Ondine

Why does being British matter? As I said above, the Royal Ballet has always been an international company. I'm not sure restricting the schools to an intake of only those with a British passport will solve other issues. Has anyone any information about how many French students are taken into the POB school each year, how many move from the POB school into the company each year, and how many of those who don't make it find work elsewhere? The system is different. I note international competition prizewinners are accepted for a year's training too. https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/ballet-school/admission I also note that students appear to have competitive exams and are admitted a year at a time? I'm assuming then that students who don't pass the exam are 'assessed out'.

Weetabix also comes in an oat version, Oatibix, though as with Weetabix it does have some very small amount of sugar and salt it has OATS which are really good for you! Doesn't taste like porridge. Both are lovely with blueberries or chopped apple or fruit puree. As I said above, frozen bags of fruit are great value (try Aldi) and can be defrosted as and when needed. https://weetabix.co.uk/our-products/oatibix/weetabix-oatibix-classic/ Plant milks... not as many nutrients as cow's milk but for those who don't do dairy they are good, soya is the one with the protein. Just read the label and don't buy those with loads of additives. You can make your own if you're worried about the food miles of say, nut milk. Oat milk again... is fine, doesn't taste of porridge. For anyone with a little time, home made soup is really easy to make and keeps in the fridge for a few days, longer in a freezer of course. Use bags of frozen mixed veg, cost is minimal, an onion sweated in a little oil first, celery is good, red lentils and or beans from a tin, peas, all for protein, cheap tinned toms, herbs, ready made stock (Marigold in a tub recommended). A hand held stick blender is £7.50 from Tesco. Hot, nutritious. A soup maker is great if the finances can stretch to it.

I suspect there are many young people in dance schools in countries other than the UK who are not ending up dancing as a career, who are 'assessed out', or not gaining jobs dancing at 'top' level. (There are rewarding careers to be had re dance / dance related but if you want to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in a major company there are only so many who will make the grade.) Perhaps those who make it to graduate from elite schools are really the elite and the most determined. Ballet is a strange calling. Unlke sport or playing an instrument, you train and train but there are so few real opportunities to actually get beyond the training. Not many local dance companies performing at local level to join. Yet that's what it's about isn't it? I appreciate there are people who simply go along to class as they enjoy class, but for those who want to do the training as they want to get into that tutu and perform choreography, in a theatre, to an audience? Not a lot. No simple answers and the dance world is certainly in a constant state of change.

Yes this is the issue. I hope that it is a blip and things are going to change. If not, all the access schemes, the Associate schemes etc have to be looked at again. I also wonder if we are training too many children too intensely from a young age and giving them false hope of a dance career. That's probably a separate issue, but one that needs to be considered. Many will fall by the wayside as there are only so many jobs in the end. And the most talented of the talented will be employed.

A reminder that the Royal Ballet School and the company has always had dancers from countries other than Britain. Lynn Seymour, Canada. Monica Mason, South Africa. Many, many others. The founder of the company and school was Irish. Fonteyn received a great deal of her training abroad. It's no different today, look at the current crop of principals. Also, what used to be called the Genee and is now the Fonteyn, there are Royal Ballet stars who have 'won' there. It's a competition. Leanne Benjamin, Steven McCrae, off the top of my head... both Australian.

Some people like to exercise power and control? I really don't know what makes bullies tick.

I'd be interested to know how many are taken each year who are YAGP finalists / winners. Also, of course, YAGP is a good test of tenacity as well as talent, and it isn't all based on one solo at the end? I doubt that talented home grown students are actually cynically booted out on some pretext or another in order to have an influx of competition winners. But what is obvious is that admission to White Lodge isn't all it could be, if the majority of the intake is 'assessed out' after not too long. I can't think it's simply a money making scheme. Though of course there is no predicting with total accuracy how children will grow and develop, or how much progress they will make. It's none of it simple or easy, especially for those who don't make it through. Not only are many dreams being shattered, educations are disrupted and friendships broken up. Beginning again at another school must be so difficult. Yet continuing on, increasingly struggling, would have challenges too.

I'm not sure that the Royal Ballet has a 'look' though. A quick mental runthrough of its dancers, male and female, from top rank to trainees, makes me think it doesn't, really. Yes all dancers need to have certain attributes, but this isn't a company that demands all look the same?

My own personal crusade. Wholegrain / wholewheat versions of any food are far better and more nutritious than those using using white flour. Brown rice better than white. https://www.thespruceeats.com/whole-wheat-flour-vs-white-flour-2238373 Sugar, too, is best in moderation. A quick rush followed by a long down in energy isn't what dancers need. Also, ultra processed foods... Read the labels. https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/ultra-processed-foods There's plenty of advice out there on nutrition for dancers. https://dancenutrition.com/nutrition-for-dancers/ For £5 there's this too. I haven't paid my fiver so can't say what it's like but it could be worth a punt. Royal Ballet School. https://ondemand.royalballetschool.org.uk/product/nutrition-for-a-healthy-dancer/

While clearly something isn't working as we would hope, I think we need to look at the actual numbers of prizewinners given places each year before pointing fingers and laying too much blame on them. Also, it may be worth investigating how those are funded. And there are very highly regarded company members who were finalists and winners in competitions. I think we'd be sad if they were elsewhere! It's also worth looking at the final destinations of those who graduate from RBS Upper School. A number have gone to 'junior' companies. Not finished soloists at all. At least this year everyone did move into a contract. (A couple of the Aud Jebson apprentices appear to have vanished after their year last year... not taken into the RB, and not moved elsewhere, as far as I can tell, but that's a separate issue.) It's none of it simple and none of it easy to resolve. All those problems though are not to do with bullying & body shaming really.

