Dance School Terms
Discussion
Slightly odd one this, but thought PH can answer most questions. Not sure this is the right section though....??
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
mike9009 said:
Slightly odd one this, but thought PH can answer most questions. Not sure this is the right section though....??
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
If she has reached a certain stage in her skill/ability and needs to progress at ballet, then I agree with her teacher, then she has to choose. I am sure that dancing at that level is like sport at that level, you have to focus on one thing only, not get distracted by other stuff. If her teacher is Royal Ballet trained, then you have to trust his input and advice. Why do you think you and your daughter know better than him?Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
This sounds a bit like the situation with a current British tenneis player and their parents/coach fiasco.
andyA700 said:
mike9009 said:
Slightly odd one this, but thought PH can answer most questions. Not sure this is the right section though....??
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
If she has reached a certain stage in her skill/ability and needs to progress at ballet, then I agree with her teacher, then she has to choose. I am sure that dancing at that level is like sport at that level, you have to focus on one thing only, not get distracted by other stuff. If her teacher is Royal Ballet trained, then you have to trust his input and advice. Why do you think you and your daughter know better than him?Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
This sounds a bit like the situation with a current British tenneis player and their parents/coach fiasco.
addey said:
andyA700 said:
mike9009 said:
Slightly odd one this, but thought PH can answer most questions. Not sure this is the right section though....??
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
If she has reached a certain stage in her skill/ability and needs to progress at ballet, then I agree with her teacher, then she has to choose. I am sure that dancing at that level is like sport at that level, you have to focus on one thing only, not get distracted by other stuff. If her teacher is Royal Ballet trained, then you have to trust his input and advice. Why do you think you and your daughter know better than him?Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
This sounds a bit like the situation with a current British tenneis player and their parents/coach fiasco.
Blib said:
What would your daughter like to do?
She would like to continue all classes. But not really feasible now. She is also grade 6 piano and he is not stopping that.It would be interesting to know if other dance schools have the same policy?
She wants to go in to veterinary surgery when older, dance would be a hobby/ outside interest.
andyA700 said:
mike9009 said:
Slightly odd one this, but thought PH can answer most questions. Not sure this is the right section though....??
Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
If she has reached a certain stage in her skill/ability and needs to progress at ballet, then I agree with her teacher, then she has to choose. I am sure that dancing at that level is like sport at that level, you have to focus on one thing only, not get distracted by other stuff. If her teacher is Royal Ballet trained, then you have to trust his input and advice. Why do you think you and your daughter know better than him?Might be a long story. My daughter is 15 and dances with three different dance schools locally to get a broad exposure. She regular wins comps and just got distinction in grade 6 ballet.
Now, her ballet teacher (Royal ballet trained) has given an ultimatum that she cannot continue doing ballet with him if she continues with other dance schools. Essentially he wants her exclusively.
He claims this is common in London dance schools and needs her commitment. My question is, is this true??
The issue is we are on an island and he is the best (only) ballet teacher.
Massive upset for daughter and my opinion is to tell him to take a running jump. Which is what my daughter has done.....
I might just phone a couple of London schools....
This sounds a bit like the situation with a current British tenneis player and their parents/coach fiasco.
She has chosen to leave the ballet classes now, after being given the ultimatum. She loves lyrical, jazz, contemporary and free running/ tricking too. Shame really.... Saves a wedge of cash though.
Might be best anyway, with GCSEs looming next year.
My lad plays for two different football teams too, games on Saturday and Sunday. Both teams actively encouraged playing in different leagues. That will be the next issue.....
Holy thread bounce from 6 months ago (nearly to the day, I see) which is completely irrelevant since decisions have long been made!
No matter, in case of anyone else's vague interest, having been pointed to this thread from another forum, owner of two very different dance schools here, professional ballet dancing daughter, and yes, exclusivity can become 'a thing' as dancers progress, depending on what is needed.
Needed, typically meaning what does the dancer want to achieve, and how is that best supported by all concerned.
Both main exam boards for ballet currently achieve 14 UCAS points for a Distinction at Grade 6 regardless if ISTD (https://www.istd.org/teach/teaching-qualifications/ucas-points-and-glossary-of-terms/) or RAD (https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/dance-exams/after-your-exam/ last bullet) and this has been the case since around 2001 when, for example, RAD grade exams 1- 8 went on the National Qualifications Framework, UCAS having done a study published in 2011 that compared the AQA A level in dance to the relevant syllabi (https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/dance-tariff-report.pdf) looking at everything including the upper end of the qualifications, which exceed level 8.
Why does all that matter and why is it relevant?
Simple, you've said your daughter wants to go into veterinary* surgery, which suggests she's a smart cookie who will achieve high scores in what I now assume will be her forthcoming academic exams, and won't need UCAS points from dance. [*Whatever PC this is offered me that as an autocorrect, I have no idea if it's right, but it does differ to yours. I suspect this is US English, but hey].
