auditions for full time dance schools

[Kitschqueen]

Well done to you all, some very talented dancers on here.
My DD has just turned 15 so her applications start in September, I will be mithering you all for advice!

[Robin64]

Hi all
I have just caught up with the thread and firstly congratulations to all those with offers. What great news to hear. I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions to those in the know..my DD has her heart set on Bird College which is why I read with interest. We don't know anything about the other colleges yet but DD has done panto with graduates from Bird and they were so lovely she wants to follow in their footsteps (or should that be dance steps!!). DD is still only 13 but I was wondering what route your DDs/DSs took to get to the audition stage? What is the expected level for an audition at 16 or 18?..eg is everyone at grade 8 ballet etc

DD enjoys all types of dance and singing/acting. What kind of things are they looking for in auditions? DD does tap, modern, ballet, contemporary and urban but not singing lessons. She does drama at school but not out of school. We started singing lessons at school but the teacher was unreliable so we stopped. Would you recommend finding another singing teacher to do the singing exams or is this not strictly necessary? What do you think has helped the most as your DCs have worked towards vocational training? I do look out for auditions etc but at 5'6 my DD is too tall for many in her age range now.

Hope you don't mind me asking all these questions but I am not that knowledgeable and have been bumbling along trying to find the right training and opportunities for her. DD is dyslexic and although she passed for grammar school she will never be an academic..her first love has always been dancing and singing. Thanks in advance. x

[2dancersmum]

Hi Robin64 - I can only really comment on the dance side from the experience of DD and her friends, this year and in previous years. None actually applied to Bird this year but her friend was offered a place with funding at Bird 2 years ago but chose elsewhere. Ballet is probably the most important of her dance styles as most of the 16+ auditions include a ballet class. Intermediate is the level your DD needs to be aiming for. This is not just for technique but also for a working knowledge of ballet vocabulary. Not all students actually take the vocational exams but doing the classes anyway would benefit your DD as the vocational grades are more in depth than grades 6,7,8 for example. Another part of the audition is often a jazz/contemporary class so getting as far as she can with her modern is also good. In the auditions they generally do singing and drama too. The friend who went to Bird had some singing lessons in the year before she applied but mostly she was just involved with school and local theatre musical productions. She was working at intermediate ballet and advanced modern jazz at the time she applied. Hope this helps.

[Pearl]

My dd is in year 8 and determined she doesn't want to do A levels but wants to go off to college!!!!
I find it quite depressing though to think that actually we might not be able to afford it!!! With the dada's due to finish after this next year what will happen then!!!
Not only is there no guarantee that you will be offered a place but then to be one of the many in need of funding your chances are even slimer!!

Well done to all of you who so far have got places and fingers crossed for those still waiting.

[Robin64]

Yes Pearl I know what you mean! We could never have considered vocational training instead of state school and some of the expensive summer schools are out of the question too, unfortunately. I always look out for free or reasonable workshops such as kidsweek and these have been great. DD has auditioned and got into professional pantos and that has been her favourite experience so far and no money involved. I am considering saving up for DD to have a go at YMT or NYMT in future.

DD does around 10-12 hours dance outside school and that is pretty costly (as well as the fuel for all the driving to said lessons!). All you parents out there know about this I am sure!

Thanks 2dancersmum, that is just the sort of advice I was looking for. At present DD is doing inter foundation and Grade 6 ballet and although she really wants to go for musical theatre she knows that keeping up her ballet is important so I am glad you confirmed that. She has just had to make the choice of giving up an extra ballet class at her old school to do tap and modern at her new one (clash of days/times). The old one is a "set up at the village hall" type which she started at age 2, the new one is a dedicated dance school in a big town with several very highly qualified teachers with lots of professional experience. It feels sad to leave her old school but as she is getting older and looking towards vocational college she knows that those tap and modern lessons are the right thing to do now. I have let her make the decision and it has taken her about 6 months of going to both schools each week to do so. The old one was round the corner from our house at the time so that was why she went there. We have moved so both dance schools are now a bit of a drive but the new one is nearer school. I do think where you live and the training available can make a difference. At a certain stage you suddenly realise what other people are doing - especially since I have found forums such as this and ballet.co If,like me, you don't have a background in dancing or theatre - It's an eye opener! There are so many super talented and dedicated youngsters.

