Scholars Scheme - A Teacher's Perspective

We recently spoke to Sophia, bbodance Teacher and Examiner, about our Scholars Scheme. Sophia was a Scholar during her early training and now is a great supporter of the scheme behind the scenes.

Sophia provides an insight into the classes as well as advice for teachers looking to support students to book an audition. Hear more from Sophia below.

"I was previously a Classical Ballet Scholar in Manchester, attending monthly classes. At the time there were very few schemes available, especially outside of London. This definitely isn’t the case nowadays; associate schemes are in a very over-saturated market and not all of them are reputable or beneficial to students. From what I have seen over the last 10 years, more and more schemes seem to be geared towards creating content for social media. This is not the case with the bbodance Scholars Scheme.

The students’ improvement and the nurturing of their abilities are at the forefront. More and more schemes focus on perfecting choreography to be filmed and posted online, which can be quite limiting as the skills are linked directly to the choreography rather than student progression. This is not to say that bbodance Scholars aren’t learning repertoire and choreography, but it is not the sole focus of the sessions. Instead, repertoire serves to consolidate the skills learnt throughout the sessions and is built upon each week, rather than new repertoire being taught each class. 

bbodance has and continues to run a scheme that selects students based on the whole dancer, an ethos that also runs through their exams and syllabus. This is not a scheme that is after a certain physique or facility, instead the scheme is looking for technical understanding, performance, musicality and a real love for dance. The criteria that students are familiar with in their examinations is what is looked for in the audition, with equal weighting across all areas. 

All of the ballet programmes are taught with a live pianist, a real rarity nowadays but an excellent way for students to enhance their musicality and better understand the relationship between music and dance. 

Teaching staff are consistent, which enables the teachers to get to know the students much in the same way they are taught at their studios. This ensures students are continually encouraged to work to their full potential and receive personalised corrections. The teaching staff are there to teach but there are additional staff members on hand to deal with any first aid or administrative issues. This helps ensure the students are safe and supported throughout the session, with parents and carers having a designated person to direct enquiries to.

I feel it is very important to mention that while a number of the faculty have had incredible performing careers, they are teachers with an excellent understanding of dance pedagogy, which makes the scheme stand out from others that have a more “workshop” style approach. The Mid and Senior ballet schemes have body conditioning included within their sessions to strengthen technique and develop a greater understanding of students’ anatomy. 

As a teacher I have had several successful bbodance Scholars who have gone on to train at various vocational schools, leading to professional careers. For my male identifying students especially, the scheme provided an opportunity to be around other like-minded boys, something that is not always feasible within their local schools.

As a student I knew I didn’t want to perform but the scheme provided an excellent stepping stone for my teaching career and later examining. I did my first teaching course at 16, attending monthly sessions at Woolborough House and then later my Levels 5 and 6 qualifications, followed by QTLS and joining the team of bbodance examiners. As teachers we all know that not everyone will make it as a performer but there are so many other avenues for success within the dance industry and I personally feel that the bbodance Scholars Scheme opens those doors. 

For Mid and Senior students they have the option to do ballet, jazz or both. Having both as an option is so important for dancers who are looking at dance as a professional career, be that as a performer, teacher, choreographer or otherwise. 

Teachers should be looking for their students who have a love of dance, a desire to improve and challenge themselves, and good technical understanding. The nature of the sessions helps students build confidence with new teaching styles, picking up choreography and applying corrections. 

For teachers, yes, use exam marks as a guide for which students to send but also use your own judgment. Exams are a snapshot of a student on the day and things can change very quickly. If you think a student has potential do send them to an audition. Auditions are an excellent opportunity for growth and students thrive knowing you believe in them. Remember a no is not a no forever, no just means not yet."