We have a week to decide...

[ladymon]

My DD is 16 years old and is heading into Grade 12 next year. For reasons I won't go into here... she has been "late" in reaching what appears to be the common path to becoming a professional dancer. We only ever heard of SI's starting last year which was when she decided to narrow her focus to ballet.

 

She has been accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet summer program which serves as an extended 2nd audition to join the school. We just received notice yesterday that her video audition for Boston Ballet worked in her favour and she was accepted there for the summer as well. Both programs run at the same time.

 

Together we have made the decision that if she gets accepted into a full time program for Grade 12 we will make it work because it really feels like it would be her last chance.

 

So... what do we do? We live in Canada and there seems to be very limited opportunities here. But at this stage this might bode better for a shot at a Ballet school for Grade 12. Sending her to Boston may not turn into an offer but 5 weeks of training there may be worth it. Especially if her training at home is good enough to get her into the summer program.

 

I have been reading alot of these message boards and there seems to be alot of experience out there. I would love any opinions or feedback that might help us make this decision (which we have a week to make).

 

Thanks in advance.

[avril]

Ladymom, Since your DD is from Canada and not graduate yet, I will suggest for her the Royal Winnipeg ballet summer program. Boston ballet is a bigger school ( number of students) but not sure that will give more oportunity for your Canadian DD !!!!!

[dbleon]

What level did she get placed in for the summer session?? Has she tried Quinte???

[ladymon]

What level did she get placed in for the summer session?? Has she tried Quinte???

 

Winnipeg appears to place girls based on age. She is in Program 3 (there are only 3 programs). Boston does a placement on the first day. I'm assuming she'll be in Advanced. They can see her age and I can't see them accepting her at this stage and placing her in a beginner's level (exaggerated to make my point(e)) hehe.

 

I've seen too many girls FROM Quinte trying to get in elsewhere for me to send her there over Winnipeg.

 

 

Ladymom, Since your DD is from Canada and not graduate yet, I will suggest for her the Royal Winnipeg ballet summer program. Boston ballet is a bigger school ( number of students) but not sure that will give more oportunity for your Canadian DD !!!!!

 

It's Ladymon btw

 

Can you expand on this? re: opportunities? I guess I'm looking for specific advice here. My logic is that she might be able to tap into a bigger dance network by going to Boston. Is that flawed thinking? I'm not being sarcastic. I really feel a bit lost.

 

And while I'm in here again, does anyone have any experience with the new Boarding School affiliated with Boston Ballet (The Grace Performing Arts Academy)? My DD is quite a strong academic student and I wouldn't want to lose that.

[avril]

Ladymon, previous experience makes me feel that to be in a bigger school is not as good as you think, Quinte is a very good quality training and give more individual attention to dancer than Boston !!!! Also that Boston is very Balanchine orriented but for a summer that is a good experience to be away from home for your DD....for the all year....really not sure for Boston !

 

Oh, and I would say , Quinte more than Winnipeg !

[Victoria Leigh]

Avril, I edited out the quotes because they are both not necessary and, in the case of the above post, confusing.

 

I must also tell you that we do not do comparisons of schools, programs, and companies here on Ballet Talk for Dancers. We provide all the information we have first hand, no rumors or things heard, and then it is for the poster to make their own decisions based on the information.

 

If your dancer has attended both Quinte and Boston, and can say first hand that, in her opinion, the quality and attention are better at one over the other, then that would be fine. Quality of training is subjective and therefore will be a matter of opinion rather than fact. And saying that Boston is very Balanchine oriented may not be quite accurate at this time either. Again, it needs to be first hand information, please.

[dancemaven]

And while I'm in here again, does anyone have any experience with the new Boarding School affiliated with Boston Ballet (The Grace Performing Arts Academy)?

 

What experiences or information we have collected on this Board will be found in the Boston Ballet thread in the Pre-Professional Schools/Residencies forum. Here's a link to the BB residency program:

Boston Ballet residency program

 

You might also find pertinent information in the other two threads connected to Boston Ballet's school in that forum, which is arranged alphabetically by school.

[avril]

Just want to say that everything that I wrote is accurate and it is fist hand information, having 2 DD who attempted Quinte, Winnipeg and Boston summer and year round program ! Of course, this is base on my personal observation !

[Victoria Leigh]

Thank you adding that information, avril. Still, just a caution to make sure that what you present is based on your opinion, or your DD's opinion, and not stated as fact. There really are no facts, in terms of quality, when comparing programs, only experiences and opinions.

[pj]

DD attended Boston last summer and I believe that I might have some information that you would find helpful in your decision making. You stated that your belief was that Boston would not have accepted your daughter at her age just to put her into a low level -- at least that is what I got from your post. Please feel free to disregard this advice if I have misinterpreted your meaning.

 

I would have to advise you to proceed with caution in that regard. DD had a 19 year-old friend in Boston who was placed last summer in level 6 of 10 levels (10 was the highest). Boston does not place by age, at least in our experience.

[avril]

I suggest that you ask the question to Boston Ballet school in order to have a confirmation about the level and the age placement.

 

I, either know some friends of my DD who were older than her and were placed in a lower level. Also be aware that some student may be offer a year round spot after the audition, but not it the intensive program !

 

This if firt-come, first-served basis ! Sometimes the student may be upgrade to the intensive program, but not sure that it is done very often at the age of your DD !

 

I want to say also that there is nothing like trying to see if your DD is at the right place for her, sometimes it is expensive but it is the only way to be sure !

[jmh4]

As an aside to an earlier post: While Boston Ballet (the company) has performed some Balanchine rep., Boston Ballet School and SDP are most definitely not Balanchine based programs.

[avril]

As an aside to an earlier post: While Boston Ballet (the company) has performed some Balanchine rep., Boston Ballet School and SDP are most definitely not Balanchine based programs.

 

So, please can you tell us if not Balanchine based programs, what is the curriculum based on ?

[ladymon]

I would have to advise you to proceed with caution in that regard. DD had a 19 year-old friend in Boston who was placed last summer in level 6 of 10 levels (10 was the highest). Boston does not place by age, at least in our experience.

 

Thank you! This is the sort of information that I am looking for. I am pretty new to this and it just seemed to me that a 17 year old dancer (which she will be next year) would be looked at with a view to the next few years (trainee program, BBII etc...) before she would be offered a spot in the summer program. I guess that's not necessarily the case.

 

I suspect my original post would lead people to do a side by side comparison and I apologize for that. I guess the side by side comparison I'm really looking for is dancing in Canada versus getting a toe hold (sorry... can't resist) in the US.

[jmh4]

Earlier years before the arrival of the current company artistic director, Boston Ballet School was a Vaganova based school. However, now it does not strictly follow one specific curriculum - i.e. it is neither Vaganova nor Balanchine. The company performs a variety of works, as do the school students in their Spring showcase.

 

ladymon,

Boston Ballet School holds an audition during SDP (I believe there are currently 11 levels in SDP) for students interested in attending the year round program. As is the case at many other schools, not all dancers accepted for the Summer will be invited for the year. If accepted, you are then told in which level you would be placed for the year.