Dance Parents

[Farrar]

Good luck at YAGP, @snickerplum! Tell us how it goes!

Yep, we're in the SI season. We have one acceptance already for Ballet West. Waiting to hear from Boston, Nashville, and Houston. SFB is on Friday. Then... maybe we'll be done. I dunno. He loathed the Boston audition for the second year (only went because a teacher urged him) so that's a no go. Loved Ballet West. But then loved Houston and now that's his top pick. Sigh. That one is SIX weeks instead of five. I don't know about Houston, y'all. I'm a little worried about the culture there. Not the Texas culture, but the specific boy ballet locker room culture. It can be bad some places. I hear it's good at Ballet West. I have no idea about Houston but all the boys we know who have gone are bullies. But it's admittedly a small set.

@mommyoffive, that's a LOT of SI auditions. That cost adds up!

Edited January 14, 2020 by Farrar

[moonflower]

Hey, I am not a Dance Parent but the local youth ballet training center (dance academy?  not sure what you call these places) came to my DD8's school in Dec. and performed a scene or two of the Nutcracker.  Of course they told them when they'd be performing, etc., and DD8 was enchanted, so off we went to see the Warrensburg, Missouri Dance Academy (or some other name) perform the Nutcracker.  Warrensburg has like 20k people and draws probably 40k more from surrounding small towns.  I was not expecting much.  I'd seen the Nutcracker performed by the KC Ballet many years before and was honestly bored to tears, so I was just hoping not to have the baby make too much noise and planning to suffer through it for DD8 (and DD14).  

It was wonderful!  Tickets were so reasonable (I think $12) and of course you can get much better seats than you can for a profession production.  Costumes must have cost the parents a small fortune, but the set was pretty basic so maybe they saved money there.  Anyway, it was really well done and quite charming.  I think for nonserious ballet watchers, the thing is, we don't really get the difference between fancy dance moves and not too fancy dance moves anyway, so it was all pretty impressive.  Even the best dancers were clearly students.

I just wanted to say for all of you who shepherd your kids through countless practices and recitals to put on a Nutcracker at Christmas, it was totally worth it from a non-invested audience POV!

[Miss Tick]

Oh, hey, you all! Our Nutcracker is late, first weekend of January, so we are just now done. Older dd had two SI tryouts this weekend. I can't guide her since I don't know anything about ballet, but these are both within reasonable driving distance, and being in the Midwest we can afford them. I think she should do one more to round it out.

She is also preparing for her second YAGP. The director pulls costumes from her crazy-deep costume collection, most of which she has seen herself over the years. I am intrigued at the construction of a tutu, but I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of making one for competition. Kudos to you, @Snickerplum!

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, Farrar said:

Good luck at YAGP, @snickerplum! Tell us how it goes!

Yep, we're in the SI season. We have one acceptance already for Ballet West. Waiting to hear from Boston, Nashville, and Houston. SFB is on Friday. Then... maybe we'll be done. I dunno. He loathed the Boston audition for the second year (only went because a teacher urged him) so that's a no go. Loved Ballet West. But then loved Houston and now that's his top pick. Sigh. That one is SIX weeks instead of five. I don't know about Houston, y'all. I'm a little worried about the culture there. Not the Texas culture, but the specific boy ballet locker room culture. It can be bad some places. I hear it's good at Ballet West. I have no idea about Houston but all the boys we know who have gone are bullies. But it's admittedly a small set.

@mommyoffive, that's a LOT of SI auditions. That cost adds up!

 

Oh I didn't know that about Houston.  Hmm.  I had put it on the off list because of the housing situation.  My son is young and I wanted something really taken care of for him.  I read that one housing only had breakfast and dinner and the other had nothing.  He isn't ready for that right now.  But everyone says that Houston has a good boys program, which is something we are looking for.   Do you know of any others that have a bad culture?   That is something I would like to stay away from for both my dds and ds.   

That is good that he can figure out if he likes a place by the audition.   Your son doesn't want to go back to PBT again this summer?    Your son is 15 right?  Wow that is great that you guys got so many auditions done with already, nice when they are all not spread out.  

It sure does add up when you have multiple dancers.   Sometimes we have 3 auditioning.   We will see.  I think if get an offer for a place they liked in the start then we will not keep looking.   Plus it is 4 hours round trip to the closest auditioning city.    The reason is we just don't know what to expect.  My 2 older kids only auditioned for 2 places last year.  Ballet Chicago and a local one.   They got into both of them.   I think once we start doing some more they will have so more ideas on ones they can get into and ones they can't.  I know it changes from year to year, but maybe it will give them some guiding points.  

Edited January 14, 2020 by mommyoffive

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, snickerplum said:

Oldest DD has done 2 auditions so far and we have one more in a few weeks. We’re being choosy. She thought both went well, but the proof is in the acceptance letters, right? 😊 She had fun, however it turns out. 
We don’t have spring shows coming up (we are at a new studio that doesn’t do performances), but she’s getting ready for YAGP (first one). While she’s rehearsing I’m working on her tutu (yikes).  Pray for me. 😂
 

 

Good luck with YAGP.  Our school doesn't do that.  I kind of wish they did.      Good luck with the last audition.   Did she go away last year?    If anyone wants to share reviews of places their kids went away to that would be awesome. 

