The Academy of Balletic Arts (ABA)

Carys has been offered a place at The Academy of Balletic Arts a new vocational ballet school based at Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden. She is exceptionally happy and very excited tonight for her first class.

ABA is the brainchild of Emma Northmore, formerly of English National Ballet and Director of Ballet Boost Associates where Carys dances on a Sunday. I like her ethos and the care she gives each child. She is only offering eight places in each group so to be offered a place was amazing.

It will mean that Carys has to leave school at 3pm, slightly early, three days a week and she will have choices to make as a child attending 'normal' comprehensive and vocational training after school. She has already thought about this and did her homework on the train tonight and has talked about not doing lunchtime clubs so she can catch up with notes and homework at lunchtime come September. ABA started this week, until half term (and after SATs) Carys is going on Fridays, after half term Mondays and Fridays and come September three days a week.

The training at ABA will be three ballet classes a week, a personalised physio program, a personalised pilates program, a fitness program as required and 121's with Emma to make sure corrections are taken on board and that Carys is working to the best of her ability. On top of this Carys will continue with the Associates program at Ballet Boost.

After Carys made the finals for the Royal Ballet School at White Lodge she was offered a place on their Mid Associate program starting in September on Saturdays in Floral Street, Covent Garden. So Carys may not be going away to school in September (which I am very happy about and which secretly I think she is too) but she will be getting the most amazing opportunity to training with some amazing dancers and teachers.