Do you know, out of interest, why your DDs friend decided against Bird? I am curious as I know very little about any of the colleges and would be interested in any comparisons and experience people have.
Thanks again for the reply

[Dance]

Hi Robin 64,
I am new to this site also. My daughter has been down the route of vocational school but has decided dance and musical theatre is more for her than ballet and so few make it anyway into ballet companies. We will be auditioning at Bird in April and will be able to tell you more. It has been interesting do these auditions and finding out what these schools are looking for. Some want a solo dance and solo speech and some don't. All seem to want a solo song. It it very competative and many at my DD school have either not been accepted a place or only offered foundation courses and thats after several years of training. However, some have been offered full time courses including my DD to which we are very pleased. It really depends. They may prefer a slightly older child as living in London may be hard. My DD has been asked this at a few auditions.
Hope this helps. Your DD is doing quite a lot of dance in the week which will help her.

[FelixGirl]

Hi Robin64

DD has been auditioning for colleges so I can tell you a little about our experience, too! We just asked her dance teachers to tell her what standard she needed to be (and to get her there!!), and at 15 she is about to take Advanced 1 RAD and ISTD ballet, tap and modern....she doesn't have singing lessons and like your DD she does drama at school! She does have quite a lot of performance experience, though.....both amateur and professional.

All her auditions have consisted of a ballet class, a jazz class and a solo song. Most have asked for a monologue or drama workshop and some have also asked for a solo dance (modern/jazz style). DD has really enjoyed the auditions (they are great workshops, if nothing else!!)...she said that she found the ballet classes relatively easy, the jazz classes fast and tough (and quite commercial!), and she enjoyed the opportunity to perform her solos!! She has also had a physio examination at a couple of colleges, and a short interview at all of them!! Most of the colleges said that they are particularly looking for a good standard of ballet, and the lack of strength/maturity in classical technique seems to be why they sometimes offer the one year Foundation course (to give students with potential the chance to strengthen their technique) in place of a 3 year Diploma or Degree course.

Something that is very important is to get as much experience of non-syllabus work as possible! In an audition they will be setting routines very quickly, and you need to know the vocabulary, and be used to retaining choreography with a very short time to practise.

Your DD sounds as if she is doing more than enough, though, and she will easily be at the standard she needs by the time she gets to audition!!

DD has also always said that this is what she wants to do, and has been adamant throughout senior school that she would not be doing A levels at school, so we said she could try for college now, (not necessarily expecting her to get in!!). She has done incredibly well, though.....and we are hugely proud of her.....(A levels or not!!!)

[Robin64]

Thanks for the replies.
Felixgirl, I think you are right about getting non-syllabus experience. What a shame our county has just cut the funding for the county youth dance companies so they are gone. Up to now they have had an urban, a contemporary and an integrated company and all were a high standard and required auditions to get in. My DD was going to audition this year. I think it is terrible and I bet it is happening all over the country too.

I think we are going to try for a CAT scheme but places seem tough to get and it will be an hour each way to get to one.

It was really useful to hear about what was required in auditions. DD read your post with interest.

FG and Dance - Are your DDs going to live away from home (I assume they are both age 15/16?) or will they be able to go as day students. I can't see my DD living away from home before 18 so she will either do A levels first or an extended diploma in a local college I think. Did you get funding for the college course if it is for age 16? It is great to hear that your DD got a place and I like the idea of asking the dance teacher what you need and getting it...very focussed! Is advanced 1 the next exam after intermediate? and does it work the same way for tap and modern exams? DD will be doing ISTD syllabus at her new school for both of these and trying grade 5 tap and inter foundation modern so I guess she will have about 3 years till the end of Y11 to make progress.

I would love to hear how your DDs get on with their college experience so keep us posted!
x

[Welsh Mum]

Hi Robin64 my DD is studting MT at a vocational drama college. f your Dd wants to go down the MT route I would recommend singing lessons, with a good teacher they really make a difference. All the dance she is doing is good, but some acting expereince will help as well. My Dd has also found music theory very helpful, makes it much easier/quicker in singing classes. I would also recommend your Dd sees as much live theatre as she can - in interviews this will be expected, and it helps if she has a good knowledge of shows etc.