[mommyoffive]

9 hours ago, moonflower said:

Hey, I am not a Dance Parent but the local youth ballet training center (dance academy?  not sure what you call these places) came to my DD8's school in Dec. and performed a scene or two of the Nutcracker.  Of course they told them when they'd be performing, etc., and DD8 was enchanted, so off we went to see the Warrensburg, Missouri Dance Academy (or some other name) perform the Nutcracker.  Warrensburg has like 20k people and draws probably 40k more from surrounding small towns.  I was not expecting much.  I'd seen the Nutcracker performed by the KC Ballet many years before and was honestly bored to tears, so I was just hoping not to have the baby make too much noise and planning to suffer through it for DD8 (and DD14).  

It was wonderful!  Tickets were so reasonable (I think $12) and of course you can get much better seats than you can for a profession production.  Costumes must have cost the parents a small fortune, but the set was pretty basic so maybe they saved money there.  Anyway, it was really well done and quite charming.  I think for nonserious ballet watchers, the thing is, we don't really get the difference between fancy dance moves and not too fancy dance moves anyway, so it was all pretty impressive.  Even the best dancers were clearly students.

I just wanted to say for all of you who shepherd your kids through countless practices and recitals to put on a Nutcracker at Christmas, it was totally worth it from a non-invested audience POV!

 

That is so sweet.   It is great to get a reminder on that, when you are slogging through all the classes, rehearsals, and shows.  Glad you enjoyed it. 

[mommyoffive]

21 minutes ago, SusanC said:

Oh, hey, you all! Our Nutcracker is late, first weekend of January, so we are just now done. Older dd had two SI tryouts this weekend. I can't guide her since I don't know anything about ballet, but these are both within reasonable driving distance, and being in the Midwest we can afford them. I think she should do one more to round it out.

She is also preparing for her second YAGP. The director pulls costumes from her crazy-deep costume collection, most of which she has seen herself over the years. I am intrigued at the construction of a tutu, but I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of making one for competition. Kudos to you, @Snickerplum!

 

Neat that you just got done with Nutcracker.   What SIs did your dd tryout for?  

Neat that you have already done YAGP.  What are your thoughts on it?   

[Miss Tick]

She auditioned for Nashville and Louisville. She has been accepted to Nashville previously, but this year I think she will actually go somewhere. She is thinking about trying out for either Boston or Cincinnati. She dances 20 hours a week, but doesn't see dance as her career. I'm not sure what her likelihood is of getting accepted to the SIs, but the tryout classes sound intriguing.

YAGP is an interesting experience. Dancing solo in a big theater, and seeing so many other dancers and the range of skills is all educational. They picked her variation in August and she has been rehearsing once or twice a week since then. The dedication to a single, specific task over a long time period is a useful experience. BUT, it is expensive, most pieces are between 1 and 2 minutes of performance time (so high cost per hour!), and it means a bit more dancing during the week. I counseled against a second year, but she thought she could do better now that she knows how it works. Eventually I agreed, after explaining that she needed to stay on top of school work so that I wouldn't regret a second year. I should say that the cost of YAGP includes a master class on Saturday after the contest, so there is that.

[Farrar]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Oh I didn't know that about Houston.  Hmm.  I had put it on the off list because of the housing situation.  My son is young and I wanted something really taken care of for him.  I read that one housing only had breakfast and dinner and the other had nothing.  He isn't ready for that right now.  But everyone says that Houston has a good boys program, which is something we are looking for.   Do you know of any others that have a bad culture?   That is something I would like to stay away from for both my dds and ds.   

That is good that he can figure out if he likes a place by the audition.   Your son doesn't want to go back to PBT again this summer?    Your son is 15 right?  Wow that is great that you guys got so many auditions done with already, nice when they are all not spread out.  

It sure does add up when you have multiple dancers.   Sometimes we have 3 auditioning.   We will see.  I think if get an offer for a place they liked in the start then we will not keep looking.   Plus it is 4 hours round trip to the closest auditioning city.    The reason is we just don't know what to expect.  My 2 older kids only auditioned for 2 places last year.  Ballet Chicago and a local one.   They got into both of them.   I think once we start doing some more they will have so more ideas on ones they can get into and ones they can't.  I know it changes from year to year, but maybe it will give them some guiding points.  

