Looking ahead and being realistic!

A place to talk about full time schools and post 16 training.

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Chelsie68
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Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Chelsie68 »

Hi - first time poster. Looking for some advice.

My 13 year old dd is musical theatre mad. She eats, sleeps and dreams it - often to the point where she drives me mad, as she rarely has her mind in the real world. Her dream is to go on to study musical theatre full time after school. I’m very keen to support her in this, but want to make sure we’re realistic and have back up plans if her most aspirational dreams don’t come to fruition.

I’m a single parent, so funding is an issue; we would be looking for a fully funded course, although dd has a small trust fund that might just about pay for a foundation year (or a little top up on a three year course). Her father and I are both music graduates, so have some idea of colleges, although neither of us went in to have full time performing careers (I’m a teacher).

Dd has been dancing since the age of 2. She’s a strong dancer across different genres, but not one of the stand out students in her classes. She is 13 at the moment and working on Intermediate Foundation ISTD modern, grade 6 ISTD tap and grade 5 ISTD ballet. The ballet is a lower grade as she took a year out when she fell out of love with ballet a few years ago, but now studies with another teacher and has regained her mojo! On top of this, she has weekly one to one acting and singing lessons and attends a local theatre school on a Saturday. Singing is definitely her strongest area. The acting lessons are quite new, and she is working on LAMDA grade 4.

She would love to go to Performers College. It is only a 20 minute drive from home and she knows people who have studied there. Similarly, she goes to theatre school with girls studying at Italia Conti and aspires to going there. We are lucky in that it is only a 25 minute train journey from home into London Liverpool Street. I’m guessing that if she were to study in London, it might be just as quick to travel home as to travel to accommodation. At the moment she says she would be happy to live at home, but I recognise that might change!

So, my question is, does she seem to be on track to be at a level where it would be worth auditioning for MT college courses? If not, I’m guessing that a university degree course would be easier for her to get in to. She is doing the Performers summer school this year and we have booked tickets for MOVE IT in March. What other things should we be doing in the next couple of years to maximise her chances of achieving her dreams?
becmum
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by becmum »

Hi, sounds like she’s doing all the right things...my Dd auditioned in November/December this time for several colleges just to ‘test the water ‘ really as still only 15. If we had a College, such as performers, on our doorstep it would definitely be a preferred option! We live in the north west and my DD only applying to colleges down south due to what she feels are the ones with the best industry links etc. Obviously summer and Easter schools are a great insight if you can afford them. My Dd loved Performers summer school last year. Each college seem to like slightly different things, my Dd primarily a dancer and only recently had singing and drama lessons to prepare for auditions and doesn’t do GCSE dance or drama just classes at her dance school...the CYD events are also good as taking masterclasses gets them picking up routines quickly which is what they need to do at auditions. Good luck with working it all out 🤞
Chelsie68
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Chelsie68 »

Thanks for the reply. Think I will see how the Performers summer school goes and plan from there. Ideally want a college that’s strong in singing, as that’s her strength, but she aspires to do a triple threat course. We saw Six tonight and she was desperate to get on that stage and join in!
becmum
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by becmum »

Laine like good singers...suppose when you think of west end performers it’s the singers that get the lead parts not the dancers! Think amazing singers are few and far between so would think your dc would be able to apply anywhere. The auditions at Laine, Bird and Performers, in my dds experience, were quite dance oriented but heard of one person singing who got a place on the spot during the audition!
Rhymie
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Rhymie »

If she is strong all round and is a true triple threat with string acting then dont forget to include Rose Buford and Mountview and Central in her list of potential schools. These are among the strongest in the country.
Rhymie
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Rhymie »

Rhymie wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:30 am If she is strong all round and is a true triple threat with string acting then dont forget to include Rose Buford and Mountview and Central in her list of potential schools. These are among the strongest in the country.
Bruford even :?
biscuitsneeded
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Trinity Laban and GSA would be good options as fully funded. Trinity Laban probably also commutable, although to be honest I suspect by 18 they will want to live independently.
bumble-bee
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by bumble-bee »

