SEPTEMBER 2020 LATE ADMISSIONS OPPORTUNITY AT ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL

Friday August 28^th 2020

Traditionally at the start of a new academic year, Elmhurst Ballet School welcomes the next cohort of students through its Birmingham doors. Many young dancers hail from across the UK and overseas and take up a coveted place in Elmhurst’s Lower or Upper School. This year as Covid-19 continues to create uncertainty across the world, a small number of students are sadly unable to commit to their course, especially international students whose country’s travel restrictions have halted the young dancers’ plans.

Therefore, the vocational ballet school with a close association to Birmingham Royal Ballet, is inviting late applications for admission to its Upper School offering a three-year programme working towards a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance, validated by Trinity College London. The third and final year of training culminates in being part of and performing as Elmhurst Ballet Company.

Elmhurst Ballet School is a world-renowned centre of excellence and one of the Department for Education’s specialist music and dance schools. Preparing talented young dancers aged between 11 and 19 to become the thinking dance professionals of the future, the school nurtures individuality through a holistic approach to its dance training, academics and pioneering health & wellbeing offer. Elmhurst students become independent, collaborative and versatile dance artists, performance-ready to take to the world stage. Albeit a very different graduating year for the school’s Class of 2020, offers have still come in from State Opera Rousse Ballet in Bulgaria, Teatrul de Balet Sibiu in Romania, Ballet Cymru in Wales, and Arts Ballet Theatre in Florida, USA.

Throughout the three years of Upper School training, students perfect their dance skills and enjoy diverse and challenging opportunities in daily ballet class, contemporary dance technique, jazz, flamenco and choreography classes, all delivered by an expert in-house dance team and guest artists from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Studio Wayne McGregor, Rambert, and New Adventures, Sir Matthew Bourne’s multi-award winning company. Professional Dance Studies, a module of the diploma, is designed to help students prepare for professional life. Upon successful completion of the course, there is the option to ‘top up’ the diploma with a one-year distance-learning BA Hons degree through Middlesex University.

Young dancers interested in this Upper School training opportunity should send recent digital footage of themselves dancing (so there is no pressure to record something new) to Rachal Torrance, Registrar of Elmhurst Ballet School via rachaltorrance@elmhurstdance.co.uk.

Along with the footage, applicants should also provide their full name, date of birth, home address, parent/s name/s, parental email address, current dance school, number of years dancing, and information about any injuries that could help shape their Elmhurst dance training.

Dance & Drama Awards, funding for students, is available for the Upper School course and helps towards fees and living costs. Although the new academic year begins on 7^th September, successful applicants can start slightly later if they wish, giving students more time to prepare.

From this September, Elmhurst has planned a safe and full return to dance and academics by incorporating a range of initiatives into its daily timetable that will support students in their physical and mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to life back at school, post the extended period in lockdown.