I genuinely don't know if it's a good or bad culture there... I have heard that the Rock is not so nice and also that Boston might not be. But I'm sure it changes with the crop of kids every year. It's just on my radar because my kid left a studio with a very toxic boy culture. I worried about that a lot before Pittsburgh last summer and it turned out to be great. The six weeks was like, eek, but my dancer is on board. PBT is so generous with scholarships for the boys. Your ds should definitely try out there. They do feed them every meal except for lunch on Sundays - the day off - and there were some younger boys there. Just a ton of boys in general. Good supervision. Getting that Sunday lunch was no big deal. If you were worried, you could literally order a pizza for them. But a lot of the time, that's the day they do the excursions, so if you sign up for those, then you just want to send them with cash anyway. The facilities were gorgeous. The dorms were basically fine too - the boys' dorm had a pool table (exciting) and my kid made a bunch of friends. It was a great program. Ds just wants to stretch his wings, so to speak, and try new things.

I can't imagine driving that far, though I guess I would. I complained about having to take him to a different studio like ten minutes further away for the Houston audition. Lol.

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, SusanC said:

She auditioned for Nashville and Louisville. She has been accepted to Nashville previously, but this year I think she will actually go somewhere. She is thinking about trying out for either Boston or Cincinnati. She dances 20 hours a week, but doesn't see dance as her career. I'm not sure what her likelihood is of getting accepted to the SIs, but the tryout classes sound intriguing.

YAGP is an interesting experience. Dancing solo in a big theater, and seeing so many other dancers and the range of skills is all educational. They picked her variation in August and she has been rehearsing once or twice a week since then. The dedication to a single, specific task over a long time period is a useful experience. BUT, it is expensive, most pieces are between 1 and 2 minutes of performance time (so high cost per hour!), and it means a bit more dancing during the week. I counseled against a second year, but she thought she could do better now that she knows how it works. Eventually I agreed, after explaining that she needed to stay on top of school work so that I wouldn't regret a second year. I should say that the cost of YAGP includes a master class on Saturday after the contest, so there is that.

 

Good luck to her on the ones she auditioned for.  I don't think that I have heard anything about Louisville.   There is little to no help at our school and not that many people go away for summer.  I think maybe 8 did last year.  Plus we lost almost all our older dancers so there is a lot being passed down. 

YAGP sounds like a great thing.  That is great that your studio is helping them get into that. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

I genuinely don't know if it's a good or bad culture there... I have heard that the Rock is not so nice and also that Boston might not be. But I'm sure it changes with the crop of kids every year. It's just on my radar because my kid left a studio with a very toxic boy culture. I worried about that a lot before Pittsburgh last summer and it turned out to be great. The six weeks was like, eek, but my dancer is on board. PBT is so generous with scholarships for the boys. Your ds should definitely try out there. They do feed them every meal except for lunch on Sundays - the day off - and there were some younger boys there. Just a ton of boys in general. Good supervision. Getting that Sunday lunch was no big deal. If you were worried, you could literally order a pizza for them. But a lot of the time, that's the day they do the excursions, so if you sign up for those, then you just want to send them with cash anyway. The facilities were gorgeous. The dorms were basically fine too - the boys' dorm had a pool table (exciting) and my kid made a bunch of friends. It was a great program. Ds just wants to stretch his wings, so to speak, and try new things.

I can't imagine driving that far, though I guess I would. I complained about having to take him to a different studio like ten minutes further away for the Houston audition. Lol.

 

Thank you for that review.  PBT is on our list to do, so hopefully we make it there.  A scholarship would be awesome. He had 2 offers of scholarship last year, but I don't know how likely that is from year to year.  And from bigger places.   Nashville seems generous with their boys too right?   I think ds would love a place with tons of boys.  There are 4 boys his age or older in his ballet school.  One is just starting out, and the other two are older.    He was the only boy for the 4 weeks of SI he did at the home studio.  So that is something I am really looking for him is a good men's program.  This is the first year he has had men's class and he is grown so much in just a semester of it.  

That is great your ds wants to try new things.  I have heard that is what a lot of dancers do try all different ones to see where they fit.  Plus I bet you learn a ton doing that.   

Yeah we live in a small town so it is bit of a hike.   There are not many auditions in our state (maybe 2) , so we have to go to another state to do them.  I so wish I lived closer to a great ballet school.  2 plus hours of driving everyday really is horrible. 

[fourisenough]

I forgot about this thread! It’s always good to ‘know’ others going through the crazy ballet audition season! 

My DD is only auditioning for 3 programs this summer: SAB & PNB are done and Chautauqua is not until 2/1. She landed at MCB for the year-round program this year, and would be very happy to stay there for the summer, so we’re not casting a very wide net. We’re intrigued by CHQ and it is certainly better summer weather in western NY than Miami, IMHO! I have family she could live with in Seattle, making PNB a good budget option. She’s been to SAB the last two summers and would really like to do something different; It was great training, but such a pressure cooker environment, not a lot of hours, and no performance opportunities. 
 

Anyway, merde to everyone! Pop back in with summer plans after all the dust settles. 

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, fourisenough said:

I forgot about this thread! It’s always good to ‘know’ others going through the crazy ballet audition season! 

My DD is only auditioning for 3 programs this summer: SAB & PNB are done and Chautauqua is not until 2/1. She landed at MCB for the year-round program this year, and would be very happy to stay there for the summer, so we’re not casting a very wide net. We’re intrigued by CHQ and it is certainly better summer weather in western NY than Miami, IMHO! I have family she could live with in Seattle, making PNB a good budget option. She’s been to SAB the last two summers and would really like to do something different; It was great training, but such a pressure cooker environment, not a lot of hours, and no performance opportunities. 
 

