Tulip

Your mum sounds like one amazing lady thequas.

Sorry I meant auditions into the upper schools

Another massive cost which doesn't get mentioned much is auditions for jobs. Travel and flight costs, oh and hotels. Professional photos and DVDs. It's very scary and you hope that there will be a job for them out there after all the years of hard work, commitment and dedication. To count up the amount that gets spent is frightening. But it's best to just get to the auditions, get the offers and then work out what's what. A lot of us have been on this journey and its highs and lows. I'm just lucky to have the forum parents who's children have graduated to ask advice from. Sorry I seem to have digressed from the original topic.

Ofcourse all children are worthy to audition anywhere and they All have the same chances as each other. Good luck everyone auditioning, enjoy the experience.

There must be quite a few aileen, but I must confess the non vocational students that I know did come from some associate scheme. There is a little dance school that my daughter went to originaly that was fantastic with some very talented dancers. Some of them who didnt do associates went onto musical theatre at the top schools in London. One boy went onto Rambert and is now in a ballet company, thinking on he did not go to any associate schemes and actually joined ballet when he was ten. The dance teachers were a brilliant support to their students at this little dance school.

But you did accuse me of having the attitude that poor children should not be allowed to go to vocational schools dancing10. Most people who know me on this forum know that I would never suggest this. If I wasn't so offended by your response, I would have just let you comment lay.

Well done and all the very best of luck to your son Mrs G, Hammond is a lovely school and the children there are very well looked after. A few of my friends children go there.

Ellie I DID NOT suggest in any shape or form that ANY child who is from a 'poor' background should stay at home and spire to nothing. Again I actually believe that all children should be given the same opportunity as everyone else.

So glad you are auditioning again swanprincess, all the very best of luck and success for this year, my fingers and toes are crossed for you x.

Right I DO NOT have the attitude that students who cannot afford to dance shoud not go to vocational schools. I pointed out that all students if they have the correct attributes stand the same chance as everyone else. If I had my way then all students if they where talented enough would get equal chances and financial cost would be met by the government.. I myself would have loved to learn to play the piano, I was always able to sing and was chosen to sing at lots of choirs, sadly my parents were unable to afford me piano lessons or singing lessons. My sister was a promosing gyymnast and from local classes was invited to join the squad, again extra costs meant my parents couldnt afford to let her go. I was TRYING to point out that even when a student gets to vocational school there are still all the hidden costs. Point shoes alone £40 a pop every three weeks, accomodation top ups and food, the cost is enormous.

The question asked do all students during audition get an equal crack of the whip, my answer along with my best wishes of good luck was yes. So again dance10 I certainly do not have the attitude you suggest and just incase you take offence to any other of my comments, perhaps I will not bother to respond to your enquiries, you have actually offended me.

No offence and I mean this sincerely. If a family can't afford much more than ballet classes, how will they be able to afford vocational schools? Even with funding or student loans, it STILL costs a fortune. Also as I said if a student has the correct attributes for ballet, then they stand an equal chance. How many dance schools in this day and age still use the backs of chairs? Dance is a business, therefore the business owner should at least invest in dance bars don't you think? Dance training costs an absolute fortune.

A lot of the students in my daughters year did not come from vocational schools, however they where Royal Ballet senior associates. If you have had good training and have the right physique as well as musicality then you stand just as much chance as everyone else, good luck its a fab school.

Typical always the way. Hope she recovers in time x

I have just watched the final episode of dance mums UK and all I can say is "did this behaviour really happen"? The language and bullying towards a child and an old lady was unforgivable, Jennifer Ellison screaming after the old lady to just leave along with your dogy hip, in front of the lairs granddaughter and other children. Very unfortunate that they gave a very negative portrayal of Liverpudlian dance mothers. Where oh where were the authorities to protect these children, witnessing bad aggressive behaviour along with foul language, appalling.

I don't mind the false arches if they don't look obvious. It is all down to directors and choreographers. They want their dancers to have that type of foot. If that is going to go against you at an audition or casting, I say wear your arches.

My daughter now has to put together a professional DVD for company auditions. Up to know she is going to use her friend as the school don't help with DVDs. However as the DVD is a first step to obtaining an audition, I feel it would be benificial to use someone more professional for the filming and editing. Does anyone have any experience of this and can anyone recommend someone.

Best of luck everyone x

It's by the town hall so you may need to get a bus, but so with it. I loved their baileys hot chocolate mmm.

My geography is terrible, it's in Manchester town centre, very well sign posted though. Lots of yummy food.

Don't forget the Christmas market, love going there.

They're a pain to live with though thequas

Have a wonderful time Julie such an exciting time for you, and well done to your son too. This company would suit my daughter down to the ground as she also LOVES musical theatre.

At the end of the day, if it was my business I would be pushing all my students to gain the best grade that they could possibly get, because at the end of the day you would surely want a reputation for excellent teaching. This would be one way of demonstrating this. Go back and ask and good luck.

For my daughter from a very very young age she just loved the stage, as did her two brothers. The difference with her was she naturally literally came alive and was able to take on a character straight away. Off stage she was very well behaved and quite shy. In addition to musical theatre she loved ballet. Ballet won in the end and she went away to Tring at 12.

It has been extremely tough and painful at times, especially as my daughter wasn't happy at Tring but wouldn't leave, even when I encouraged her too. She just really wanted to dance. Now she has been at Central, it has still been hard but very rewarding. This is what she wanted and she knew this from an extremely young age. As someone said above as parents we were there to support her in all aspects.

Hi cara, you do know it's ballet socks. I'm sure you do. With you saying that you would lend her a pair of yours I thought that I had better mention it.