In all the auditions my DD did (for post 18 degree courses) she had to dance, sing, perform 2 monologues, and have an interview.

[Robin64]

Thanks Welshmum
Did your DD do singing exams and how did you go about finding a singing teacher? Singing lessons were offered at school but it was not one of the usual music staff, just a lady that came in to do them. I found the lessons expensive and sometimes she didn't turn up and I never knew if DD had had all the lessons I paid for so I stopped (I had heard others had done the same thing so it wasn't just me who wasn't happy). Saying that, I think my DDs new dance school offer singing lessons but I pay so much out already for dance that I think I will wait and do as a previous poster did and pay for some in a couple of years time. We do try and see shows but that has probably mostly been musicals and ballet or dance rather than any more serious theatre so far. DD loves drama at school and maybe a youth theatre group would be fun and help with the acting side of things. Best of luck to your DD on her course. Is she enjoying it?

[Dance&Smile]

hi Robin64
Yes DD will have to live away from home as all the dance colleges are too far away from home. At an open day the principal of one of the schools told us that even if our DC are awarded DaDAs the parents will have to pay £000's for accommodation, food, travel, clothes etc so we definitely need a DaDA! It is worth noting that DD will be entitled to Housing Benefit.

I would reiterate what Felixgirl said about being used to learning routines quickly. My DD's dance school did not prepare her for this at all and this is what she found hardest.

It may be worth pointing out she was required to do pointe work at two auditions only, although at one audition some girls just did demipointe.

Ballet is the most important dance discipline but a friend of DD's has just been accepted into Laines without a single ballet lesson, but he is a boy so I guess different rules apply!!!

[Welsh Mum]

Thanks Welshmum
Did your DD do singing exams and how did you go about finding a singing teacher? Singing lessons were offered at school but it was not one of the usual music staff, just a lady that came in to do them. I found the lessons expensive and sometimes she didn't turn up and I never knew if DD had had all the lessons I paid for so I stopped (I had heard others had done the same thing so it wasn't just me who wasn't happy).

It simportant that you get a good singing teacher - bad habits are hard to unlearn The best is personal recommendation - if you know/hear someone at a concert etc ask them who teaches them. My DD was asked all the time, its the best way to get to know of one. Preferably get one who has experience of teaching MT which is a specific genre, my DD did MT exams which were a very good way of expanding her repertoire.

If money worries are putting you off (Dadas etc) lots of post 18 courses are now funded in the same way as other under graduate degrees - student loans etc.

[Robin64]

Thanks for the advice.
I admire your DCs for going away to college at 16. It really shows maturity and a strong focus. DD is confident in some ways (she would get up and sing in front of people and doesn't get nervous on stage really) but we live in a fairly quiet place and she isn't that streetwise at all plus she would miss her family too much. I just cannot see her being ready to live away from home in 3 years time.... maybe if she could live with her cousins in Brighton then I reckon she might but otherwise..probably not.

I have really found all your comments helpful and I can start to see how it works with the auditions etc

Anyone trying for Bird I can tell you that the graduates we met were very talented and such nice well mannered and lovely young people who were a great advert for the college.

[Welsh Mum]

My Dd didn't start her course till she was 19

[Dance]

Hi Robin 64,
My DD went to vocational school at 11 and she has grown up with other kids that did the same. She is still 15 and will probably go to London in sept if she wins a dada. She can't wait and truely feels she needs to be in London for her career. I suppose the kids at vocational school have been nutured from a very young age and therefore don't bother about being in London. Most of her class will be doing the same thing. They learn to be extremely independent and self sufficient from the day they board. As parents we worry so much that they will not cope but they usually cope better than us! Still i will have worries about London but she is very sensible. Kids at vocational school take taxis and trains on there own very young. My friends boy went to Royal Ballet every sat from age 14 on the train. Every child is different and you can only give her a chance then she can decide for herself if she wants to do it.
x