Anyway, merde to everyone! Pop back in with summer plans after all the dust settles. 

 

Oh wow, that is so neat that she was at MCB for the year.  Was it her first year away?  How does she like it there?   Is she just able to stay at MCB for the summer?   

Ugh that is sad to hear about SAB.  We crossed PNB off the list for summer.  It seemed like the youngest lower level didn't have many hours.  I didn't know that SAB didn't either.  Sad to hear it is pressure cooker too.  Is Miami not like that at all? 

[maize]

Irish dancers here, we have a feis coming up at the beginning of February and it will be my kids' first time competing in almost two years (long hiatus because of changing schools twice among other things).

I'd been wondering if we could really continue with dance as other interests have been taking more and more of my kids' time--especially Martial arts. They've resisted my suggestions that it might be time to move on though. Then this past week their Irish dance school moved to a new studio--one that shares a parking lot with our Martial arts studio. This simplifies family logistics considerably as it is much closer than the old studio and eliminates the several times per week when I had to drive back and forth between the two studios to get kids to their various classes. 

All of which adds up to dance becoming a more sustainable commitment.

[mommyoffive]

28 minutes ago, maize said:

Irish dancers here, we have a feis coming up at the beginning of February and it will be my kids' first time competing in almost two years (long hiatus because of changing schools twice among other things).

I'd been wondering if we could really continue with dance as other interests have been taking more and more of my kids' time--especially Martial arts. They've resisted my suggestions that it might be time to move on though. Then this past week their Irish dance school moved to a new studio--one that shares a parking lot with our Martial arts studio. This simplifies family logistics considerably as it is much closer than the old studio and eliminates the several times per week when I had to drive back and forth between the two studios to get kids to their various classes. 

All of which adds up to dance becoming a more sustainable commitment.

 

That is a dream come true.  Awesome.   Do all your kids dance?  

Edited January 14, 2020 by mommyoffive

[maize]

15 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

That is a dream come true.  Awesome.   Do all your kid dance?  

Yes, all except the two year old but he can start once he turns three.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, maize said:

Yes, all except the two year old but he can start once he turns three.

 

Oh my gosh that is so cute. 

[Ailaena]

1 hour ago, fourisenough said:

 

Anyway, merde to everyone!

I have a 4yo and dd was a gymnast, but for whatever reason, I keep on reading this thread over the years. Thanks to you all for supporting your kids in the arts!!

Sooo is this phrase a dance thing or a typo?  either way, it just cracked me right up 😛

[maize]

19 minutes ago, Ailaena said:

I have a 4yo and dd was a gymnast, but for whatever reason, I keep on reading this thread over the years. Thanks to you all for supporting your kids in the arts!!

Sooo is this phrase a dance thing or a typo?  either way, it just cracked me right up 😛

I bet it's a funny autocorrect.

I use the swipe feature on my phone a lot and sometimes end up with the weirdest things when I go back and read what comes out.

[fourisenough]

31 minutes ago, Ailaena said:

Sooo is this phrase a dance thing or a typo?  either way, it just cracked me right up 😛

Nope, entirely intentional! If you know, you know. If you don’t, here’s a reference:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dancespirit.com/history-of-merde-2630567236.amp.html

[maize]

14 minutes ago, fourisenough said:

Nope, entirely intentional! If you know, you know. If you don’t, here’s a reference:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dancespirit.com/history-of-merde-2630567236.amp.html

Ah!

Not an Irish dance thing. The only inside stuff we've got is knowing how to pronounce words like feis and oireachtas 😉

[edelweiss]

2 hours ago, fourisenough said:

I forgot about this thread! It’s always good to ‘know’ others going through the crazy ballet audition season! 

My DD is only auditioning for 3 programs this summer: SAB & PNB are done and Chautauqua is not until 2/1. She landed at MCB for the year-round program this year, and would be very happy to stay there for the summer, so we’re not casting a very wide net. We’re intrigued by CHQ and it is certainly better summer weather in western NY than Miami, IMHO! I have family she could live with in Seattle, making PNB a good budget option. She’s been to SAB the last two summers and would really like to do something different; It was great training, but such a pressure cooker environment, not a lot of hours, and no performance opportunities. 
 

Anyway, merde to everyone! Pop back in with summer plans after all the dust settles. 

My daughter has attended both CHQ and PNB.  She loved both of them!  Only CHQ has performance opportunities though, so she might prefer that over PNB.  

[Farrar]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Oh wow, that is so neat that she was at MCB for the year.  Was it her first year away?  How does she like it there?   Is she just able to stay at MCB for the summer?   

Ugh that is sad to hear about SAB.  We crossed PNB off the list for summer.  It seemed like the youngest lower level didn't have many hours.  I didn't know that SAB didn't either.  Sad to hear it is pressure cooker too.  Is Miami not like that at all? 

