hfbrew

Where do you get 300 graduates from if you are only talking about Ballet Schools? There are only a handful of schools that are specifically only training for Ballet at the top level. At graduate level there are usually only no more than a dozen or so left, where ds trained it was fewer than 10. Its still tough getting a job though! Even getting into RBS does not guarantee work and even fewer schools wont change this fact. And fewer pure Ballet schools would make it even harder for our most talented students to be trained properly because of the funding issues. Its hard enough as it is trying to get Government folks to recognise that studying Btec dance at a local college is no where near close to providing adequate professional training. Obviously if you include graduates from all the universities and the schools more geared to musical theatre then yes the numbers are a lot but these students will not be looking to get into Ballet companies. And as has already been discussed, there are many more career avenues available these days than either teach or dance.

I so agree with you Fiz. I have met far too many adults who have regretted not being allowed to at least try and see if their dancing could lead anywhere having been encouraged to take a more "sensible" path. Good luck to your daughter, she possibly has chosen an even more precarious route! And just for the record I actually only know of one dancer who wishes perhaps she had done somthing different!

Most of my ds year who are British trained dancers (and Im talking in terms of actual age not 1 individual institution) are now professional dancers. Most are dancing in British companies including BRB, RBS and Northern. A few are abroad and in my view that is no less an achievement, how fantastic that British talent is wanted and needed overseas. I do agree though that ENBs name is a bit of a misnomer but this has all been discussed before as has the merits of British training. But this is going off topic anyway. The fact is that there are more dancers than jobs but not enough realistic funding for many students who have real potential. But I would hate to see opportunities curtailed for those who have a burning desire to dance but who are not deemed suitable for some of the "best" or "big" schools. Having said that all dance students, wherever they are training, need to be aware that there are absolutely no guarantees of successful progression into a dance company. Thankfully these days a lot of courses reflect the need for dancers to be versatile and be aware of other career paths. I wouldnt want to stop anyone from following their dreams whatever they are. But within reason, and I do think far too many people are misled into thinking that years of training and the related costs will lead ultimately to a dream job. And for those that do make it, well very often they quickly find that its all work and no play. Perhaps another topic is that if young professional dancers had known how hard it is, would they turn the clock back and do something different?

And another principal, one of my favourites trained at WL from a young age!

The Greek Dance Faculty page on the ISTD website might help you learn more. Good luck.

[quote name="alison" I was keeping more of an eye on hfbrew's lads (mainly because they happened to be in front of me) than I was for the actual main characters I hope that they were behaving themselves!

I am gutted I cant go especially as I have 3 very young students in the cast who have become, overnight, seasoned young opinionated Ballet fans! "Tamara dies beautifully but I prefer Alina's first act"...they had barely even heard of ENB before. So please folks keep posting and when you next go, keep a special eye out for my lads!

Swanprincess you have wisdom beyond your years. Very special. Dont ever lose it. X

Dear CharlieChuck Welcome to the forum. I do hope someone on here will be able to suggest something. Please dont give up though even if it means going back to practising at home until something turns up. And you have ballet.co now for company and there are lots of lovely people on here especially our hard working moderators. Good luck!

Thank you so much everyone. I will forward all of this information, so useful. Knew I could rely on Ballet.co!

Brilliant. Thank you so much. Jean Butterworth is a well known school so will definately suggest that. I dont think travelling would be too much of an issue as they do that already!

I have a very talented boy moving to Hove. Obviously we have already researched schools but I would be keen to receive any recommendations for a good, pro active school that will encourage a young boy currently working at RAD grade 2 level.

