About Dd's dance class

[Flutternotsoshy]

Sorry this is long!!!

DD 7 goes to a local dance class, has been attending for a year.

Over the summer they rebranded to a performing arts academy, DD isn't interested in acting, but still enjoys dance so all good. It's attached to a casting agency and the focus seems to be more on preparing for auditions and becoming famous now rather than learning to dance. I'm not overly happy with the pushy attitude and the fact that DD gets stage fright which the owner seems to find irritating.

However her school has had the Royal Ballet School in for the last half term working with the Y3s, and she's been invited to a final workshop with the possibility of lessons with the Royal Ballet School if she impresses.

She's one of only two girls in her class invites to attend this workshop so it's a big thing for her and I'm keen for her to go for the experience if nothing else. (DD is chuffed and really wants to go too, so I'm not pushing her in any way)

Problem is the new owner of her dance class is being snotty because it means she'll miss a week of normal dance (I'll obviously still pay for that week) and it's two weeks before the end of year performance.

Her actual dance teacher has encouraged her to go to the workshop, it's just the owner's attitude with me has been really off since I told her. If she didn't enjoy it so much (and if her actual teacher wasn't so lovely) then I'd probably be looking for a different school anyway. As she's there for the exercise and because she loves dancing, whereas the focus has changed more to "making it in the business"

So wwyd, do the workshop and ignore the owner, or start looking for alternate lessons??

I definitely put paragraphs in there! Where have they gone??

Let her do the royal ballet school workshop. Ignore the owner especially as her actual dance teacher is supportive

Go for the workshop, they should be proud that she has the chance regardless of missing a lesson. The new owner sounds precious and preoccupied with commerciality.

Ignore the owner. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity for your dd

Workshop. And ask around for other schools locally that are more ballet focused and less about auditions - mums of older dancers will know the local schools by reputation. You may not want to move her now, but it’s good to know your options.

I had to move dd after years at one dance school and it was a tough decision. But it’s opened up so much more for her, dance-wise. And she’s much happier.

Without a shadow of a doubt I would go to the workshop.

Thanks so much for the replies!

I'm definitely letting her do the workshop. And I'll have a look around at other schools for the future.

Don't want to move her straight away as her actual teacher is amazing, but if the class is going to be really focused on auditions in future then I think I'm going to have to. She's just not interested in being famous and performing on a stage apart from their small recitals. And I don't want her to feel pressured into it.

When you look at the other schools, you can definitely ask for a trial class, and also whether they do a summer school that would give your dd a taste of their teaching.

If you think she might become serious about ballet, it’s also worth asking about things like how many in the older / more advanced classes, whether the school has many students on Associate schemes or doing youth ballets.