SAB is pretty much the best of the best here in the states... I think it's inevitable that it's a pressure cooker because it's just so elite. I haven't heard that about Miami. They're both Balanchine, though I don't think that's got much to do with it.

[fourisenough]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Oh wow, that is so neat that she was at MCB for the year.  Was it her first year away?  How does she like it there?   Is she just able to stay at MCB for the summer?   

Ugh that is sad to hear about SAB.  We crossed PNB off the list for summer.  It seemed like the youngest lower level didn't have many hours.  I didn't know that SAB didn't either.  Sad to hear it is pressure cooker too.  Is Miami not like that at all? 

Sort of... Last year she lived with relatives out-of-state and trained in a semi-private coaching situation. This was the first year away at a company-affiliated school, living with a roommate (and roommate’s mom). She really loves MCB so far. She’s dealing with some knee pain, but is learning to take care of her body, do her PT exercises, and advocate for herself when needed, etc.

Yes, the year-round students may stay for MCB’s SI, or they can go away. The pre-pro program does not feel intensely competitive. They all seem kind, respectful, and supportive of one another. Naturally, they will eventually be competing with one another for jobs, but it isn’t cut-throat and unfriendly.

What makes summer at SAB feel like a pressure cooker is the fact that everyone 14 years and older is being evaluated for year-round spots at SAB. They all want it so badly, so it’s like a 5-week long audition. I was thrilled with where DD landed. She’s getting great training, more hours, lots more sunshine, in a more laid-back place.

My DD went to PNB SI in 2017 as a 12 year old. She had only been dancing about 1 year at that point, so the limited hours that Level IV danced was just perfect for her. She improved dramatically and loved every minute of it. As a bonus, she got to spend 5-weeks with her same aged cousins in Seattle, so we would be very happy to return there!

 

[Farrar]

@fourisenough, that's nice to hear about the more supportive atmosphere at MCB. That's definitely what the trainees seem like at Washington Ballet. It's a lot less cutthroat than it probably seems to outsiders. Yeah, they're competing for jobs and trying to outdo each other on one level... but there's also a collaborative spirit that I wouldn't have expected among the young people at the top. Like, when ds had his first big school performance solo this year, I realized that all the pre-trainee boys he has classes with (who are the level up from him) peeked in the back for him and they snapped when he really nailed something. It was one of the sweetest things about watching it.

[lulubelle]

My dd just had Houston audition Friday.  Last year she was wait listed and she’s hoping to get in.  Also CHQ this weekend and Boston the following.  She hasn’t gone away for SI before, just local stuff so she really is hoping for it.  Good luck to everyone.

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, fourisenough said:

Sort of... Last year she lived with relatives out-of-state and trained in a semi-private coaching situation. This was the first year away at a company-affiliated school, living with a roommate (and roommate’s mom). She really loves MCB so far. She’s dealing with some knee pain, but is learning to take care of her body, do her PT exercises, and advocate for herself when needed, etc.

Yes, the year-round students may stay for MCB’s SI, or they can go away. The pre-pro program does not feel intensely competitive. They all seem kind, respectful, and supportive of one another. Naturally, they will eventually be competing with one another for jobs, but it isn’t cut-throat and unfriendly.

What makes summer at SAB feel like a pressure cooker is the fact that everyone 14 years and older is being evaluated for year-round spots at SAB. They all want it so badly, so it’s like a 5-week long audition. I was thrilled with where DD landed. She’s getting great training, more hours, lots more sunshine, in a more laid-back place.

My DD went to PNB SI in 2017 as a 12 year old. She had only been dancing about 1 year at that point, so the limited hours that Level IV danced was just perfect for her. She improved dramatically and loved every minute of it. As a bonus, she got to spend 5-weeks with her same aged cousins in Seattle, so we would be very happy to return there!

 

 

So great to hear about Miami.  So great that she is there and enjoying it.   What an amazing story your dd already has.  Starting ballet at 11 and then a few years later leaving home to train.  Wow.

Good to know about SAB.  So maybe for the younger ages it isn't so bad?  

My older kids are used to dancing 40 hours during an intensive, so I think the limited hours at PNB would be odd.  It is about what they are dancing during the year.  

Edited January 15, 2020 by mommyoffive

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, lulubelle said:

My dd just had Houston audition Friday.  Last year she was wait listed and she’s hoping to get in.  Also CHQ this weekend and Boston the following.  She hasn’t gone away for SI before, just local stuff so she really is hoping for it.  Good luck to everyone.

 

Good luck to her!

[fourisenough]

10 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

So great to hear about Miami.  So great that she is there and enjoying it.   What an amazing story your dd already has.  Starting ballet at 11 and then a few years later leaving home to train.  Wow.

Good to know about SAB.  So maybe for the younger ages it isn't so bad?  

My older kids are used to dancing 40 hours during an intensive, so I think the limited hours at PNB would be odd.  It is about what they are dancing during the year.  

