WELCOME

Hello and Welcome to NYB, 

We are so excited to welcome you to our 2022 Residential Performance Company auditions. 

We can’t wait to see you on the day, and we hope that you will have a really enjoyable and happy time dancing with us. During the audition our Moving Minds practitioner will lead a short mental and physical warm up to prepare you for the ballet class and to settle any nerves that you may encounter, allowing you to be the best that you can be in the audition class. You will then be led through a full ballet class by one of our NYB teachers before finishing the session with a gentle cool down. Senior dancers may be asked to demonstrate pointe work. 

All our practitioners from Ciara, who will be working on the front desk, to Sayaka and Emma, our ballet teachers, have been a part of an audition process themselves before, so they each understand how nerve-wracking the process can be. Please come reassured that we are here to support you and be prepared and ready to challenge yourself! To help we have collated some of our teams’ best audition advice here.

We will let you know the outcome of your preliminary audition on Thursday March 24th 2022.

Below are the dates for the final auditions, we will give you an indication of exact timings for the final audition in your email response.

Final audition dates
8th May- Senior Company – The Place, London
15th May- Junior Company – The Place, London

You should find all the information you need for the audition in this pack. Please contact admin@nationalyouthballet.org should you have any concerns or questions! 

We can’t wait to meet you.

With all best wishes,
Jo Meredith (NYB Creative Director) and the NYB Team.

Information for Participants and Parents (click on the headings below to be taken to the specific information):

• Emergency Contact Details
• What to Expect – Registration
• Timings and Travel info for Rambert School – 6 March
• Timings and Travel Info for The Place – 13 March
• Timings and Travel Info for MAC, Birmingham – 20 March
• End of the audition
• What to Wear and Bring (and not to bring)
• Covid Protocols
• Policies and Guidelines

If you need to contact National Youth Ballet in an emergency the number to call is  07376 721142.

A member of our team will have this phone with them at all times. 

Please do not call prior to your audition day, as this phone will only be active from 7am on the day of the audition. 

Any queries prior to your audition date should be sent to admin@nationalyouthballet.org.

Registration

Registration will take place in the Main Foyer of your chosen venue:

• You should come ready to dance with appropriate clothing over your dance-wear and your hair ready for ballet class.
• You will be given an audition number and safety pins to secure the number.
• Students will not be permitted to leave the building until their audition class is finished so please make sure you have enough water and snacks to keep you going before and after class. 

Address: Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Clifton Lodge, St Margarets Drive, Twickenham, TW1 1QN

Travel information

By car: Leave the A316 at the St Margarets Roundabout, towards Isleworth (A3004). Turn right at The Ailsa Tavern into St Margarets Drive and the School is on the left. It is normally possible to park very near the school, on-street parking restrictions are only in place Mon-Fri.

By public transport: Rambert School is based in Zone 4, Southwest London.
St Margarets Station- 0.5 miles (10 minute walk) Richmond Station- 1.0 miles (19 minute walk)

If you have any additional accessibility requirements please contact: admin@nationalyouthballet.org 

Arrival and pick up times

Junior (Age 9-12): Arrival time – 9-9.15am, Pick up time – 11.30am
Intermediate (Age 13-15): Arrival time – 11-11.15am, Pick up time – 1.15pm
Senior (Age 16-18):  Arrival time – 1.30-1.45pm, Pick up time – 3.45pm

Please note our panel is aware that students of different ages may be placed in different classes and will take this into consideration when assessing all dancers. Please be reassured that this does not affect our ability to assess students and will in no way impact on our decision-making. 

Address: The Place, 17 Duke’s Road, London, WC1H 9PY. We ask that all visitors use the Flaxman Terrace entrance (16 Flaxman Terrace, London, WC1H 9AT). 

Travel information

By public transport: The nearest Tube stations to The Place are Euston (Victoria Line, Northern Line, London Overground and National Rail services) and King’s Cross St Pancras (Victoria Line, Northern Line (Bank branch), Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, National Rail services and Eurostar). The nearest bus stops to The Place are British Library (services 10, 205, 30, 390, 476, 59, 73, 91, N73, N91) and Upper Woburn Place (services 168, 59, 68, 91, N91).

By car: There are metered parking spaces in the roads around The Place (free after 6.30pm weekdays, 1.30pm Saturdays and on Sundays) and dedicated spaces for Blue Badge holders outside each entrance. Nearby car parks include Euston Station (Melton Street, off Euston Road, NW1 2EP) and St Pancras Station (Pancras Road NW1 2TB).

