Washington Ballet Nutcracker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for insight from the more veteran parents.
When they are in the Upper school - So levels 4 and up, are there still large percentages of girls auditioning? Or do the numbers decrease?

Bump. Curious about this as well.

Level 4B student. The levels are much smaller at this point, fewer kids at this level than we have had before, so fewer kids auditioning. I also think that at our level, the roles get a little less interesting once party is out, so that probably dampens some enthusiasm. I think our level was all cast as butterfly or frontier, depending on height. Maybe a clown or two.

On the leaving question, most of the girls who have left have gone to less intense programs. Ballet is very much a triangle - lots of little kids love to put on tutus and wave scarves and dance around. At this level, we are in class 4 days a week for at least 2-3 hours at a time. I think she's in class - before rehearsals - 13 hours a week. That leaves very little time for any other activity. Plus, at this point, if you don't do a summer intensive, you are probably falling behind, so there goes five weeks of your summer. Add in rehearsals and frankly, most 12 year old girls don't want to deal.

Kids have left to quit dance, go to City Ballet, Seber Method Academy and Kirov, as far as I know.

It's the most well-known (and probably most elite) program in the area, no matter what anyone says. When NYCB or ABT come to town, they cast student dancers from TWSB.

[Anonymous]

My kid is a serious dancer and I would love for him to go to TWSB but I'd pretty much have to quit my job to get him there for classes. Sigh...luckily he is happy at his current studio, so maybe we'll reassess at some point if he truly wants to go a professional route.

[Anonymous]

Former TWSB parent, DD wanted to go pro (still does) and left for Kirov. They wanted her in her year round ballet + academic program but we had gotten her into a private school in the area at 6th grade and no way in hell I'd let her give up a good education for ballet, so we left for Seber where she's been ever since. It's been a battleground of keeping her focused in school and DD having dreams of skipping college to join a company. She's 16 now, we'll see how it pans out and the battle continues here at home. There's a lot of good studios in the area, including TWSB. It's all about what you're looking for and I would have been fine with staying if there was a path there that could have worked for our family, school and DDs dream of becoming a professional.

[Anonymous]

Maryland Youth Ballet! I never gave a thought to MYB while we were at TWSB, but now I understand the difference between a ballet school attached to a company and a youth ballet. The only goal of a youth ballet is to help each child achieve their highest potential. Not to subsidize the company. Teachers go out of their way to help (preparing high achievers for competitions, assisting with videos and audition preparation for SI and college programs), plus the little kids' classes are FUN! MYB has photos of its students who have become professionals on the wall. Not so at TWSB and the reason is because that is not the goal of TWSB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland Youth Ballet! I never gave a thought to MYB while we were at TWSB, but now I understand the difference between a ballet school attached to a company and a youth ballet. The only goal of a youth ballet is to help each child achieve their highest potential. Not to subsidize the company. Teachers go out of their way to help (preparing high achievers for competitions, assisting with videos and audition preparation for SI and college programs), plus the little kids' classes are FUN! MYB has photos of its students who have become professionals on the wall. Not so at TWSB and the reason is because that is not the goal of TWSB.

That is such good feedback, thanks!

[Anonymous]

MYB looks awesome, too bad we live in NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland Youth Ballet! I never gave a thought to MYB while we were at TWSB, but now I understand the difference between a ballet school attached to a company and a youth ballet. The only goal of a youth ballet is to help each child achieve their highest potential. Not to subsidize the company. Teachers go out of their way to help (preparing high achievers for competitions, assisting with videos and audition preparation for SI and college programs), plus the little kids' classes are FUN! MYB has photos of its students who have become professionals on the wall. Not so at TWSB and the reason is because that is not the goal of TWSB.

We’re doing the Kennedy Center Nutcracker and a large number of the girls are from MYB. Just looking at those girls I can’t imagine the instruction is very good. My dd is at City Dance and an average dancer but dances rings around the MYB girls. However I know they also have their own Nutcracker so maybe the better dancers do their Nutcracker and the low average do Kennedy Center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland Youth Ballet! I never gave a thought to MYB while we were at TWSB, but now I understand the difference between a ballet school attached to a company and a youth ballet. The only goal of a youth ballet is to help each child achieve their highest potential. Not to subsidize the company. Teachers go out of their way to help (preparing high achievers for competitions, assisting with videos and audition preparation for SI and college programs), plus the little kids' classes are FUN! MYB has photos of its students who have become professionals on the wall. Not so at TWSB and the reason is because that is not the goal of TWSB.

We’re doing the Kennedy Center Nutcracker and a large number of the girls are from MYB. Just looking at those girls I can’t imagine the instruction is very good. My dd is at City Dance and an average dancer but dances rings around the MYB girls. However I know they also have their own Nutcracker so maybe the better dancers do their Nutcracker and the low average do Kennedy Center

That was pretty mean. MYB, like TWSB, is a traditional ballet studio that focuses on building fundamental techniques from the bottom up. The pace is slower but worth the end result. They aren’t dance moms studios. Both my girls danced at MYB, TWSB, and a classical studio in our previous town. They are solid dancers, even after one had to repeat a year. Your dd is can dance rings around other girls all day, but hopefully she does it with some humility.

[Anonymous]

MYB produces excellent dancers and has great student retention. My daughter is with TWSB and happy there, but we have friends at MYB it's a great and supportive program.

[Anonymous]

So based on the most recent email re: Nutcracker, my guess is some folks are asking to pull out because of rehearsal demands?
Do you think kids are going to drop out based on the number of people unhappy with their roles?

I wish they would tell us first if the kids are in the Thanksgiving performances. We have plans, and I think I am going to keep them and roll the dice and hope she doesn't get cast.
We can always call in the alternate if she does I suppose.

[Anonymous]

This is our 3rd Nutcracker with Washington Ballet and its always been this way. If anything this year is a tad less demanding due to starting later than usual. The email is new though, so maybe there have been more than usual parents asking for accommodations. I do recall a parent in the orientation asking about school interference... I almost replied back that we tend to have at least one early release from school every season. DDs school marks it as excused.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised that email went out. No absences. Mandatory. Etc. Has been all over everything since before the audition. You think it's all the first timers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised that email went out. No absences. Mandatory. Etc. Has been all over everything since before the audition. You think it's all the first timers?

My guess is after nearly 2 years of pandemic, people made holiday plans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised that email went out. No absences. Mandatory. Etc. Has been all over everything since before the audition. You think it's all the first timers?

My guess is after nearly 2 years of pandemic, people made holiday plans?

Right but they have been talking about Nutcracker since SI and made it clear... NO PLANS. Not that hard but people just don't think the rules apply to them. We are in for the first year in-person. It's very clear that we have to be available because it's a professional production. They have more than enough eager kids. Bow out now if you really can't make everything required top priority through 12/26.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was DD's last year/chance to be Party Girl and there were some tears. A good friend of hers got Party Girl this year for the second time. We might move to MYB after this year, their Nutcracker is much smaller but it's still a beautiful production and is more student focused.

Wheat is the last year to get Party Girl role? Level 2? Level 3?

My DD was cast as a Party Girl. She is in Level 4A. . They did audition 4As for all three roles - Party Girl/Boy, Soldier, Clown.