Summer intensive residential courses in ballet and / or violin

[CruCru]

An old friend’s daughter did a week long intensive course at the Royal Ballet School over the summer and I was wondering if any of your children have also done this? My daughter is eight so too young right now but if she is still extremely keen on ballet in a couple of years, I might look into applying. I think Tring also do an intensive course in the summer but I don’t know whether it is the same sort of thing.

Her other big interest is violin. From memory I think there used to be summer residential school for string instruments as well but I don’t know whether coronavirus has put a stop to these. If any of you can recommend any, I’d be very grateful.

I don't have a DD, but I attended Royal Ballet summer schools a number of times when I was a child. It was a fantastic experience and I was lucky to be taught be some exceptional teachers. They did weigh us every day and ration food if anyone gained weight, but I doubt very much that happens nowadays!!

Gosh, when was that? Aren’t children supposed to put on weight (although perhaps not over one week) as they are still growing?

Glad to hear it was a good experience though!

Some local music schools do residentials so I'd check any local ones first. Not residential but I'd recommend the Benedetti Foundation for string instruments, they have some great online sessions and they have restarted face-to-face.

Well I'm 48 now, so a looooong time ago!! I loved it regardless and would actively encourage it.

I was taught by Dame Alicia Markova while there, and still remember the excitement of hearing she would be a guest teacher.

I hear pro corda mentioned here for strings. Also some of the conservatories and specialist schools will probably do courses eg Wells Cathedral, St Mary's music school. Royal conservatoire of Scotland used to do non residential but you could stay locally. There will also be lots of orchestra courses eg NYO, NCO. If you ask on the music thread there may be more detailed answers. No idea about ballet!

For a violinist I'd look for an orchestral or chamber course

Mine loved this one

www.ncmc.org.uk/about-ncmc.html

It would be hard to find somewhere prettier than Wells

wells.cathedral.school/international-string-week/

That looks amazing londonmummy1966, thank you so much - I'll add it to the list.

Yes, my dc have done lots of ballet summer schools, both residential and non. They certainly don’t weigh kids at royal summer school any more! They’re a lot of fun if you have a dance mad child, and they look forward to them every year, even though dc1 is almost too old for them now.

Sorry, recommendations! Royal is really hard to get in to. Tring, Elmhurst and Hammond all run them, also Ballet Boost, YBSS and Malvern Ballet Seminars are very high standard.

Yeah, Royal gets thousands of applications and people come from all over the world. Extremely difficult to get in. I think we applied for dd1 about six times, and she only ever got in once, off a waiting list, and by then she was already in full-time vocational ballet training anyway.

The others that pp's mention are all far easier to get into. There are some non-residential ones too, and there are also Easter schools and other short courses. Try searching on balletcoforum.

Royal Ballet Summer School is incredibly selective. Children audition from all over the world. Still if you don't try you never know.

I can highly recommend Malvern Ballet Seminars malvernballetseminars.co.uk/

My daughter also enjoyed Moorland School's summer school but it was only a week back then, I think they changed it to a fortnight.

YBSS used to be the only summer school that RBS allowed it's own students to attend.

Oh, I forgot, dd did Elmhurst one year too. She did Tring's MT summer school and hated it.

For this summer a lot of applications for dance summer schools have already closed. Royal and YBSS definitely have. Look at websites for the other schools that Variations mentioned, and put an application in for any that are still open. Depending on your DD’s age, there are residential and non-residential options, and selective and non-selective. (Photos are required for the selective intensives.) Residential is a lot of fun, and DD loves it! It’s a chance to live ‘ballet school life’ for a week but without the pressure of school work!
No idea about similar things for music, but I don’t think you will find a combined intensive for ballet and violin anywhere.

Another vote for ProCorda for violin. DD went for years and years, twice a year, and loved every minute. The centre in Suffolk is beautiful too.

Thank you so much. My daughter is still eight (year 3) so not quite ready for a residential yet. I love the look of Malvern - plus it is really close to where my sister in law lives.

Yes, I am sure the Royal Ballet is super hard to get into. For the application I’d have to take a bunch of photos of my daughter doing some prescribed poses so presumably they are looking for a particular body type. I can’t take the photos until she is ten at the earliest so I’ll only do that if she is still mega keen.

Not necessarily a specific body type but they are looking for things like proportions, torso length, spine alignment etc etc

YBSS have extended their application deadline to the 10th March, if you were wanting to apply.

Thank you! YBSS looks great - the earliest she could go would be nine.

For violin - another recommendation for Pro Corda here - both my DCs get a huge amount out of their courses each time. They take kids from 8 upwards.

NCO applications usually open around June time- they have an amazing programme this year. Residentials start with the U12 orchestra, but the projects weekends involve younger kids and are look like really great fun! They have lots of other activities through the year too.

NSSO in Malvern, Wells String week and European Youth Summer Music also worth checking out.

Glad to hear they don't do the weigh-ins any more! It does sound like the selection process is the same though, many photos of specified positions.

Again, I can't stress enough what a brilliant experience Royal Ballet is. Really special. Also has served me well in the 'tell us something interesting about yourself' icebreaker sessions at work.