I also agree with Tulip that some more careful monitoring of those who are awarded grants would be useful. Ive also known a small minority of students take their funding for granted and were guilty of persistently unpleasant behaviour. Heartbreaking to witness. And Nana Lily I do realise you didnt actually say "The Big Four" but you did refer to second best students. And I wasnt just talking about Ballet , when I said students of mine had got into vocational schools I meant just that, that is vocational schools of all genres. I do think that the DaDa system is unfair for a lot of people and that it should have a far more reasonable sliding scale. The MDS is far more realistic. However funding issue have been thoroughly discussed on other topics. The Quays makes very good points about the Btecs in performing dance and I agree that they can give students unrealistic expectations as I also agree with Nana Lily that any organisations with particularly poor graduate success should have funding reviewed. So in this respect then yes there are too many training to be dancers with unrealistic expectations. However I think we are all agree that our dcs deserve the chance to follow their dreams whatever they are and that hard working dance students generally become employable, successful people in all walks of life.

I have had many students go on to vocational training. And I dare say they are what Nana Lily is calling second best because they are not all at the "Big four". They would be very upset at the inference that they are wasting public money. As would be the institutions who are equipping these young students to be very employable young people. Some of my ex students became dancers,one an editor of a well known dance magazine others transferred their skills and were/are very successful in other walks of life. They trained at the places best suited to them and are now independant members of society. And in employment! I thought Aileens question about transition into non dance areas good. Afterall what happens if a talented dancer is injured? I had an RBS student in this position who easily got into University despite not necessarily having all the A levels required. And this is by no means unusual. I know ex vocational dance students at Oxbridge too. Having been in serious vocational training made them desirable candidates.

Many students who start full time training "late" do go on to have careers though and are possibly better prepared due to that extra couple of years maturity. And if they have already got A levels they may have also thought of back up plans. If 16 was cut off point then we would lose many good dancers. I know of "late" starters at vocational schools who got classical jobs. And I have two 18 year olds embarking on full time training in September. They know the odds and already favour contemporary knowing that they are not classically orientated ( despite their awesome fouttes en pointe!) And I didnt start full time til 18. Nureyev was a late starter too as was the great Paula Hinton (admittedly Im going back years now!) There have always been more dancers than jobs. However I would argue that there are so many more opportunities now for students to have a dance based career. Once upon a time if you werent lucky enough to get a contract you either taught or just did something different. There are so many more neo classical and contemporary companies now and also opportunities for dance notaters, archivists, writers, promotors, dance therapists etc I do think though that students should be prepared to broaden their horizons as these days purely classical companies hardly exist.

I really dont understand teachers who dont allow students to do associate schemes or summer schools. Being able to recognise what a student needs is, to my mind, part of being a good teacher and Id rather recommend other good teachers if a students needs are not being fully met than risk them going "in secret" to a school whose methods may be counter productive to a particular student.

Congratulations to your ds ZooZoo, I hope he will be as happy as mine was. Be warned though, that conveyor belt will shortly become a 5 star roller coaster....!

Our lovely, dignified D Day veterans.

Its a shame its not on Sadlers Wells website. Ive never seen the company and sadly cant go either tomorrow or Wednesday as I know that they have very good dancers. My ds saw their Carmen whilst in Ireland and loved both the production and the performance. I do hope its well supported.

Actually think you are right although I am not sure about Elmhurst. I should subsitute the word "most" with "some" in my previous post!

If a short piece was to precede Giselle that I wasnt fussed about Id have more time to get there after work!

There are many vocational students not in full time training. At the schools I teach at the serious students who are doing the vocational grades are referred to as vocational. We have a very good success rate! But I agree, with most full time schools no longer entering for the RAD exams, there will be a big drop in numbers.

He he, I did that once. Was so relieved "only" to win silver so I didnt have to repeat an admittedly good improvisation. Basically the dance was called "how I do my homework" and the only choreographed bit was the throwing away of my maths book at the beginning....

David Brewer Prince Jess Hill Mermaid Claire Corruble Witch Ines Ferreira Princess Hope you enjoy it, am jealous because when I saw this particular cast I felt it the best of the run that Id seen. Ds has relatives going who have never seen Ballet before!

Am excited because thanks to ds four people I know are getting their first taste of Ballet tonight when they see Btuk's The Little Mermaid. They are going because they are relations but you never know, they might get the Ballet bug!