All About Ballet
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marmalade:
Hi marmalade, Following up on the 27 Jun'15 entry I posted... Term 3 started & ended with no updates from the management. The Ballet and Music Company said they needed to ask all the parents what their preferred times were before TB&MC could decide on the new timing & new teacher for dc's class. So I waited & waited; there was no reply even when Term 3 ended.Yes, I agree with you that the management of The Ballet and Music Company need to be shaken up. ... ... Initially I thought of enrolling for 1 term just to let my girl try it out but after this episode, I don't feel good about the way the school is being managed and i was thinking if they were to change teachers again, then my gal will suffer as she doesn't adapt well to environment changes though she likes ballet.
On the other hand, I was concerned about dc's maladjustment with a new teacher & so, on my part, I would regularly check with the incumbent teacher when her last day was. When I asked her in Jul, she said she would be there till the end of the month, probably not later than that. When I asked her in Aug, she said she would still be there till the end of the month but probably not after. This went on till the last lesson of the term on 19 Sep. I do not know whether the uncertainty comes from herself or TB&MC. Now, if one were to inquire with the school, one can still find the name of the teacher there, but she will probably only work till Oct. On a separate note, if one were to look at the teachers' profiles, those teaching RAD ballet may not be RAD certified themselves.
Dc likes ballet. Since that is her enjoyment, I would like her to be properly guided, trained & certified; certification being a tracker of progress & a showing of little achievements one can be proud of. Dc is now enrolled in Palais Dance Studio @ Crown Centre, upon a friend's recommendation. The teachers are very qualified & always wearing a smile. Dc has no adjustment problems & I can spend the money I save (more than SGD100 a ballet term) drinking coffee at the nice café downstairs! -
sky minecrafter:
I was super pissed off with the counter girl of the Ballet & Music Centre. They do not care about their students and kept canceling and changing timing. I need to look for an alternative.
Hi marmalade, Following up on the 27 Jun'15 entry I posted... Term 3 started & ended with no updates from the management. The Ballet and Music Company said they needed to ask all the parents what their preferred times were before TB&MC could decide on the new timing & new teacher for dc's class. So I waited & waited; there was no reply even when Term 3 ended.marmalade:
Yes, I agree with you that the management of The Ballet and Music Company need to be shaken up. ... ... Initially I thought of enrolling for 1 term just to let my girl try it out but after this episode, I don't feel good about the way the school is being managed and i was thinking if they were to change teachers again, then my gal will suffer as she doesn't adapt well to environment changes though she likes ballet.
On the other hand, I was concerned about dc's maladjustment with a new teacher & so, on my part, I would regularly check with the incumbent teacher when her last day was. When I asked her in Jul, she said she would be there till the end of the month, probably not later than that. When I asked her in Aug, she said she would still be there till the end of the month but probably not after. This went on till the last lesson of the term on 19 Sep. I do not know whether the uncertainty comes from herself or TB&MC. Now, if one were to inquire with the school, one can still find the name of the teacher there, but she will probably only work till Oct. On a separate note, if one were to look at the teachers' profiles, those teaching RAD ballet may not be RAD certified themselves.
Dc likes ballet. Since that is her enjoyment, I would like her to be properly guided, trained & certified; certification being a tracker of progress & a showing of little achievements one can be proud of. Dc is now enrolled in Palais Dance Studio @ Crown Centre, upon a friend's recommendation. The teachers are very qualified & always wearing a smile. Dc has no adjustment problems & I can spend the money I save (more than SGD100 a ballet term) drinking coffee at the nice café downstairs! -
Palais Dance centre (Crown centre, 557 Bukit timah road, level 2)
http://palaisdance.com
If stay in Tampines or Sengkang, can try Tru dance
http://www.trudance.com/courses.html -
phtthp:
Hi phtthp, Thank you for posting the link. Interested parents may want to first visit the site. The school does not look as flamboyant as other ballet schools, but a close friend's dc was dancing there for 10 years, plus the sincerity of the teachers, Palais Dance earned our trust.Palais Dance centre (Crown centre, 557 Bukit timah road, level 2)
http://palaisdance.com -
phtthp:
Thanks Phtthp. I will check them out.Palais Dance centre (Crown centre, 557 Bukit timah road, level 2)
http://palaisdance.com
If stay in Tampines or Sengkang, can try Tru dance
http://www.trudance.com/courses.html -
Porky Pig:
Is RAD exam required at Primary level? Meaning we go for regular lessons but not the exam and maybe join the RAD exam at Grade 1 instead. I am totally upset with DD's current school. I am looking around for a better alternative. Any good recommendation for ballet in the East?
