Tulip

I know pictures I'm a bit taken a back. At the end of the day these are children and young adults we are talking about. Teacher are meant to motivate students and are there to develop emotional well being in their students. Just because this is a ballet school, it shouldn't be separated from expectations of normal schools regarding students well being. And I don't believe in toughening them up, they are only 11 at the end of the day. Give them confidence to grow and develop, they are our most talented dancers after all, so sad to hear they are being let down

It would be a HUGE achievement to secure a place at WL. Not many would turn a place down from there. It seems like doom and gloom because we are discussing the negatives. If we where to discuss all the good points, biews would change dramatically.

Your daughter has done so well follycat, it's good to hear the positives.

My son and his partner are both teachers and are now paying back their student loans. Depending on income my daughter will also eventually have to pay back her student loan. At least with Da Da these gifts of money don't have to be paid back. So the choice is either audition somewhere that allows for student loan or if you can afford it try for a DaDa that won't have to be paid back. Some private schools offer scholarships for their brightest students from their own pockets. Some vocational schools offer burseries. The Hammond for one offers a fantastic bursery and Tring offers smaller ones, but don't advertise the fact. I mentioned on an earlier thread how expensive even with funding it was. Some forum members took insult thinking I was suggesting poor people shouldn't audition. That clearly wasn't what I was saying. But from reading all the information that people have written about, one can see how you can seriously end up in debt. Know what you will be getting and what all the extra cost are going to add up to. At least we are getting some money from the government, especially MDS's where the most talented will get nurtured. The middle earners, well they get battered financially. Hope everyone get enough funding to Persue their future careers.

Me too

We can't stop our graduates from leaving, but why are they leaving in the first place? In a lot of countries such as Australia and America, they are only allowed to recruit someone outside their country if they can't recruit from their own citizens. The government should be looking at companies that receive funding to see how many home trained students they are employing. If they want to employ outside our country fine, but should they really be getting our precious funding. A huge amount of money is spent on MDS's for talented children and yet they are not talented enough to be employed by their own country? It is all very political, and I am certainly not saying we shouldn't be employing outside our own country. But I would like our dancers who have had tax payers money to be considered fairly, or trained to the correct requirements of what companies are looking for.

Another point to add is if the government and tax payers are going to fund UK children, then surely there should be more jobs for them in their own country, but there isn't. There are plenty of jobs in our country for scientists, teachers, vets, mathematicians etc.

Teaching at home does need to be high quality with associate programmes, private lessons etc.

If I had my time back again I would have kept my daughter at home with her family until she was 16 With good good training and private 1-1 coaching and perhaps associate programmes there is every reason your child will do just as well when she is 16. This isn't the same for everyone , but it didn't feel right leaving my little girl at Tring, she was so small and vulnerable. So keep your precious little child with you for as long as you can.

annaballerina you haven't started anything. Years ago when I was a student there was more grants and funding available for all further education courses. That was back in the day though and I can't see the situation improving.

Everything costs it's very difficult financially. Going to university costs a fortune, fees, cost of living etc. I don't see why my daughter would be more deserving than her brother who is at uni to get funding from the government. It would be lovely if they both got it. We are in short supply of scientists, engineers and mathemeticians in Britain, yet the government doesn't help them either. The government is happy to fund weapons etc but now we're getting political.

Don't seem to have read much from Anjuli for a while. Hope you are well Anjuli x

Yes I think so thequas.

Up to know the German companies want experience and not heard back from other European countries yet. So not sure how much it will all cost. She's not bothering with big companies in America as she knows she won't get in, so not throwing money away there. Still very early days yet though. Ballet island wanted very experienced dancers.

I disagree the students in my daughters year know that they have to apply for lots of companies outside Britain as there are not enough companies at home. They are prepared for all of this as part of their degree course.

Tring always asks for a deposit.

A lot of the companies are asking for experienced dancers, and they're not big companies.

My daughter was always number 1 or 2 as her surname begins with a B. I must admit I thought all auditions including RBS were done by alphabetical order.

All auditions are good experiences for the future. It's just the waiting game for results that's hard, and also the emotional strength to deal with any no's that your child may receive.

As part of the audition, the candidate are called one by one to stand facing, side ways and back. They do a couple of exercises. I am sure this is to check out if they have the correct physique for what they want. This procedure used to be done at the very beginning of the audition.

It's a mix PDQ

I understand what you mean. My daughter has been at vocational school since she was 11. However she came home lots of times. She has helped out in the family business. I don't feel she has been sheltered more than her two brothers. She is just different and has always wanted to perform on a stage. Although she is very academic her plan B would be towards musical theatre which is another passion of hers. There are so many things she could have done but she really, really doesn't want to do anything else. Hopefully she will fulfilled her dreams, she has worked extremely hard, and has been on this roller coaster for years, but she still wants that chance to perform.

That's awful that the girls felt the teachers where laughing during audition. If they were, how unprofessional. good on the girls for continuing to enjoy their audition.

Some of these girls have spent five years plus three years of training in upper schools. It is sad but at the same time at age 19, the world is at their feet. Each person gives up for their own personal reasons I suppose. However the main being the downs with a few ups? You can have it all but once that passion dies and can't be retrieved then they have made the right decision. Good luck to them.

In my daughters age group there was very few British girls. It is a international SS, so a real mix of nationalities.