Expert: treivilo - 5/12/2010

Question
hi my daughter who is 11 went to a dance school where they were nasty to her so i took her out and put her in another school they were great and said she is a star but after easter the other school phoned and said terrible things now this teacher has changed she told me the first school phoned up as many dance schools to tell them horrible things so there are no dance schools left to try she wants to do this as a career and i feel i have failed her she was due to audition for york scholars ballet west scottish ballet but with no teacher she can not try we did find one teacher but she does idta and she doed rad what is the difference my daughter does grade 5 6 rad and intermediate foundation what is this in idta can you help my daughter as she is very sad at the moment and wants to o rad

Answer
Good morning Steph,

My answer will just be very few ballet %26 ballet school related, as I feel that the issue is _not_ ballet related.

First good question to ask is, how comes that those schools play to phone each other about their students ? This is absolutely not normal, we are not in the professional world, where a recruiter contacts the previous company of an applicant before the interview.

Ballet is and must remain, for a 11 years old girl, a hobby. Nothing but a hobby. Just a hobby. Again, and sorry for using caps, BALLET IS A HOBBY, HER HOBBY.

This  said, you must go and meet her ballet teacher and have a discussion with him/her, to understand what's happened and what's made him/her change his/her mind at that point.

Your daughter must not be put in the middle of what seems like a ballet schools fight. Keep in mind that you are customer of those schools, and as customer, you deserve a service; and this service is the ballet learning to your daughter, period.

Keep me updated,

Olivier