first festival now and so far none of our dances have placed or even qualified! It's been a bit tough for some people. The numbers in categories seems pretty big at around 25-27 and I read somewhere that a festival at tunbridge wells had 47 in a category. With all that in mind it must be tough for adjudicators. I've tried to get time for my dd to watch as much of other categories as possible so she can see how difficult and close some of the dances are. Hopefully the comments on the adjudicators sheets help to understand decisions a bit more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have been watching a festival this week, supporting a friend of DS - so much more relaxing with DS not actually dancing! And the sections in some age ranges are huge, as are the ranges of ages and development stages within one small section. You can really tell the children who are loving the whole experience and those that aren't. I always wonder why some parents let their children on stage when they are clearly terrified. As for placing, well what a difficult job and how subjective. One adjudicators opinion is all it comes down to. Sometimes you listen to them sum up and it makes sense, other times you wonder whether you have been in the same room! The decisions at that moment, only reflect that very dance, in that very short space of time. There is no account taken of potential or development. It is a kind of right of passage that you work your way up to a place in an age range, then when you move ages you start again. Obviously, there are always a few that seem to make the transition without skipping a heart beat! Some of the 'dance mums' children have been dancing at the festival I have been watching this week - very interesting!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Its been quite a few years since we did festivals including All England. I used to find that the same children were placed in the first four 90% of the time year after year. Fortunately my dd was one of them. These kids were good dancers but so were others and I felt that it was the childs reputation that grabbed the adjudicators interest which maybe caused them to look closer. As I have said above, that these dancers were good, but I did feel uncomfortable at times but if I am honest glad when my dd got her medals. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I agree 100% that festivals should be fun and that if she isn't enjoying it then there is no need to continue. However, I would think hard before making the decision. Is she really not enjoying it or is this a "blip"? How would she feels when the next one comes around if she wasn't dancing? My DD is pretty pragmatic but when she was younger she had some disappointing festivals that did upset her but whenever I suggested that she didn't have to do it she would always insist that she wanted to continue. She has always loved the social aspect and when she was little the buzz of getting dressed up to perform on stage. These days it's as much about supporting the little ones that she helps teach as her own performances. When we look back,it's not the festivals where she came home laden with "pots and pennies" that stick in our minds, but the ones that were most fun. Often in fact where disaster of some kind struck, or where the adjudicator had some strange habit. If you are building those kind of happy memories despite the disappointments along the road then I would stick with it, but if it really is becoming a miserable ordeal then it's time to walk away and find something that is a better fit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecatsmother Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I think there is another factor here in that it is often the case that the dancers who have the long legged mobile physique can often take much longer to strengthen so this is something that parents of such DC should take into account. It's important that they do not become discouraged by shorter more powerful physiques who can often do more at a younger age but will also peak earlier than a long limbed physique. I think it's important to discuss this with dancers in order for festivals to be kept in perspective. They are only a 2/2.5 min snapshot of that dancer on that day and is a population v removed from vocational students etc some of whom will never have done a dance festival. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 My dd will be pleased to hear that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Another big plus about festivals is that many friendships are made amongst the dancers from all the different schools. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletsister Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Thankyou all for taking time to reply, your comments have been really helpful. My dd is resilient and after the initial disappointment wants to steam ahead with awards and next festival. Happy days! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Good for her - hope her luck changes - and hope you manage to stay sane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Performing on a stage before an audience is very different from dancing an exam before the examiner. You can impress with your musicality and expressiveness close up, but it may not be enough to carry across the stage to a large audience. Hence the discrepency in the marking. Performing on stage in festivals gave me so much towards my professional career. It's true that I have a box full of medals somewhere, but it really wasn't the chance of a medal that pulled me - it was getting up on that stage before an ausience. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Yay she got her first medal today .. 3rd place but extremely happy ... Just thought I'd share that with you all haha 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Great, very exciting, well done to your dd. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I personally think festivals are ok, I've been a few times to watch this week, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's great to see them warming up, and generally enjoying the occasion with their friends. Our DD has had a very successful week, and of course we get pleasure from that, but it's also very pleasing and sometimes a little touching, to see the real tryers of the dance world, who always give it their all, but never seem to impress the adjudicator enough for them to get a place. Like has been said, I wouldn't get carried away by being successful at these events, but there's absolutely nothing wrong at all to enjoy performing for an audience, and to hear your number being called out. Just a little off topic, but the dance journey for everyone does take a massive amount of commitment. After all the hours spent at the festival this week, today our DD travels 100 miles for MA's, then on to Manchester for the IDTA awards tonight as she has been nominated. (not sure what that means) It's then travel back on Sunday, in time for another class. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Anyone at Tilehurst this afternoon\evening? My dancers have all left home now but a friend and I are going to watch and support old dance school. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Will be there for the Senior B section and DD also there for Senior A. (Can't make that as working today!) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzysue Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My Dd has been doing festivals for years and has a very philosophical attitude. You win some, you lose some. As long as she's done her best and enjoyed herself. Adjudicators often seem to have favourite dancers and definitely favourite styles or choreography. Next time could be completely different. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Yes we find that. DD sometimes has quite a run without placings or being qualified, and then sometimes has a better time. Adjudicators certainly vary in their tastes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My Dd has been doing festivals for years and has a very philosophical attitude. You win some, you lose some. As long as she's done her best and enjoyed herself. Adjudicators often seem to have favourite dancers and definitely favourite styles or choreography. Next time could be completely different. Yes, this is definitely true. I find I quite often can predict reasonably accurately how DD will do before she has even danced. Watching a few other sections often gives an idea of what a particular adjudicator likes and dislikes, and sometimes i know that even if she dances perfectly she won't be placed in a certain section as the adjudicator clearly has strong likes and dislikes about style. It's inevitable really. I have occasionally heard an adjudicator say that he or she is placing a dance that they didn't actually like but which was very well executed, but more often than not they are quite honest that they are going with their personal choice. I have seen dances unplaced at one festival and awarded Dance of the Festival at the next,so it really is best to learn what you can from the comments but not take them to heart too much. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 We have been at Tilehurst today, fabulous group sections! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 It was great to see so many groups as it's a bit frustrating to have only one or two in a section, but I'm still not sure I like the different genres being judged against eachother. It can be done well if as adjudicator "just" chooses her favourite three for placings and then qualifies others too, but I really felt that there were groups who should definitely have been given qualifying marks but seemingly weren't. But there you go, that's festivals. Also, as an aside, adjudicators and choreographers seem to have varying ideas of what constitutes "contemporary" dance - I suppose that's the nature of the genre but there are guidelines on the AED website. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I agree Julie, the marking at that festival was very low and completely inconsistent with previous festivals we've been to in the last year. I also agree that different genres should not compete against each other, this happened in duets and trios too. Some adjudicators also have no idea what the difference between Lyrical and Contemporary either. I think All England should be publishing clear definitions to both adjudicators and dance teachers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Sorry JulieW just re-read your post saying there are guidelines on the AED website, what a shame the AED adjudicators are not reading them! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 There also seems to be mixed opinion amongs adjudicators as to what constitutes modern ballet. I have heard 2 very different explanations by adjudicators, both who said they did not really feel they were seeing what they expected in a modern ballet section and proceeded to explain what they wanted to see. Official guidance, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 So pleased to read the comments about contemporary versus lyrical Juliew and loulabelle as that was exactly the impression of our dance teachers and some of our mums! The ones that qualified and placed out of the dances we saw were very much on the lyrical or theatrical/lyrical side. And just for fun .. I thought I'd share this video for anyone that hasn't stumbled across "contemporary eric" yet my dd finds this hillarious and was nudging me every time she spotted a move 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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