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RBS Junior Associate (JA) Questions


Alfred71

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On another note, as my DD loved it so much I've been investigating the other options such as LJB and Tring. Does anyone know if you audition in November for Tring and get through, do you start in the January? Are there fewer children auditioning then? Is LJB very difficult to get into? Auditions are in September again as we missed the May ones... Sorry for all the questions!

 

Thanks all, I love this forum, it's a whole new world to me! :-)

 

Yes if they audition in November, for Tring CBA and get offered a place, they start in January. There doesn't seem to be any difference in numbers applying in November as opposed to May. I don't know about LJB sorry.

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Wow Petalviolet you have managed to get so much out of your DD after the audition. We (well obviously not me haha! Can't pass for a 7 year old) were in the same class. My DD loved it, the best part being making up a dance/ (port-de-bras exercise I think?) pretending to be fire. Apart from that, I asked her whether she had done anything else she didn't normally do in ballet and she said 'Well yes Mummy, I don't normally stand with my back to anyone'. !! That was it!

 

Cotes du Rhone that did give me hope, thanks, all we can do is wait. I really hope it's the case that we hear nearer the middle of June than the end, I don't think I can cope with it! Good luck to everyone..

 

On another note, as my DD loved it so much I've been investigating the other options such as LJB and Tring. Does anyone know if you audition in November for Tring and get through, do you start in the January? Are there fewer children auditioning then? Is LJB very difficult to get into? Auditions are in September again as we missed the May ones... Sorry for all the questions!

 

Thanks all, I love this forum, it's a whole new world to me! :-)

Welcome to the forum. :-)

 

There are fewer children auditioning for Tring CBA in November - but then proportionately, there are fewer places still available. So it's swings and roundabouts but it is definitely worth auditioning, even if it's a "no" the first time. I have no experience of LJB but none of the good Associate schemes are easy to get into as they can all afford to be selective. Having said that, it is always worth trying again - my dd didn't get into CBA at 11, but did get into Central Associates at the same age. She auditioned again for CBA a couple of years later and got in. Perserverance often pays off. :-)

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Anna C and Alfred71 do you think it would be an idea to change the title of this thread slightly to add 2015? Just as it seems to be the thread that we've naturally chosen to discuss the actual audition this year and might help subsequent searchers to compare for future reference? What do you think?

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Maybe that's what all the squatting was about.

 

 

NO PV NO!

 

This thread is not to be sullied by your whimsy. I want this thread to be one of the threads Anna C chooses to pin when anyone asks about the RBS.

PV your posts always make me chuckle, but this one really made me laugh. Perfect balletmum !!!

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Anna C and Alfred71 do you think it would be an idea to change the title of this thread slightly to add 2015? Just as it seems to be the thread that we've naturally chosen to discuss the actual audition this year and might help subsequent searchers to compare for future reference? What do you think?

It's a good point but ideally it would be good for the thread to become a sort of FAQ for RBS JAs - not just this year but in future too as having the info all in one place does make it easier to find. :-)

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Do your kids all enjoy stretching? Or do you have to dangle the proverbial carrot?! I always thought it was a bad thing to stretch out the the back of the knee to get more swayback? I always presumed a bit but not too much was ideal (unless you're russian!)

Moomin, I agree - it would have been included in the audition so that the natural range of movement could be assessed, that's all. Doing lots of knee stretches to achieve swaybacks isn't recommended as far as I know. My dd (who was born with them) has always been told to 'pull up' not push back on the knees.

 

Incidentally, swayback knees combined with high arches (both theoretically desirable attributes) will probably mean tight achilles as well (less desirable!).

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PV your posts always make me chuckle, but this one really made me laugh. Perfect balletmum !!!

 

I'm going to treasure this comment! Particularly as I'm the antithesis of perfect ballet mum e.g can someone tell me if it's pronounced R.A.D or RAD all in one go? You'd think that I would have heard it enough by now but I just can't make this bit of ballet go in and stay in.