I repeatedly say that we’re ‘in this’ for the journey, not the destination. I frequently check in with DD to make sure she’s loving what she’s doing; prioritizing her academic work, sleep, & nutrition; and having experiences that fill her bucket rather than deplete her. Honestly, if the answer is ever no, we will recalibrate our course. 
 

Because we have two college kids living in FL currently, we’ve all had some amazing time together (we spent a week at the beach over the holidays when our roommates were away; the girls are spending the upcoming holiday weekend together at the beach) this year that we wouldn’t have had if not for her being away for ballet training. We all feel lucky and happy to be on this journey.

SAB was magical at age 13. DD loved everything about it (especially living in the dorm with 6 suite mates and going on every single outing and activity). Because they are too young to be selected to stay year-round, there is much less pressure. At age 14, it was still overall a great experience, but not being invited ‘to stay’ left many of the dancers a little salty.
 

As her parents, we were thrilled for her to move to MCB: she trains more hours in more styles of dance, and it is considerably less expensive. As an unexpected bonus: I was able to arrange for her to take PSAT & AP exams at the local high school, while our home high school and all others in our area refused to allow it.

Yes, the minimal hours is a big turn off for many people (at PNB & SAB). It wasn’t much different that what my DD was used to, so it worked for us, but I can see how many would feel a little underwhelmed by it. Now that I’m going to have DD try to knock out at least one high school academic course over the summer, that schedule sounds appealing to me!

But, we’re now definitely looking at SIs in terms of how much ‘bang for your buck’ you get. For instance, CHQ is 7 weeks with at least three performances (and 8+ hours per day dancing) for about $5k compared to SAB, which is about $7k for 5 weeks of training 2.5-4 hours daily with zero performances. Those are the two outliers for us, in terms of cost/length/hours. Obviously, scholarships can tip the scales, as can free family housing (which we have in Seattle). 
 

It will be an exciting few weeks for everyone! Enjoy the journey.

Edited January 15, 2020 by fourisenough
Added more info

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, fourisenough said:

I repeatedly say that we’re ‘in this’ for the journey, not the destination. I frequently check in with DD to make sure she’s loving what she’s doing; prioritizing her academic work, sleep, & nutrition; and having experiences that fill her bucket rather than deplete her. Honestly, if the answer is ever no, we will recalibrate our course. 
 

Because we have two college kids living in FL currently, we’ve all had some amazing time together (we spent a week at the beach over the holidays when our roommates were away; the girls are spending the upcoming holiday weekend together at the beach) this year that we wouldn’t have had if not for her being away for ballet training. We all feel lucky and happy to be on this journey.

SAB was magical at age 13. DD loved everything about it (especially living in the dorm with 6 suite mates and going on every single outing and activity). Because they are too young to be selected to stay year-round, there is much less pressure. At age 14, it was still overall a great experience, but not being invited ‘to stay’ left many of the dancers a little salty.
 

As her parents, we were thrilled for her to move to MCB: she trains more hours in more styles of dance, and it is considerably less expensive. As an unexpected bonus: I was able to arrange for her to take PSAT & AP exams at the local high school, while our home high school and all others in our area refused to allow it.

Yes, the minimal hours is a big turn off for many people (at PNB & SAB). It wasn’t much different that what my DD was used to, so it worked for us, but I can see how many would feel a little underwhelmed by it. Now that I’m going to have DD try to knock out at least one high school academic course over the summer, that schedule sounds appealing to me!

But, we’re now definitely looking at SIs in terms of how much ‘bang for your buck’ you get. For instance, CHQ is 7 weeks with at least three performances (and 8+ hours per day dancing) for about $5k compared to SAB, which is about $7k for 5 weeks of training 2.5-4 hours daily with zero performances. Those are the two outliers for us, in terms of cost/length/hours. Obviously, scholarships can tip the scales, as can free family housing (which we have in Seattle). 
 

It will be an exciting few weeks for everyone! Enjoy the journey.

 

Yes, wow such an amazing ride.  Wherever she lands, what an amazing experience is having.  That is really nice that you have 2 other kids in the state.  That would make it a lot better for everyone I am sure.  

Oh wow, did she really only train 2.5 - 4 hours a day at SAB?   We have one dancer who has been there and she didn't tell me that.  Hmm.  That might make me reconsider that one, if they were to get an offer.   Wow, CHQ is a great deal.    I haven't heard anything about that program at all.  

Thanks for all the information.  As I said, at our school there is 0 help on this stuff.  I don't know if that is normal or not.  

[edelweiss]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Yes, wow such an amazing ride.  Wherever she lands, what an amazing experience is having.  That is really nice that you have 2 other kids in the state.  That would make it a lot better for everyone I am sure.  

Oh wow, did she really only train 2.5 - 4 hours a day at SAB?   We have one dancer who has been there and she didn't tell me that.  Hmm.  That might make me reconsider that one, if they were to get an offer.   Wow, CHQ is a great deal.    I haven't heard anything about that program at all.  

Thanks for all the information.  As I said, at our school there is 0 help on this stuff.  I don't know if that is normal or not.  

