Excessive rehearsals for ballet show - what would you do?

[LovetheHarp]

Hi,
my DD1 has been doing ballet, tap and modern since she was 3. She has always enjoyed it and now she is 6 she has been invited to take part in the school show in a big theatre. This is end of July. For the next 3 weeks my DD1 is expected to attend rehearsals:

• Sat 11:30 til 6:30pm
  
• Tue, Wed and Fri: 4:15 til 7:15
  

My DD1 did the Sat one and she was totally exhausted. She had a massive headache (despite me giving her loads of drinks/food to take) and said they only had 2 breaks of 15 minutes each. A lot of the time was spent sitting around, but still. I have raised concerns with the teacher and she brushed it off as if I was a precious parent.

I feel quite upset and would love to pull her out but I feel it's too late now?
What would you do? Isn't it too much for a 6 year old child?

[carocaro]

Seems a bit to 'West End production schedule' to me, but if that is what it is and your daughter wants to do it maybe you just have to suck it up

[LovetheHarp]

I know! It just seems so massively OTT! Never mind, it will soon be over and next time I'll know and will have a choice!!

[LIZS]

Does she need a performance licence for this ? If so there are rules about how many hours, when and how often they can do in any one day/week. tbh that sounds excessive at 6. Doesn't sound much fun and may well put her off doing more.

[bizzieb33]

Wow, my 9 year old was recently in a ballet show & the only extra session was an hour in the hall having a dress rehersal. She only does 1 lesson of 3/4 of an hour a week & the show was great

[ZZZenAgain]

It is far too much. Why does she have to be there from 11:30-6:30? Surely she is only on stage for part of the show and doesn't need to be there for the entire time.

[LovetheHarp]

She has a part at the beg, a small part in the middle and a small part at the end, so that's why she needs to be there for so long.

Is there anywhere I can check re: license rules?

I am also worried it will put her off ballet for life, which is a shame because she loves it and has never not wanted to go/always done it with enthusiasm. They seem very unconcerned with the children's welfare in my opinion!

[LIZS]

Your local authority/council should have a document online re Performance Licenses and regulations. Googling suggests they are probably operating within the guidelines but I woudl expect them to be more symapthetic and stagger it to have the younger ones' pieces rehearsed first until the later rehearsals.

[LovetheHarp]

Thanks Lizs,
I have checked it out and as you say they are just within the guidelines.
DD1 came home tonight really excited and perky, which at least meant she enjoyed it. I will just have to take it a day at a time and if she gets upset or too tired I will pull just not send her for that night/day.
Thanks for all the responses/advice!

[elphabadefiesgravity]

That does seem a lot. Dd is 9 and does tap ballet and modern. Her show is next week (dress rehearsal Sunday)

She has been doing her normal three 45 minute classes with some children from another group invited to join her group as they are dancing together.

Last Sunday the entire school rehearsed at the dance school from 4.00pm until 6.00pm to put the ballet together.

This Sunday they will be at the theatre for the dress rehersal from 6.00pm until late where they will run the shoe in order

Monday and Tuesday specific classes may be asked to go in again depending if anyhting went badly wriong at the dress.

Licensing rules don't count for normal rehearsals held at the dance school.