Sana, Japan 大森早菜

私がセントラル校を選んだのは、バレエ学校であるだけでなく、さまざまなスタイルのダンスを学ぶ機会があるからです。3年生になるとバレエ・セントラルがあり、プロのバレエダンサーになるための準備ができます。ここではみんなとてもフレンドリーで、一緒に時間を過ごしやすい人ばかりです。セントラル校には、とても質の高く、同時にフレンドリーな先生がいるのも気に入っています。 ロンドンへの引っ越しは初めての海外生活で、慣れないこともたくさんありましたが、友達の助けもあり、今ではすっかり慣れました。 セントラル校での典型的な1日は、朝8時のウォームアップから始まり、8時半から1時間45分のバレエ。15分から30分の休憩をはさんで、コンテンポラリーのクラス、パ・ド・ドゥ、ポワント／コーチングがあります。週に一度、スパニッシュダンス、歌唱、インプロがあります。クラスが多い日は、短い休憩だけで動き続けなければならないこともありますが、とても充実しています。

I chose Central because the school is not only a ballet school, but also offers the opportunity to learn a variety of dance styles. In the third year, there is Ballet Central, which will prepare me for becoming a professional ballet dancer. Everyone is very friendly here and easy to spend time with. I like that Central has friendly teachers of a very high quality. Moving to London was my first time living abroad, and there was a lot to get used to, but with the help of my friends, I am now settled in.

A typical day at Central starts with a warm-up at 8am, then ballet from 8.30am for 1 hour 45 minutes. There is a break of 15 to 30 minutes, before Contemporary classes, Pas De Deux, and Pointe / Coaching. Once a week there is Spanish, Singing and Improvisation. On days when I have a lot of classes, sometimes I have to keep moving with only short breaks, but it’s very fulfilling

Kyra, Australia

I thought going in that it would be very daunting to be an international student at Central, especially coming from Sydney Australia, but Central does a really good job at incorporating us in with the other UK students so that we form good friendships and feel comfortable in this new place! Naturally the international students stick together to some degree but it is nice that within Central there is a good community of those students to bond with. The teachers and staff also take special care to ensure that we are all coping with the big changes.

My favourite thing about Central is how diverse our education is, as throughout the week we get to engage in a number of different styles and classes such as Ballet, Pas De Deux, Contemporary, Improv, Choreography, Spanish, and even singing to help us be not only the best dancers we can be, but also as employable as possible post graduation. I love these classes as they help us develop past ballet class in terms of our interests, musicality, and artistry.

I found that the audition/application process was very easy to navigate as an international student as the guidelines for the application video were very clear and easy to follow. I liked the constant communication from the school and I also really enjoyed the interview portion as I got to introduce myself and speak to some teachers and members of staff to ask questions and learn more about life at Central.

I absolutely adore living in London as the location of the school is right in the middle of everything! I think training in London is the best thing for dancers as there is inspiration everywhere you look and there are always performances to see because you can find cheap tickets or are taken by the school. Apart from that, my friends and I love exploring the city in our free time, especially in convent garden as it’s super lively and not too far from school to go to after Saturday class.

Nicole, Singapore

My favourite thing about Central is how the teachers regularly remind us of the support available to us. It gives me a sense of security, as I do not have to worry about not understanding a certain concept.

The audition process went better for me than I had expected, as the teachers in the audition reassured us that it was just like a normal class, and they were focusing more on how we held ourselves and, of course, clean technique and musicality. The steps were manageable, and I had an enjoyable time. The interview was good as well, as it gave me a chance to meet some of the staff and experience the environment of the school.

I am enjoying my time in London so far and I usually use my free time to focus on my recovery or doing research. When I have more time during the weekends, I go out with my friends to get some good food and treat ourselves after a week of school

Kira, Norway

Det er hyggelig å være en internasjonal student på Central, fordi du føler deg veldig velkommen og verdsatt her. Det er et veldig godt miljø på skolen og jeg trives som internasjonal student. Hvis jeg måtte velge min favoritt ting om Central, er en av de tingene jeg liker best fellesskapet, men også alle kontekstuelle leksjonene vi har gjennom uken – fordi du lærer så mange nye og spennende ting. Jeg syntes søknadsprosessen var veldig enkel og profesjonell. Jeg liker virkelig å bo i London, det er mange ting du kan gjøre i byen. På fritiden er jeg ofte med venner, går rundt i byen eller besøker museer og gallerier.

It is nice to be an international student at Central, because you feel very welcome and appreciated here. There is a very good environment at the School and I thrive as an international student. If I had to choose my favourite thing about Central, one of the things I like best is the community, but also all the contextual lessons we have throughout the week – because you learn so many new and exciting things. I found the application process very simple and professional. I really like living in London, there are lots of thing you can do in the city. In my spare time I’m often with friends, walking around the city or visiting museums and galleries.

Momota, Japan 笹島李太

私が9歳のときに見たバレエは、ロイヤル・バレエ団の『ドン・キホーテ』でした。

それ以来、英国でバレエを学びたいと思うようになりました。

日本には全日制のバレエスクールがないので、ロンドンのバレエスクールに通うことは必須だと思いました。セントラル校での留学生としての生活は、イギリスの友人たちとそれほど変わりません。友人たちがサポートしてくれますし、先生方も留学生と接することに慣れて

いるので、疎外感を感じたり、孤独を感じたりすることはありません。 セントラル校の学習環境も気に入っています。多くのスタジオがあり、またジムでトレーニングしたり、ピラティスを学習したりすることができます。先生方の指導やフィードバックはとてもわかりやすく、上達の助けになります。入学前のオンラインインタビューでは、オーディションで感じたことやセントラル・スクール・オブ・バレエを選んだ理由を、日本から参加した友人たちと話しました。全体的に、オーディションと面接はいい経験になりました。

The ballet piece I saw at the age of 9 was Don Quixote, performed by the Royal Ballet. Since then, I have wanted to train in Ballet in the UK. In Japan, we don’t have ballet school’s as full-time education, so I thought it was essential for me to be a student in a ballet school London. Life as an international student at Central is not so different from my UK friends. My friends support me and the teachers are used to working with international students, so we don’t feel like we’re being alienated or feel like we’re alone.

I like the learning environment at Central. We have great facilities with many studios; we can train at the gym and take Pilates. The guidance and feedback from teachers is very easy to understand and help me improve. During my online interview, I talked about my thoughts from the audition and why I chose Central School of Ballet, with my friends from Japan. Overall, the audition and interview were a nice experience.