But, not everyone is like that. There are plenty of kids for whom dance is everything, and/ or academia is nothing, or certainly a stretch. And they may have aspirations to, post GCSE for example, study at a college that will give them some sort of A-level equivalent/ diploma/ point them on to a dance degree, which may let them not least find employment as a dancer or similar performer, but also or alternatively give them sought after teaching qualifications.
The reason for typically narrowing the number of teachers is to best ensure the education and corrections come from the smallest number of people and syllabi as possible, to give the best chance of high scores, and thus often, more UCAS points.
The next step before ISTD is the Intermediate exams, a distinction for which is worth 33 points, as is a distinction before RAD, but if a score is at 85% or more, that RAD High Distinction is worth 2 more UCAS points. There are plenty of vocational level post 16 courses where the academic request is a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and Maths, and if supported by strong dance exam results and evidence of performance, can make the difference between even getting to audition stage or not. And if then wishing to move to a degree, and there are plenty in performing arts, where audition is a huge part of it, getting there is often going to start with those UCAS points.
And if your child wants to do more graded or vocational exams, it typically makes sense to really focus on them.
After all, if your daughter was studying ISTD and RAD, she'll already know there are some moves which are physically the same, but which have different names, so the system sets itself up for specialising in one or other direction, typically reducing the number of teachers. In the early days it matters less, kids wanting to do all sorts may have to attend different schools anyway (few can offer a full range of all styles, they may have different interests that clash with classes they want to do, or it can be worth seeking out specifics, kids develop at different rates in all manner of things, etc, etc), and ultimately it is unfortunate if you didn't speak to the teacher about this, as I would hope you'd have had a similar set of what I think are completely rational reasons.
Anyway, I suspect 2024 would like its thread back now, your daughter has just finished her mocks, best of luck to her, and hopefully this does answer the question after all!
No matter, in case of anyone else's vague interest, having been pointed to this thread from another forum, owner of two very different dance schools here, professional ballet dancing daughter, and yes, exclusivity can become 'a thing' as dancers progress, depending on what is needed.
Needed, typically meaning what does the dancer want to achieve, and how is that best supported by all concerned.
Both main exam boards for ballet currently achieve 14 UCAS points for a Distinction at Grade 6 regardless if ISTD (https://www.istd.org/teach/teaching-qualifications/ucas-points-and-glossary-of-terms/) or RAD (https://www.royalacademyofdance.org/dance-exams/after-your-exam/ last bullet) and this has been the case since around 2001 when, for example, RAD grade exams 1- 8 went on the National Qualifications Framework, UCAS having done a study published in 2011 that compared the AQA A level in dance to the relevant syllabi (https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/dance-tariff-report.pdf) looking at everything including the upper end of the qualifications, which exceed level 8.
Why does all that matter and why is it relevant?
Simple, you've said your daughter wants to go into veterinary* surgery, which suggests she's a smart cookie who will achieve high scores in what I now assume will be her forthcoming academic exams, and won't need UCAS points from dance. [*Whatever PC this is offered me that as an autocorrect, I have no idea if it's right, but it does differ to yours. I suspect this is US English, but hey].
But, not everyone is like that. There are plenty of kids for whom dance is everything, and/ or academia is nothing, or certainly a stretch. And they may have aspirations to, post GCSE for example, study at a college that will give them some sort of A-level equivalent/ diploma/ point them on to a dance degree, which may let them not least find employment as a dancer or similar performer, but also or alternatively give them sought after teaching qualifications.
The reason for typically narrowing the number of teachers is to best ensure the education and corrections come from the smallest number of people and syllabi as possible, to give the best chance of high scores, and thus often, more UCAS points.
The next step before ISTD is the Intermediate exams, a distinction for which is worth 33 points, as is a distinction before RAD, but if a score is at 85% or more, that RAD High Distinction is worth 2 more UCAS points. There are plenty of vocational level post 16 courses where the academic request is a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and Maths, and if supported by strong dance exam results and evidence of performance, can make the difference between even getting to audition stage or not. And if then wishing to move to a degree, and there are plenty in performing arts, where audition is a huge part of it, getting there is often going to start with those UCAS points.
And if your child wants to do more graded or vocational exams, it typically makes sense to really focus on them.
After all, if your daughter was studying ISTD and RAD, she'll already know there are some moves which are physically the same, but which have different names, so the system sets itself up for specialising in one or other direction, typically reducing the number of teachers. In the early days it matters less, kids wanting to do all sorts may have to attend different schools anyway (few can offer a full range of all styles, they may have different interests that clash with classes they want to do, or it can be worth seeking out specifics, kids develop at different rates in all manner of things, etc, etc), and ultimately it is unfortunate if you didn't speak to the teacher about this, as I would hope you'd have had a similar set of what I think are completely rational reasons.
Anyway, I suspect 2024 would like its thread back now, your daughter has just finished her mocks, best of luck to her, and hopefully this does answer the question after all!
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