What could DD do with an HND in Dance.....

[NigellasGhost]

if it all goes pear-shaped and for whatever reason (injury for example) she can't perform? DD wants to apply to do this, starting in Sept, instead of going to sixth form. Here is some of the course blurb:

"this course prepares you for a performing career in dance. You will study the HND Professional Stage Dance which provides you with a breadth of dance and theatre arts training, including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, acting and singing. You will have the opportunity to make your own choreography, undertake research into the social and political context of dance pieces and be assessed in audition technique."

would this kind of thing be a good move considering 1) it would mean A'levels would not be studied 2) there is a 3rd year in which it gets converted into a degree.

Any thoughts would be most welcome!!

[sashh]

It's unusual to do an HND without a level 3 course first but I do know sometimes this happens with dance. I know of someone who went at 16 to a residential course ffor level 3 but was transferred to the degree course and graduated at 19.

BUT big BUT the funding available is HE funding so if she does a 'top up' degree in one year afterwards she will get her fees paid, but if she does a different degree she will have to pay the full £9K fees and living expenses on top.

If this is privately funded (I know some are) then you still come unstuck with the HE regs because they go on you having a degree (or HNC/D DipHE etc) not any money paid. So it's possible to have never had any HE funding and still not be ineligible.

There used to be a clause that if you became disabled you could do a second degree (thinking injury here) but that has gone too.

So if she is in anyway unsure you both need to think about this seriously.

There are other careers linked to dance/theatre that are not dance, someone has to design, make and maintain costumes and sets. Someone has to do make up. Someone has to sell programmes. Someone has to supply clothes to learners. Someone has to get a touring company from one venue to another.

I don't know if she could take out an insurance policy against injury to fund a course if that did happen.

At the end of the day this is an academic qualification, and many jobs only require a degree, in any subject.

Education is something you can do at any age, dance isn't.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

This particular HND is aimed at 16 year olds who have just taken GCSEs.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP

I can't help you with a specific course, but afaik the HND level courses are the ones taken after A levels/ equivalent level 3 courses such as BTEC Nationals etc.
The HND in some cases can be topped up to a normal degree in a year. However, it would take about 18 months full time study to gain an Hons Degree from HND because of the dissertation/project whichever the course offered.

[NigellasGhost]

No - I've not visited that! I will have a look tomorrow. Katymac sounds familiar from Balletco...
Thank you for your advice! And everyone else who has replied

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I would definatly try for some of the dada schools too in that case.

As you say though - so many children. Have you seen the parents of performers thread in extra curricular activities? Katymacs dd is auditioning for next Sept too.

[NigellasGhost]

that's assuming she even gets offered a place at any of these schools! so many children auditioning for so few places.......

[NigellasGhost]

ah that's right - I remember something about £70k.
We definitely have less than £70k coming in per year, so perhaps we might get some funding if it gets that far. But even with places like Ballet West, you still have to pay for accommodation which is quite a lot. And you don't get the full £9k of funding for the course fees because it is a privately run course. Although I think central might be different.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

The changes are to do with income thresholds. The sliding scale of how much you pay depending on parental income has changed a lot.

From what I know (dh has taught at several colleges who offer dadas) there are still plenty if awards just more people earn too much to be entitled to any help.

[NigellasGhost]

Yes, that's right...so Central and Rambert as well.
There are a few DaDa's to be had still though, aren't there? I don't get what the changes were, exactly. Did they just say there would be fewer DaDa's?

[NigellasGhost]

DD currently at "normal" school and managing to keep the ballet training up to the required level in the evenings and weekends - but at sixth form will HAVE to go to a vocational school full-time. although ballet is her first love, the bottom line is she wants to be a dancer, so perhaps contemporary will be the direction she takes. However, it's scary thinking about how many dancers there are out there as opposed to how many jobs. Each year I think perhaps this is the year she decides it's not for her anymore... but it has never happened! This has been going on since Year 3.... (and before that too, when I think about it)..

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I take it you are looking at HND/degree courses because of the DaDa changes?

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Surely she must realise that children such as your dd will be considering those options. Is she at a 'normal' school at the moment?

I have only heard good things about Ballet West though its a bit middle of nowhere.

My dd has aspirations in musical theatre so lots of different options at 16. She's only really in voc school now at 12 as she wasn't fitting in at normal school - if she changes her mind in a few years time that's fine by us.

[NigellasGhost]

Yes I am! I can't ask too much on there as I know the director of dance of DD's current school looks on there, and of course I don't want them knowing we are definitely thinking of auditioning for alternatives for 6th form (which will be next September). I've searched the archives quite a bit however.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Are you on balleco. Loads of good advice on there.

[NigellasGhost]

sorry - you said Year 7 ....

[Picturesinthefirelight]

She's in Year 7 - so just started on the rocky path.

[NigellasGhost]

OK I know it!
how old is she?

[NigellasGhost]

the retraining or topping up in the future could be a problem though Pictures, as she would have used up her government funding.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My dd is at a school beginning with H.

[NigellasGhost]

Um yes it is!

Their degree is being reinstated apparently.

DD will also be auditioning at Central however......

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Is it Ballet West? I know someone who went there is now at Central as there was a problem with their degree accreditation. He went at 16.

If that's your dds vocation & she's good enough to get in then go for it. She can always retrain/top up to a degree later.

[NigellasGhost]

thanks Pictures, that's exactly correct.

[NigellasGhost]

that doesn't surprise me, bookish - the discipline is unbelievable especially in ballet, which is DD's preferred dance form (for now). Can't see her as anything financial however, since she's dyslexic and maths is a weak subject.
LittleBairn, I was thinking of the fashion course (or something similar) after the course I refer to in my OP. The first course (in OP) would be done instead of A'levels. A year or so after completion, DD would have an idea whether she's likely to have a performance career, and if not, it would be at that point that something else could be considered.... journalism as you suggest, or something fashion/costume oriented...

[Picturesinthefirelight]

It's a bit different for dance though titchy. There are quite a few degree equivalent courses aimed at 16 year olds as they need to be done and out there auditioning by 19 (short career etc etc)

[Picturesinthefirelight]

The school dd goes to offers the Trinity Diploma alongside up to 2 a levels (or a Zumba teaching qualification for those who don't want to do A levels). But that's way ahead in the future for us as she's only year 7!