Just an FYI-- CHQ is 7 weeks only for the Festival or Apprentice levels (ages 15 and up).  Ages 11-12 are in Workshop 1 which is 2 weeks long.  Ages 13-14 are in Workshop 2 which is 5 weeks long.  It is a VERY small program, so it is highly competitive.  There are many SAB year-round kids that go there (this is true for PNB as well). 

The program is very unique and a great deal.  The dorms are literally steps away from the studio.  The property it is on is gated and very secure.  It is a gorgeous place and my daughter is very happy that she got to experience it.  Her only complaints were the lack of air conditioning in the dorms (that about killed her!) and the food (but she is very picky about food).  There is a little "downtown" area in the community that she would often go to eat at one of the little cafes.  

It is definitely worth considering if you are accepted!

 

[mommyoffive]

Thank you everyone for all the helpful feedback on intensives.  

[mommyoffive]

Heard back from Miami.  1 no and 2 yes.   Haven't told the kids yet.   Does anyone know anything about the Young Dancer intensive?   Good, bad?   My ds got into that and I don't know if that is good or bad.  He would be old enough to go to the older part too, but didn't get into that.  Is that bad?  I am not sure if this would be challenging enough for him.  He also didn't get a scholarship, don't know how common that is for the younger kids or a the biggest places.   I think we will hear about SAB today or Monday.  Another audition this weekend.  

[fourisenough]

5 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Heard back from Miami.  1 no and 2 yes.   Haven't told the kids yet.   Does anyone know anything about the Young Dancer intensive?   Good, bad?   My ds got into that and I don't know if that is good or bad.  He would be old enough to go to the older part too, but didn't get into that.  Is that bad?  I am not sure if this would be challenging enough for him.  He also didn't get a scholarship, don't know how common that is for the younger kids or a the biggest places.   I think we will hear about SAB today or Monday.  Another audition this weekend.  

Even though DD is at MCB year-round, I really don’t know anything about the young dancer workshop. How old is your DS? Does that workshop run concurrently with the 5-week? Or is it a different time-frame? Obviously if you were planning to take all the kids and stay together, it would be much harder/more expensive to be there for longer timeframe. 

I have been told that MCB has less scholarship money than PNB/SAB. I’m not sure if that’s true. I do know they dance significantly more hours at MCB than PNB/SAB. 

[mommyoffive]

25 minutes ago, fourisenough said:

Even though DD is at MCB year-round, I really don’t know anything about the young dancer workshop. How old is your DS? Does that workshop run concurrently with the 5-week? Or is it a different time-frame? Obviously if you were planning to take all the kids and stay together, it would be much harder/more expensive to be there for longer timeframe. 

I have been told that MCB has less scholarship money than PNB/SAB. I’m not sure if that’s true. I do know they dance significantly more hours at MCB than PNB/SAB. 

 

The younger dancer workshop is not at the same time as the 5 week one.  I would have to go and stay with them.  It is only 2 weeks.    Oh I didn't know that about MCB.  I reacted that maybe they were not that interested in him or he was as good as other boys.  Now I wish we would have done PNB.   We should have.  I talked myself out of it because I felt like there wasn't a chance.   We will put it on the schedule for sure next year.   DS would like the more hours though.  I don't think over summer he would enjoy dancing only 3 or 4 hours.  That is what he does during the year.  

DS is 11 but would be 12 by summer.  

[Farrar]

Looking more and more like Ballet West here. Off to the SFB audition now though...

Also thinking we're going to add on BBSI. Sigh.

[mommyoffive]

What is BBSI?

[Farrar]

5 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

What is BBSI?

Boys Ballet Summer Intensive. It’s in NC.

[fourisenough]

DD is in at SAB, but no scholarship, so we’re probably going to pass. After paying for her to live away all year now we have to be very budget conscious during the summer! 
 

I’ll be sad to lose my excuse to go to NYC twice this summer, but I’m confident we’ll have fun doing other things...

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, Farrar said:

Boys Ballet Summer Intensive. It’s in NC.

 

Is that the one advertised on Boysdancetoo website? 

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, fourisenough said:

DD is in at SAB, but no scholarship, so we’re probably going to pass. After paying for her to live away all year now we have to be very budget conscious during the summer! 
 

I’ll be sad to lose my excuse to go to NYC twice this summer, but I’m confident we’ll have fun doing other things...

 

Oh I am sorry.  I hope that she finds the best place for her.  

[mommyoffive]

Question for you guys.  My son got into Miami YD and got into all 3 programs for SAB.  He got  full scholarship for SAB YD NYC, but it overlaps the Miami YD.  Do you think I could ask Miami if he could only stay for a week?  Or is that not ok? 

I don't know if she should do the SAB 5 weeks.  

Honestly I am surprised.  I knew his chances as a boy are better, but still I am sure there were lots of boys who auditioned.  I really didn't think this was going to happen.  Now I wish that we would have done PNB.  

