Invitation to full-time program-need advice!

[Clara 76]

Perhaps- at least for that particular school's program he will be "behind" his cohorts, but provided his training at his home school is good, he will "catch up" later.

[ballerinomom]

Update: I ended up declining the offer for this year but have been feeling quite sick about it ever since. Such a tough decision! Truthfully, I am not sure the decision is going to hold, but we shall see...

[Thyme]

you can only do the best you can at the time. I think sometimes these things happen when the timing is right. Sometimes it is just about timing. tough decision for sure!

[expat123]

I know these decisions are nerve-wracking! Raising a child is a marathon experience and everything will work out in the end. For every very decision there are pros and cons. Everyone's journey will be different, but if it is meant to be your son will be successful no matter what! An American man- Brooklyn Mack- who just won the International Ballet Competition didn't start ballet until age 12, so I find it hard to believe that the decision between two good schools for a 10 year old might put him "behind."

[ballerinomom]

Thank you Thyme and Expat123 for making me feel a bit better. I hope I don't have too many more of these kinds of decisions to make along the way! For the record, it was a real squeaker of a decision -- if he didn't already go to such a good school, if they had offered some kind of merit scholarship (the school only offers needs-based subsidies), or if they had tried to woo me even a little bit (I actually found it to be quite the opposite - so impersonal and neutral that at one point I blurted out ; "what do you see in my son?") it might have gone the other way.

[Thyme]

I think your last comment on being so impersonal and neutral is important- to make such a big decision and trust an institution that doesnt have a good vibe is indeed a big call.

[ballerinomom]

The school does have a very good vibe and this is where my DS will go if I decide to let him attend a full-time pre-pro in future. Let me try to explain what I meant. I have no precedent for dealing with this particular type of offer, but I guess I was expecting some personal comments about my son's potential (instead they simply told me that he seems ready and shows qualities they are looking for in a professional dancer) and some attempt to persuade me that this would be a good thing for my son (especially since I was open about my concerns) - ie. some attempt to "sell" me on the idea. It could just be their very careful approach to dealing with an undecided parent or it could be that my DS is not a top pick (hence the lack of gushing over him) - in either case, it did not help me say yes.

[Thyme]

Well that could be a good thing- talking parents into these decisions cant be a good plan. We all love to hear how special our children are and that kind of stuff could sway us to make decisions we later regret. I find the dance world abit heavy on the 'gushy' stuff so maybe they are just more careful and respectful of the weight of the decision. Who knows!

[ballerinomom]

Thanks so much for another thoughtful response, Thyme! My Ds is going to another SI later this summer, so perhaps I will gain some perspective on his potential through that experience.

[Thyme]

sounds like a good idea. I have found that whole phenomenon of getting some perspective on potential a real emotional challenge. 'Are they just saying things to get me to sign up?' "Can I believe this?" It is hard to navigate that's for sure. So good luck with your journey ballerinomom. May the force be with you!

[sk8jdgca]

I've been interested in following your decision Ballerinomom as I feel that next year I will too be facely this same senerio for the same school next year at this time. Unlike you I don't live in the city so I am really not looking forward to the decision to send my 11 year old away for the 11 months. Are you glad you did the summer intensive this year? I am hoping that my son could go in that program in grade 9 and am worried that If I turn down grade 6, they may hold this against him. I'm leaning forward to doing a different SI next year but he wants to go back to his friends (He has already been acepted for next summer). He did love the program

[ballerinomom]

Sk8dgca: If your DS goes again next year, I truly hope you have an easier time of it than I did! To answer your question, yes I am glad he did the SI despite the outcome. It was an even better experience the second year for my DS and it furthered my understanding of the world of pre-professional ballet. I did not get the sense they would hold it against him in future. He has been encouraged to audition again this winter and it seemed to be a very sincere invitation. Not sure about waiting until Grade 9. I was only ever thinking about delaying until Grade 7 or 8. Please feel free to PM me when you build up your postings.

[expat123]

Do you mind if I ask- did your son audition for the year round program or get chosen from an SI? I wasn't aware of any big SI programs for kids under 11 or 12.

[ballerinomom]

He was chosen from the school's SI. The SI is a month-long audition for the full-time school.

 

[sk8jdgca]

This school starts in academic grade 6 year round however dancers entering grade 5 may be invited for the summer program only. My son was 9 and handled the 1 month living in residence 400Km away from home very well.