If you have any additional accessibility requirements please contact: admin@nationalyouthballet.org 

Arrival and pick up times

Juniors (Age 9-12): Arrival time – 10-10.15am, Pick up time – 12.30pm
Intermediate (Age 13-15): Arrival time – 12-12.15pm, Pick up time – 2.30pm
Seniors (Age 16-18): Arrival time – 2-2.15pm, Pick up time – 4.15pm

Please note our panel is aware that students of different ages may be placed in different classes and will take this into consideration when assessing all dancers. Please be reassured that this does not affect our ability to assess students and will in no way impact on our decision-making.

Address: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

Travel Information

By car – MAC is located in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham – opposite Edgbaston County Cricket Ground on Edgbaston Road (off A441 Pershore Road and A38 Bristol Road). Car parks available Edgbaston Rd (next to MAC), Russell Road, Pershore Road entrance next to BWCP. Please see the Council’s website for information on car park pricing here.

By bus – 1: From Five Ways, Edgbaston, Moseley and Acocks Green. The no 1 stops right outside MAC on Edgbaston Road.
35: From City Centre, Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath. The no 35 stops just around the corner from MAC on Willows Road.
45/47: From City Centre (Carrs Lane), Selly Park, Stirchley, Cotteridge and Kings Norton. The buses stop on Pershore Road, five minutes walk from MAC.
x61/63: From City Centre (Carrs Lane and Smallbrook Queensway), Rubery, Rednal, Gannow, Northfield and Selly Oak. All three buses stop ten minutes walk from MAC on the Bristol Road, near the Priory Road/Bristol Road traffic lights.
Check NX West Midlands for more information.

If you have any additional accessibility requirements please contact: admin@nationalyouthballet.org 

Arrival and pick up times

Junior (Age 9-12): Arrival time – 9-9.15am, Pick up time – 11.30am
Intermediate (Age 13-15): Arrival time – 11-11.15am, Pick up time – 1.15pm
Senior (Age 16-18):  Arrival time – 1.30-1.45pm, Pick up time – 3.45pm

Please note our panel is aware that students of different ages may be placed in different classes and will take this into consideration when assessing all dancers. Please be reassured that this does not affect our ability to assess students and will in no way impact on our decision-making.

Students under 16– Must be collected by the parent or caregiver who dropped them off. If your young person is being collected by another family member or parent we must have written permission for them to do so.

Students 16 or over– If you wish to travel alone we MUST have written permission prior to the audition for you to do so, otherwise our team will wait with the student until a parent or carer arrives.

Every item of dance-wear, clothing and shoes must be clearly named.

Please bring with you:

• Reusable water bottle (can be refilled throughout the day if needed)
• Dancewear- Leotard/Tights/Socks/Skirt/Shorts
• Warm up clothes
• Flat ballet shoes
• Pointe shoes (If already working en pointe)
• Named Bag suitable for carrying dance-wear, shoes, etc. to classes

Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are permitted but should not be used in the studio at any time. You are welcome to take photographs for your memories and to record your day, but please take these outside of the building and be mindful not to take photographs of other young dancers.

What not to bring
Do not bring any nuts. NYB will be a Nut-Free zone.

Lateral Flow Tests

​​Rapid lateral flow testing continues to be available free of charge until 1 April 2022. You can get tests from pharmacies or online. 

We know that we are at higher risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 in enclosed spaces. To protect the company and safeguard our overall ability to deliver activity including rehearsals and live performances, and to minimise the risk of participants or staff becoming infected, NYB still recommends that our staff and our young people take a rapid lateral flow test on the day of activity. By encouraging this behaviour, NYB will help to manage the overall risk of spreading COVID-19 and protect our company.

Face coverings

Whilst there is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering, the Government suggests that you continue to wear one in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet. NYB is committed to creating a space which will protect our overall ability to deliver in-person activity, including our rehearsals and live performances. Where possible, we suggest that mask-wearing in communal areas is encouraged but it is no longer required during activity. Should NYB participants still prefer to wear a mask during activity this is of course your choice. We are happy to accept removal of face masks during the auditions, rehearsals and performances.

Read our full Covid Protocols here.

Behaviour Policy

Safeguarding Policy

Missing or Uncollected Students Policy

Health & Safety Policy

The Residential Performance Company Auditions are a NUT FREE ZONE. Please do not bring food containing nuts to the audition venues. This includes pine nuts, peanut butter, cashew nut butter, almond butter and hazelnut spread (Nutella). Please also be aware that some food items might also contain nuts like cereal bars.