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Really you should never do stretches at home unless they have been taught to the dancer by her teacher so they are being done correctly. Otherwise you may do more damage than good. Swayback knees often come with tight hamstrings and unless the stretching is properly targeted it will just overstretch the knees and not make any difference to the hamstrings.  It is indeed common in Associate schemes such as JAs for the children to be given homework, but they are carefully taught the exercises during the class first.

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I'm going to treasure this comment! Particularly as I'm the antithesis of perfect ballet mum e.g can someone tell me if it's pronounced R.A.D or RAD all in one go? You'd think that I would have heard it enough by now but I just can't make this bit of ballet go in and stay in.

R - A - D :) And I agree with PdQ about stretches and swaybacks. xx

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Your posts are hilarious Petalviolet, you should start a blog :P I've been sitting (in the splits!) giggling to myself whilst reading this thread- I probably look crazy, laughing for no apparent reason!

In answer to your question, it's R.A.D (as in, you pronounce each letter separately; not 'rad'!)

 

Good luck to everyone waiting on JA results, it is a stressful (but fun!) experience!

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Some of my actual proper questions get lost in my nonsense though - I don't want the thread to get too sidetracked but tight Achilles? How do you know if you have them? Is that something to do with your ankles? Bless you all.

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I think it's the tendon at the back of the ankle??

 

P.S. We only do a set of regular stretches that were given to dd by teacher she has privates with, to assist with tight calves and hamstrings and to increase her turnout.

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Some of my actual proper questions get lost in my nonsense though - I don't want the thread to get too sidetracked but tight Achilles? How do you know if you have them? Is that something to do with your ankles? Bless you all.

Pain and sensation of clicking in heel area. Might be other symptoms I'm unaware of. Becomes apparent with increased amount of dancing.

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A tight Achilles will hinder the depth of a Demi plié- a dancer with a long/stretchy Achilles will get much lower in her demi plié than a dancer with a shorter Achilles.

I don't know if it was included in JA auditions, but certainly in MA, (although this was a few years ago!) we had to stand sideways on to the panel, feet in parallel, and crouch down bending the knees as far as possible without the heels coming off the floor- this was a test (I believe!) to check the flexibility of our Achilles' tendons x

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A tight Achilles will hinder the depth of a Demi plié- a dancer with a long/stretchy Achilles will get much lower in her demi plié than a dancer with a shorter Achilles.

I don't know if it was included in JA auditions, but certainly in MA, (although this was a few years ago!) we had to stand sideways on to the panel, feet in parallel, and crouch down bending the knees as far as possible without the heels coming off the floor- this was a test (I believe!) to check the flexibility of our Achilles' tendons x

I've just tried it out of curiosity. A delicate question..exactly how far are you allowed to stick your derrière out? I know that's not generally acceptable in ballet and technique is everything.. Straight back or crouched over like your life depended on it?

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A flexible Achilles takes a lot of strength to utilise fully but gives a lovely soft landing in allegro and is used to propel you off the floor to get good elevation. Also a factor in preventing ankle injuries. As far as I understand it an Achilles will not stretch, not like a hamstring. You have to keep the calf muscles stretched, so as not to add extra tension in the Achilles. NEVER stretch calfs and achiles prior to exercise as it weakens them.

 

All that is something for when they are a lot older. But schools will be looking for natural range.

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Well, how many of us are now trying this???......It conquers up quite a picture....!! bums in, bums out? I can definitely get lower if bum out & lean fwd but not an elegant look or the JA audition position I suspect!!

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Have just tried that, hurt my ankles and rewarded myself with a lovely sip of wine from glas placed on table - Peanut68are you bonkers, on the floor?! Can't remember the last time I reached that far!

 

Happy to change the title Petalviolet, but I think Anna C may be correct and she handily put a few other JA links in the thread when I first started it, so it would probably be helpful for the future as it is?

 

PLEASE can somebody explain swayback knees? In what position? Am assuming it means they sway back in some way - no flies on me! - but is there anything more technical than this? Lots of you seem rather knowledgeable about it.

 

Re: Achilles. Have just remembered my DD talking about doing lots of Demi plies so perhaps it was part of the JA audition? That's for all your replies re: Tring and LJB by the way, good to hear other people's experiences so we know what to expect.☺️

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