One of my kids got 2 declines.  😞     This is tough.    I haven't told them yet as they have auditions tomorrow and I don't want to mess with their head.   

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, Farrar said:

Looking more and more like Ballet West here. Off to the SFB audition now though...

Also thinking we're going to add on BBSI. Sigh.

 

Ugh, I had crossed SFB off because I thought they didn't have housing.  Then I am reading dance magazine tonight that shows their dorms.   Off to search.  That audition is tomorrow. 

[Farrar]

10 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Question for you guys.  My son got into Miami YD and got into all 3 programs for SAB.  He got  full scholarship for SAB YD NYC, but it overlaps the Miami YD.  Do you think I could ask Miami if he could only stay for a week?  Or is that not ok? 

I don't know if she should do the SAB 5 weeks.  

Honestly I am surprised.  I knew his chances as a boy are better, but still I am sure there were lots of boys who auditioned.  I really didn't think this was going to happen.  Now I wish that we would have done PNB.  

One of my kids got 2 declines.  😞     This is tough.    I haven't told them yet as they have auditions tomorrow and I don't want to mess with their head.   

I’d do SAB. Congratulations to him! I wouldn’t do MCB or try to do part. And I wouldn’t do the SFB audition for your ds either. I’d just take the SAB offer.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Farrar said:

I’d do SAB. Congratulations to him! I wouldn’t do MCB or try to do part. And I wouldn’t do the SFB audition for your ds either. I’d just take the SAB offer.

 

Why would you not do MCB or even part of it?  

He didn't get a scholarship for the SAB 5 week.  So I am not sure we will do that.   Why would you not do SFB?

Edited January 18, 2020 by mommyoffive

[Farrar]

4 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Why would you not do MCB or even part of it?  

He didn't get a scholarship for the SAB 5 week.  So I am not sure we will do that.   Why would you not do SFB?

Ah. I misunderstood about the scholarship. Just to YD then? What about your other kids? Are you trying to put them all together?

I think you just want to choose the program you want and if you get in, stop auditioning. Like, if you had to choose between SFB and SAB and would choose SAB, why audition more?

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Farrar said:

Ah. I misunderstood about the scholarship. Just to YD then? What about your other kids? Are you trying to put them all together?

I think you just want to choose the program you want and if you get in, stop auditioning. Like, if you had to choose between SFB and SAB and would choose SAB, why audition more?

 

Yes, full scholarship to the SAB YD NYC.  None to other ones.   Except in the SAB YD in CA, half tuition because it says boys can only take one of the 3 daily classes.   I am not trying to put them all together, but give each one the best thing for them.  One other kid got into Miami.  

They only reason for him to audition more would maybe get a scholarship so the could get more training. 

[Janeway]

On 1/13/2020 at 10:43 PM, Farrar said:

Good luck at YAGP, @snickerplum! Tell us how it goes!

Yep, we're in the SI season. We have one acceptance already for Ballet West. Waiting to hear from Boston, Nashville, and Houston. SFB is on Friday. Then... maybe we'll be done. I dunno. He loathed the Boston audition for the second year (only went because a teacher urged him) so that's a no go. Loved Ballet West. But then loved Houston and now that's his top pick. Sigh. That one is SIX weeks instead of five. I don't know about Houston, y'all. I'm a little worried about the culture there. Not the Texas culture, but the specific boy ballet locker room culture. It can be bad some places. I hear it's good at Ballet West. I have no idea about Houston but all the boys we know who have gone are bullies. But it's admittedly a small set.

@mommyoffive, that's a LOT of SI auditions. That cost adds up!

My son has gotten in to a few now, including Ballet West. He has liked them all, but apparently, Ballet West is his favorite. 

[fourisenough]

9 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Question for you guys.  My son got into Miami YD and got into all 3 programs for SAB.  He got  full scholarship for SAB YD NYC, but it overlaps the Miami YD.  Do you think I could ask Miami if he could only stay for a week?  Or is that not ok? 

I don't know if she should do the SAB 5 weeks.  

Honestly I am surprised.  I knew his chances as a boy are better, but still I am sure there were lots of boys who auditioned.  I really didn't think this was going to happen.  Now I wish that we would have done PNB.  

One of my kids got 2 declines.  😞     This is tough.    I haven't told them yet as they have auditions tomorrow and I don't want to mess with their head.   

I would do the YD with SAB in NYC. It is a great experience to be in Lincoln Center for the week. Housing will be expensive, but oh the museums and other cultural stuff you can do with your other kids while DS is dancing!

Follow the (scholarship) money!

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, fourisenough said:

I would do the YD with SAB in NYC. It is a great experience to be in Lincoln Center for the week. Housing will be expensive, but oh the museums and other cultural stuff you can do with your other kids while DS is dancing!

Follow the (scholarship) money!

 

Yep, for sure going to do the YD SAB NYC.   I am on the fence about SAB 5 week.   Do it because it is SAB or look for some more scholarship money some where else.  And just do the 1 week for this year there. 

I was thinking of asking Miami if he could do the first week of the YD SI there.