Rhymie wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:30 am If she is strong all round and is a true triple threat with string acting then dont forget to include Rose Buford and Mountview and Central in her list of potential schools. These are among the strongest in the country.
Unfortunately she wouldn’t get any f/t musical theatre training at Rose Bruford it is predominantly an acting school with the addition of an actor-musician course. The school has straight acting courses which include singing, movement such as Alexander technique, Russian movement, stage combat etc but definitely no dance training at all. However they do, do a MT summer school which might be good to attend.

Would recommend looking at all the MT schools which have been mentioned especially if she is a strong dancer.
Luckily you still have lots of time to research as age is on your side 😊 Performers is really good one of my nieces attended there and my other niece graduated from Urdang academy last year also a great sch with lots of dance
Chelsie68
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Chelsie68 »

Thanks for all the amazing advice! Will certainly visit as many colleges as poss at MOVE IT. I just worry that her dancing won’t be strong enough - she doesn’t have a typical dancer’s physique and isn’t naturally flexible. She’s super keen and I don’t want to burst her bubble, but do want to be realistic too!
Rhymie
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Rhymie »

bumble-bee wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:36 pm
Rhymie wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:30 am If she is strong all round and is a true triple threat with string acting then dont forget to include Rose Buford and Mountview and Central in her list of potential schools. These are among the strongest in the country.
Unfortunately she wouldn’t get any f/t musical theatre training at Rose Bruford it is predominantly an acting school with the addition of an actor-musician course. The school has straight acting courses which include singing, movement such as Alexander technique, Russian movement, stage combat etc but definitely no dance training at all. However they do, do a MT summer school which might be good to attend.

Would recommend looking at all the MT schools which have been mentioned especially if she is a strong dancer.
Luckily you still have lots of time to research as age is on your side 😊 Performers is really good one of my nieces attended there and my other niece graduated from Urdang academy last year also a great sch with lots of dance
Ahh, Im not as well versed in the MT courses as I am the straight acting, aways saw RB as not straight acting. But from the description you have it certainly sounds straight acting.
bumble-bee
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by bumble-bee »

Hi Rhymie yes Bruford’s has always been a straight acting drama school no Mt they only offer ba acting, ba actor musicianship along with ba’s in European & American theatre and technical theatre. My son is in 3rd year ba acting at brufords, he only applied to the acting drama schs at the time, (with the exception of gsa ba acting) as he didn’t want any dance training. They all more or less do the same things as the other sch’s (he has friends at Lamda & rada so they compare with each other quite a bit) brufords also uses a lot of the same teachers as Rada.
It’s a nice school very young feel 😊
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jasmine2
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by jasmine2 »

Have you considered Bodywork Cambridge or Emil Dale in Hitchin, both triple threat with very good results..small classes too. :D
I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.......
Chelsie68
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Chelsie68 »

Thanks - hadn’t thought of those 2 - will have a look!
Marissa
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Marissa »

Mines at The Hammond and loves it there x sounds like you are well prepared x good luck x
Rhymie
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Re: Looking ahead and being realistic!

Post by Rhymie »

bumble-bee wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:14 pm Hi Rhymie yes Bruford’s has always been a straight acting drama school no Mt they only offer ba acting, ba actor musicianship along with ba’s in European & American theatre and technical theatre. My son is in 3rd year ba acting at brufords, he only applied to the acting drama schs at the time, (with the exception of gsa ba acting) as he didn’t want any dance training. They all more or less do the same things as the other sch’s (he has friends at Lamda & rada so they compare with each other quite a bit) brufords also uses a lot of the same teachers as Rada.
It’s a nice school very young feel 😊
Ahhh mine is in Bristol Old Vic, after torturous auditions at RADA,LAMDA, Drama Centre, etc but never tried RB. Well done to your son, is he doing his showcase this year to attract an agent?
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