Teachers' Intensive Associate Training Course
	Mavdor Scholarship 2001
	South West Celebrations
	Imperial Ballet Teachers Group (Worcester)
	Imperial Ballet Notices
	August Three Day Course at Headquarters
	Imperial Classical Ballet Awards 2002

Teachers' Intensive Associate Training Course

Report by Lisa Livett

From the moment confirmation dropped through my letterbox telling me that I had a place on the course, I started getting nervous.
I then got very worried and started to think deeply about everything, such as, the train and underground journey, that everyone on the course would be better than me, what the lecturers would be like and how unconfident I was feeling.
Anyway, having worked myself up, the morning arrived, my stomach was churning and I was physically shaking. I got on the train, which was very packed, and the underground was even worse, but it was only a few stops, so it wasn't that bad.
As I was walking to Imperial House, lots of thoughts were going through my mind, how could I get out of it and why am I doing this to myself. Then I told myself to stop being silly and get on with it, as everyone else would probably be feeling exactly the same.
I walked into Imperial House and signed in, barely able to hold the pen. I went upstairs to the changing room (luckily I was the first one there), sat down and tried to calm myself. After about five minutes there were a few of us, we all started chatting and they were all feeling just as nervous as me.
Once we got the timetable and had a brief talk about what the course consisted of, I started to feel a little more relaxed. We then started with Primary Grade, which I was happy about because it eased me in gently and I didn't feel so self conscious. The day went really well, very fast and we all started to have fun together. As each day went on my confidence grew more and more and by the end of the first week all of my nerves and apprehension had gone. I couldn't believe how much I was learning, I thought I knew a lot already having taught for a while, but I was learning to understand so much more.
The weeks were passing very quickly and my Associate exam was approaching. My nerves started again and we were given Associate preparation classes. I found these very useful and it was certainly preparing me well for my exam. When we first started these classes everybody was very apprehensive about making mistakes, but the lecturers made us feel very comfortable and told us not to worry as we would learn from them, and we all certainly did!
On the morning of my exam I was feeling scared but quietly confident. All I wanted now was to get all of the knowledge I had obtained over the last four weeks and put it into practice in my exam. The bell rang and I went in, the examiners were very nice (not forgetting the pianist) and they made me feel relaxed (how you can feel relaxed in an exam I do not know, but I did!). Soon the exam was over and I felt that it went very well, I certainly felt relieved.
So finally, having completed the four weeks, I would definitely say to anyone who was thinking of taking their Associate to go on this course as I found it so useful and very beneficial to my teaching.

Report by April Nicholson-Read

I should imagine that most of us arrived on the first day with a mixture of emotions ranging from fear and trepidation to anticipation and excitement about what the next few weeks would hold. We were a large group of various ages and experience but all united in our determination to make the most of this opportunity. All twenty of us were quickly put at our ease by Mrs Patricia Prime who kicked off, or rather 'glisséd' off, with the early Grades, Primary to Grade III, with the assistance of Sean, a student from Italia Conti, who demonstrated beautifully for us. It was a lot to learn in three days but we had an excellent teacher who appreciated that some of us were of quite mature years with previous teaching experience and our confidence in our own ability grew as we progressed.
We then moved on to Grades IV to VI under the meticulous scrutiny of Miss Celia Johnston who must have the best legs and feet in the dance teaching world! We also had an informative session on Pilates which I, for one, felt the effects of two days later!
We were then treated to the expertise of Miss June Rycroft who taught us the Intermediate syllabus and recruited us for her campaigns to save the chassé and the arabesque line. Everyone really appreciated her sense of humour and all that was learned was easily retained as we were relaxed and therefore receptive. This was a teaching tip in itself!
We also enjoyed tremendously our visit to Beverley School where we watched a very entertaining baby class with Vivien Batchelder. She has been teaching babies for 40 years and has some very good tried and true methods which young teachers would be wise to emulate.
The Easter break found us all madly revising and there was a lot of work still to be done. We returned to more Associate coaching and revision and Miss Heather Fish demonstrated her marvellous knack of being able to simplify, clarify and consolidate, all done with a wicked sense of humour.
Towards the end of the course we were privileged to receive a lecture demonstration on pointe work from the now retired but greatly distinguished teacher Miss Barbara Fewster.
Some of us took the Associate exam in the last week, some needed to take their Intermediate first and some with no prior knowledge of the syllabus chose to defer their exam for a few months until they were totally confident. However, I think we all felt that we had experienced the very best in teacher training during this course. Many thanks must also go to the accompanists, Pat Linehan, Debbi Parks and Alison Friend, for all their invaluable help.
I particularly appreciated the luxury of being in a studio all day, every day, for three weeks and re-discovered my reason for originally becoming a dancer, the sheer joy of dancing! I am looking forward to meeting up with fellow course members at Congress and to passing on some of this received wisdom in the future.

