Ballet Junior Associate Path

My daughter was on an associate programme age 9/10. It was around 3.5 hrs 6 x per academic year, plus all her usual classes.

My 13 year daughter does a junior associates ballet programme at the local conservatoire 2 hours a week. She also does about 10 hours of other dance classes a week - 1 hours of ballet, 30 mins pointe work specifically, modern, acro, comp team stuff… and she’s starting an extra ballet class next month. I’m assuming you do other things besides this class so are you asking about other ballet specific training?

Is your DD only doing the associate class? The Associate classes are supposed to be in addition to the child’s normal ballet class. Most children will be doing at least 2 more classes a week, some a lot more, especially in London.

A lot of students do so many hours/ different dance styles that I know some actually drop in hours once they start vocational school!

I think doing a variety of styles is helpful, it doesn’t need to be all ballet. Tap/ contemporary (or lyrical) / acro/ jazz/ even drama would all be good.

I think it is a good thing that RBS are starting in Year 9. They have a very bad track record of picking the right students at 11! Most years only one year 7 girl would make it to the end of Upper School. And especially as bodies can change so much with puberty I think it makes sense to wait. Though perhaps tough on children from more rural areas/ boys who do not have the same access to training available in London.

You might be interested to know that as of this September the Royal Ballet School will no longer be taking full-time pupils into years 7 and 8. They will now be starting intake at Y9. If they don't think it is essential to start full-time training at the age of 11, then it probably isn't.

Does your dd just do the three hours ballet at LVBS, or does she do any other dance styles such as tap, jazz or contemporary? What about exams and grades and such like? Do they do annual school shows or anything like that?