English National Ballet School

[Guest daNsE]

We had very similar decisions to make with our 16 year old daughter who is also very academically able as well as talented at ballet and we walked the tightrope of balancing dance and school work. [...] Now she is leaving mainstream school and will start full time ballet training at the English National Ballet School in September...

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To cjoddy~

I have been offered a place at the English National Ballet School for September 2005 and am seriously considering accepting it. But like your daughter I am quite academic, and making the leap out of full-time school would be very scary! I would really appreciate any advice you could give me: did your daughter enjoy ENB and benefit from her time there? Does the school have any major disadvantages? What's the general mood like?

I would be very grateful for your insights. Please reply to this, or feel free to email me.

Thank you!

daNsE

(I am new and have no idea whether I have posted this in the right place! If not I am very sorry!!!)

[balletbooster]

Welcome to Ballet Talk, daNsE and congratulations on your acceptance to ENB! I'm moving your post here, where we discuss year-round residency programs, in hopes that you might get more responses from both parents and students with experience at the school. (Also, the post you responded to is 3 years old, so this will give you more visibility with those who might have more recent experience with the school, as well .)

[DON HO]

Don't have much knowledge of the school, however just this week DD mentioned that a dancer from their company was rehearsing at her studio and was fantastic. Congrats on this acceptance.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

You can still do your A-level in dance at ENB school. I suppose you are in the 16-18 age range - so even if a professional career as a dancer does not work out you have plenty of time to start an academic career. Good luck

[born2bprima]

Wow!!

Congratulations, that is a wonderful accomplishment, unfortunately i have no help to offer you, but that is such an amazing oppurtunity!!!

[Balletmartyr]

I can't make any comments in regards to the program, but I saw the movie, "The Upside of Anger" with Kevin Costner and Joan Allen-it has a small ballet sequence in it. One of the daughters in the movie is a ballerina played by Keri Russell. The family goes to a ballet. The credits list the dancers from The National Ballet of England. It was nice!

I thought the movie was entertaining...

Sorry if this is way off the subject!

[Hamorah]

We had a girl student who studied at ENB for two years and she was very happy there and received excellent training. The advantage of studying in a school attached to a company is that you have more chance of getting accepted into the company at the end of your training and I believe you get a chance to dance as extras with the company in your final year.

 

May I suggest that you contact the school and ask them about anything that is not clearly explained on their web-site. I am sure they would be happy to answer your questions. Have you gone round the school? You can learn a lot from visiting and watching classes and perhaps meeting current students. It's a big step to take, but I personally think that it's an important one if you are serious about making dancing your career. And if it doesn't work out you can always go to University at a later age. By the way, on their site they state that students take their A level in Dance and also a national certificate in dance and that "Additional subjects may be studied by arrangement with the Director but financial responsibility for this may lie with parents for certain subjects". You only need three A levels to get into uni, so it doesn't seem that it would disrupt your education too much.

 

Anyway, congratulations! It's an excellent achievement to be accepted there.

[Renata]

Hi.

Is anyone familiar with the English National Ballet School in London? I am seeking information about the training there and what a student's schedule for study would be like there? I am aware that they have just appointed a new director, but have the teachers and or program been changed recently as well. Any information that you can provide would be appreciated. If you are more comfortable, feel free to PM.

Thanks alot for your time.

[balletbooster]

I emailed at the address on their website a couple of years ago and they sent me a nice brochure about their program. As I recall, the director also wrote me back to say that they did not have a summer program. This may have changed, as it was a couple of years ago.

[Renata]

Thank you for taking the time to reply Balletbooster. If you are interested they do have a short spring program.

 

However, I am interested in the full year round program which has historically been for two years. I recently learned that they may be changing the program somewhat so if anyone is a student there and could help guide me, I would be most appreciative.

[balletbooster]

Thanks REnata. I do recall being told about the spring program, but it did not coincide with our American school schedule.

 

The brochure they sent me was about the year-round program and included audition information. Sorry I can't help with any changes that they might be planning. But, if you find out more about the program, come back here and share it with the rest of us!

[R.Mc]

Hi

 

ENB school has indeed historically been for two years, although I think they are in the process of adding a third year, but not sure when this is coming into operation.

The course is intended to fully preapare advanced students for entry to a ballet comapny on completion at the school.

 

The competition for a place at the school is intense, and students are typically 16 when they begin the course.

 

The students take daily ballet classes, pas de deux, pilates, pointe, contemporary dance, jazz and more.

 

THe school has a very good reputatation and I have many friends who are enjoying the course.

[Renata]

Hi R.Mc!

Thanks for your informative post. I appreciated it. My DD has already been accepted to the ENB School and to a number of other European Ballet Schools through a recent video audition. Unfortunately, because it is video audtion, she did not get a chance to interact with the teachers and to get a sense of the schools, and they are all on holiday break now. So we are trying to get information about the general atmosphere of several schools and to attempt to make some kind of decision about where she should go in September.

 

Since you are new to this board, you do not yet have "private message" status. But, you appear to have more information about ENB School than others in the US and I wondered if you could please email me at my email which is

RenataBermuda@hotmail.com

 

Thanks to everyone at BalletAlert for this helpful board.

Renata

[balletbooster]

Renata,

Congratulations to your daughter on her acceptance! I hope you will let us know what she decides and keep us posted on the upcoming year. It sounds like she has an exciting year ahead of her!

[Renata]

Thank you Balletbooster for your kind words. I will post when the decision is made. In the meantime, I hope to use these boards to gather as much information as possible.

Again, thank you.

Renata