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Mavdor Scholarship 2001

Lisa Harrison (© Photo-Genics)	Laura Fleet

The interviews for this scholarship, which is to assist young teachers training for their Associate Diploma or Licentiate Examination, took place on Sunday 29th April. The panel of judges were so impressed with the calibre of the applicants this year that they decided to tie the scholarship. The winners were Mrs Lisa Harrison Jones, who is Head of Course Studies at Harrison College of Dance and Drama and is studying for her Licentiate Examination, and Miss Laura Fleet, who teaches at The Deborah Bond Dance Academy, Plymouth and is studying for her Associate Diploma.

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South West Celebrations

29th April 2001 • Wroughton, near Swindon

What useful events the Celebrations are. They are useful for the children, the teachers and the parents. The children must surely come away encouraged to further efforts. Some may also be reassured to find that lots of other children choose to spend their spare time learning Ballet. Teachers have the opportunity to sit and take stock of what has been achieved and what needs most to be improved. They can also gain good ideas for freework that children can handle with pleasure. I cannot imagine any parent that would fail to be impressed by the tidy turnout and grooming of all the children and the way they stood tall and responded alertly to instructions.

South West Celebrations	South West Group Celebrations Adjudicator Miss Susan Tenty

Judith Hockaday, our organiser and teacher, got all the children relaxed yet attentive and punctuated the exercises with delicious humour. Our adjudicator, Miss Susan Tenty, sympathetically and clearly explained all the development in performance that is looked for as the Grades get higher. Geoff Walter, at the piano, inspired the children, drawing a smile from even the shyest when he launched into Edelweiss. Thank you Miss Hockaday, Miss Tenty and Mr Walters. Celebrations mean giving up a Sunday, but they are so rewarding.

Karen Sellick

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Imperial Ballet Teachers Group (Worcester)

The Worcester Group met on Sunday 29th April at Broadheath Memorial Hall and enjoyed an informative and inspiring class on the Grade V syllabus with Mrs Janet Marshall. Her observations were clear and concise and any syllabus queries were dealt with in a relaxed, friendly approach. All the teachers and Associates who attended the class left with fresh ideas on how to tackle pirouettes and the lovely variations and appreciating just how important basic technique is for the Grade V student. Mr Mike Elden accompanied the class with his spirited playing of both the set music and lively improvisations.

The next meeting of the group will be on Sunday 9th September when the subject will be Class Test Level IV with Mrs Vivien Batchelder.

Lesley Hadland

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Imperial Ballet Notices

LONDON CENTRE EXAMINATIONS GRADES CANDIDATES' MUSIC
As from the Autumn Sessions all candidates entered for Grade Examinations at the London Centre Sessions must be conversant with both the Twiner and Harrison music. In future all candidates will be required to use the official pianist. These changes have been made to ensure that no candidate is expected to dance to unfamiliar music or arrives without a prearranged pianist.

UNIFORM SALES
As from 31st July 2001 the new Imperial Ballet uniform will no longer be available from Mrs Mansel-Edwards. Dancewear shops throughout the country now have the uniform in stock and a list of wholesale suppliers is available from the Faculty Secretary.

SYLLABUS NOTES
The Fellowship Essay will be deleted as from 1st August 2001. The new alternative dances for Primary, Grade I and Grade II may now be examined. The Syllabus Outline, a sixty page free publication, is available from the Sales Department at Headquarters. This booklet contains invaluable information on the syllabus, examination entry requirements, age limits etc. and is updated regularly.

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August Three Day Course at Headquarters.
For Advanced II & Fellowship Guidance

For further details and to book your place please contact:
Lucy Kerr, Education & Training Administrator
Tel: 020 7377 1577 • Fax: 020 7247 8979

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Imperial Classical Ballet Awards 2002

The Imperial Ballet Awards 2002 will take place on
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March 2002
Venue - Queen Mary and Westfield College, Mile End Road, London

The set dances for the Awards will be taught on the following dates:
Sunday 2nd December 2001 and Thursday 3rd January 2002 at ISTD Headquarters.

Closing Date for entries is Friday 4th January 2002

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