Central School Of Ballet application

[BWT]

after 2 years of taking ballet classes I'm thinking of applying to the Central School of ballet.

I read this article, a man(similar to me) who attended drop in classes(he was 22 years old) but then went on to study at central.

 

http://balletnews.co.uk/diarmaid-omeara-professional-dancer-interviewed/

 

However, I'm having trouble with the application for, which asks for most recend examination taken, level and grade.

As I haven't taken any examination I am unsure as what to write.

Any assistance would be greatley appreciated.

[Mulberry]

Can this be moved to Crosstalk, please?

[dancemaven]

Mulberry, it is the prerogative of the original poster to choose the Forum for the post, as long as it is an appropriate forum for the question.

[Clara 76]

Mulberry, you could answer the question here!

[Redbookish]

Hi, BWT. Central's application form looks like it's assuming that applicants are coming from one of a number of graded syllabi, such as the RAD, ISTD, or Cecchetti curricula. They'll give the staff at Central an idea of each applicant's level of achievement before audition. They may also be a way of selecting those who are invited to an audition from the many applications for places (bearing in mind that auditions etc are a huge use of resource in an educational institution, requiring a lot of staff and studio time etc).

 

I don't see why you can't just put N/A against those categories, and add in your own, [very] short sentence or two summarising your training so far, along the lines of:

 

 

Study at X studio, with Y and Z teachers, two years at the equivalent of RAD Intermediate (or whatever is appropriate, ask your teachers).

[Mulberry]

Ok! I was only suggesting it as I didn't think I could use this forum!

 

I have to say at the outset that I don't have any connection with Central (yet - this is one of the schools my DD will be auditioning for next year for entry when she is 16).

 

I'm not sure how much you already know about Central, but I am sure that you are aware that you need to be outstanding to be accepted at 16, which is the normal age of entry to first year. I am not aware of anyone being accepted recently into first year when significantly older than this. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen - just that I'm not aware of it! I think all of the schools audition everyone who applies as they don't want to miss out any potential talents. You will get a chance to show them what you are capable of in person, but I would make sure you are honest about your length of training so they can get a true picture and understanding of you in the audition.

 

Have you heard of the UK forum www.balletcoforum.com? If you have a look on there you will find a current thread about Central applications. You will also find that there are several parents of current students who are members of the forum who will know much more about the process and the school.

 

What my suggestion would be is to give a brief description of your current standard. That is what they are looking for when they ask for grade. It might be an idea to get your teacher to write a little report outlining your ballet training?

[dancemaven]

Mulberry, thank you for being thoughtful and aware of the 'restricted membership' Forums. Next time, if you are not a member of the designated membership group, you can forward your suggested post to a Moderator for consideration and the information will be passed on, if deemed appropriate and helpful.

[Mulberry]

I also suggested it because I thought the adult student forum is not so much for vocational students? I would guess that anyone on the forum who has any connection to Central is likely to either be a parent, a teacher or an older teenage (full time) student.