Those flasks and bottles are lovely and stylish and good for the planet, also support two very good causes. We’re helping others Whilst accelerating this change in the world, we support two causes close to our hearts: Mary’s Meals, a truly amazing charity who help provide a daily meal for children in need. We sponsor two entire schools in Liberia and help feed and educate over 800 children a year! And secondly, the SeaLife Centre local to us in Hunstanton, Norfolk, where we sponsor a seal pen, helping to rehabilitate seals on the North Norfolk coast.

I missed that part... sorry! So trad breakfast porridge / granola* with banana not an option. Though neither of those are raw oats, and both very nutritious. Oatcakes worth a try though, or rice cakes, or Ryvita type crackers, the ones with seeds, not the trad ones! Quick and easy. Yogurt (plant based are good, or trad) and fruit, a plain yog with added blueberries or rasberries far better than ready made ones with sugar. Packs of frozen fruit are very cheap. Nuts too, flaked almonds won't crack teeth, and seeds. *Oat free granola is a thing, here's one recipe. https://wholefully.com/oat-free-granola/ Also oat free porridge. https://www.healthysweeteats.com/my-favorite-noatmeal-aka-low-carb-oat-free-porridge-the-basic-recipe-and-6-variations/ Though possibly those are not everyone's taste. Muffins of course, though those take some planning & cooking they can be veg or fruit and will keep a day or two. Very simple to make. Can be vegan or trad. https://simple-veganista.com/vegan-blueberry-muffins/

Yes Thermos / Stanley flasks are a great investment, the shorter wide topped ones very versatile. Hot porridge with fruit puree (baby food useful here) for breakfasts, or granola with added nuts and a banana, can be eaten while travelling. Lunchtime soup, all major supermarkets do their own tinned which are far less expensive than 'branded'. Veg & lentil, veg & bean, both give protein and will stay hot enough in a flask. Oatcakes a good addition. You can buy pouches of chilli, curry, pasta etc which can be microwaved in the morning quickly & decanted into a flask. A wholemeal pitta is easy to add and pack. https://uk.huel.com/products/huel-hot-savoury Fiid https://www.eatfiid.com/ and Ben's Plant Powered good too. I'm sure there are others.

The Royal Ballet School has welcomed four new teachers for the new term. James Butcher is one on those and here he is interviewed. https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2023/09/18/welcoming-james-butcher-to-the-royal-ballet-schools-artistic-staff/

The Royal Ballet School is certainly trawling the world now for applicants, and it's possible that overseas applicants and their wider ranging passports may be part of that. It is very sad that a UK passport brings restrictions, post Brexit, if that's the case. All those 'taster' and Associates schemes and the rest in the UK are fine but if the opportuntities to train and eventually dance are not there, there will be many disappointed young people.

Luke Jennings has also posted it on the 'Post Panorama' thread on the 'Doing Dance' forum. And yes it is a very good read isn't it? I feel so sad for all the young people whose lives have been affected. It's a very complex situation, not all who want to dance professionally will make it, however, the intentional cruelty from some is difficult to understand.

Very into arts n culture though. Part of her 'hen do' was spent running around the British Museum in pink platforms. 😏 https://www.theweddingedition.co.uk/inside-marie-claire-chappets-london-hen-do/

According to t'internet/ Linkedin Marie-Claire Chappet Contributing Editor at Harper's Bazaar, Freelance journalis Fiction writer and freelance features journalist: specialising in arts, social trends, lifestyle, travel and fashion

They are so funny though so I don't.

The Don Q Insights subtitles on YT are hilarious.

I said this in the Cecchetti thread: And big shout out to Cecchetti teacher Emily Wallace in Sunderland, and her adult class 'older' students who recently passed with merits and distinctions their Cecchetti class exam, Standard 3. Anne who gained a distinction is 75. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=637850111482263&set=a.527691002498175 Which brings us back to the beginning of this thread. Seriously, Cecchetti is for all who want to learn. If you want to dance, @BalletEnthusiast give it a try! Exams or no exams, just enjoy.

Juliet gets married and has s e x with Romeo during the ballet. At one point in the ballet she discovers she has grown breasts. Manon... well. Young yes but she doesn't need to look like a child. In fact better she doesn't. Aurora on her birthday is being shown her prospective husbands, so looking young womanly rather than girly would be fine. Dancers can be slim (ballet does burn off the calories and builds long muscles) without being skeletal. We've not really touched on male dancers. Maybe we should.

😏 She certainly appears to have been behaving badly. The film of her and her companion in the theatre has been doing the rounds on social media. I won't post it. 🤨 Howve, there is a description in this report. Not for those of a sensitive disposition. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/16/lauren-boebert-apology-beetlejuice-video

I'd love to have dancers like Michaela DePrince not be the exception. She is an inspiration however. She's had to overcome so many difficulties and obstacles to be where she is, including assumptions about her weight & bodyshape. 🤨 Do please watch! She's a lovely dancer. Boston Ballet. (Official link) 'To spread more poppies in a field of daffodils'

Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2 Published 26 March 2015 Last updated 1 September 2023 - hide all updates 1 September 2023 The September 2023 version of the keeping children safe in education guidance is now in force, replacing previous versions. We initially published this for information in June. We have since made meaningful amendments to paragraphs 142, about the appropriateness of filtering and monitoring systems online, and 150, about guidance and resources on inspection. Annex F has a table of substantive changes from the September 2022 guidance.