No, RAD examinations is not required at Primary level and the child can indeed proceed to take the RAD exam at Grade 1 instead. However, most mummies prefer to let their daughters take the RAD exams at lower level as the requirements is less stringent, hence a good avenue to let the kid gain some \"exams experience\". RAD Ballet is somewhat like ABRSM Piano, one can \"skip\" grades accordingly to the child's abilities and the teacher's recommendations. Only at higher grades, there will be imposed pre-requisites, as below:
Advanced Foundation (Pre-requisite: Intermediate)
Advanced 1 (Pre-requisite: Intermediate)
Advanced 2 (Pre-requisite: Advanced 1)
Solo Seal Award (Pre-requisite: Advanced 2 (Distinction))
At lower grades, kids are usually being restrained by the minimum age requirements which is a new rule set by RAD in 2013. So a child need to be 5 years old on 1 January of the year she is taking the pre-primary exams, and so forth. -
Porky Pig:
Is RAD exam required at Primary level? Meaning we go for regular lessons but not the exam and maybe join the RAD exam at Grade 1 instead. I am totally upset with DD's current school. I am looking around for a better alternative. Any good recommendation for ballet in the East?
Depends on whether you intend to let your daughter learn in CCs or in ballet schools (There is a costs factor versus the teacher-students ratio to consider). For CC in the East, Ms Blue of Kembangan/ Simei/ Tampines North/ Eunos CC will be a good choice. For ballet schools, you can try Crestar (Marine Parade), AQ Dance (East gate), The Dance Company (Mountbatten). It is good to shortlist 1 or 2, then bring your girl to have trial lessons. The kid needs to like the environment as you will not want to keep changing the schools as she goes up the grades. -
Oh My Gosh:
Thanks so much on the above information. I am in the midst of shortlisting a few ballet schools for my DD. She has learnt ballet for 2.5 years now and is still very passionate about it. It will be a waste if we were to stop altogether. Anyway I strongly believe that it is the teacher that makes the difference. My DD used to train under a Russian teacher who is so well loved by many. Unfortunately, she was pregnant and had to go back to Russia. She promised her young students that she will be back but unfortunately she did not. Now it is purely touch and go for all her current teacher.Porky Pig:
Is RAD exam required at Primary level? Meaning we go for regular lessons but not the exam and maybe join the RAD exam at Grade 1 instead. I am totally upset with DD's current school. I am looking around for a better alternative. Any good recommendation for ballet in the East?
Depends on whether you intend to let your daughter learn in CCs or in ballet schools (There is a costs factor versus the teacher-students ratio to consider). For CC in the East, Ms Blue of Kembangan/ Simei/ Tampines North/ Eunos CC will be a good choice. For ballet schools, you can try Crestar (Marine Parade), AQ Dance (East gate), The Dance Company (Mountbatten). It is good to shortlist 1 or 2, then bring your girl to have trial lessons. The kid needs to like the environment as you will not want to keep changing the schools as she goes up the grades. -
grade 2 seems to have new techniques that the kids need to master… DD complaining some posture she has hard time doing…
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Yes, they made some changes to Grade 2, steps getting slightly complex.
Grade 3 even more difficult, than Grade 2.
Extra coaching class already started, in most schools / centre.
Some started as early as in July, while others started in September, a handful starting in October after Term 4 exam.
very few rare ones starting coaching class in November.
For Grade 2 & Grade 3 ballet classes, in the east -
The one at Kampong Ubi cc, taught by a modern Malay Tr (Tr Jenna Elisabeth) starting extra coaching class in Nov. Her students learning ballet : are Chinese pupils, majority.
She is a good Teacher.
As for Sandra Ho students’ class :
they are very on.
Conduct twice a week ballet lessons, since May, immediately after April exam. They train students, all year round, twice a week.
Sandra Ho class, although big, but she got assistant.
Sandra Ho classes, are spread out in a few cc.
Parents can choose, depending on which weekday / timing suit them : Joo Chiat cc, Mountbatten cc, Changi South cc, Katong cc.
For Ms Blue class (Tr Lan Minlin)
they tend to be big, conducted at a few cc, at kembangan cc, Eunos cc, one of the Tampines cc.
For Tr Joni class, at Kampong Chai Chee cc :
Her Class usually big, a lot of students.
She has an assistant, but assistant don’t teach.
Tr Joni classes are all back to back, for different level grade.
To choose the right Tr, the chemistry must fit, between Tr and pupil.
As ballet steps get harder higher they go, Some kids cannot concentrate well, in a big class of more than 10 students.
Some kids can focus, concentrate well, in a small class.
If child can’t concentrate well : end up taking ballet exam, with a poor lousy grade.
Also, before sign up your child, ask first, when is the extra coaching class ?
Some Tr like to put regular training class on Sat, and extra coaching class on Sunday. The reason they do it is because some parents only free to bring their child down on Sat, Sun. Other weekdays, they can’t make it.
But parents ought to ask themselves : does it really help their child, by coming down Sat and Sun ?
Sat & Sun : too close
It is better to let child rest their leg, from the body bending & stretching, let their body have time to recuperate from the tiredness first.
Thus, it is better to have a few days of rest, of break first.
Sat & (Wed or Thur coaching class, with a break in between) is definitely better than
Sat & (Sun coaching class, too close together) combination.
Before sign up your child, after a trial lesson, good to ask Tr, when is the extra coaching class conducted, which weekday ?
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