LASALLE-SIA - Singapore...coming?

Hey!

LASALLE-SIA just had their auditions for the locals here in Singapore for the 2006 intake of B.A of Acting (Hons) and B.A of Musical Theatre (Hons) which starts in July.

LASALLE-SIA held auditions for Australia in November last year and now that successful applicants have had time to decide whether to come...I'm curious to know if anyone on here knows of anyone coming to Singapore in 2006.

We have a big Aussie contingent in First year already and we're always curious to see who else is coming over from Oz...if u have any news, let us know!

Cheers,

Crispy.

I know a few people that got in... but to be honest they aren't that good. I kind og heard La Salle take lots in for the first year then send a majority of them home by the end of the first year, coz they don't think they "fit"the degree, long way to travel if ya ask me to get sent home. I heard its quite good there though- I'm not ripping them off or anything I heard the dance section is a bit of a let down but apart from that is quite good but I just wouldn't uproot a whole load of people to send them home in 6 or 7 months- but that's just me??? How are you finding your training.???

Thanks for the insight Luke. Both girls I know who got accepted are extremely talented and dedicated performers. And both people I know who are at La Salle already have found the standard of teaching to be extremely high. I suggest keeping rumours like that to yourself.

i'm not having a go! I've heard the standard is really high over there definately nothing to be sneezed at... i made an honest comment that a friend of mine said she has picked up dancing else where as a stretch as it was a bit of a let down- i certainly wasn't attacking you personally. Another friend I know that got in last year was extremely talented and dedicated I know I trained with her, I know. I stated two girls I know that got in this year aren't that fantastic. None of these are rumours- so i don't feel any need to keep it to myslef. but THANKS for your insight!!!

Woah keep your panties on peoples... :)

We're having a chuckle over here in regards to the culling rumour because the reality is...it's absolutely wrong.

There is only 10 people in the Acting class and we're still finishing first year - so there's no precedent for us!

There's only 2 Musical Theatre classes, the 2nd years started with 7 only which dropped down to 5. So i doubt they would have culled anyone after 1st year as well. The first year MT course started with 16 people last year.

If they culled anyone, there wouldn't be a course! :P

At this point, I would also like to rectify or confirm other rumours...

TRUE - We are taught by chimpanzees wearing tuxedos.
TRUE - We get caned for each line we paraphrase in a production during notes.
TRUE - We know Kung Fu.
TRUE - Our Tai Chi master in the morning is taught by a giant talking rat called Splinter.
FALSE - Chop Suey is an authentic Chinese dish. (Actually, it came from America.)
FALSE - Hugh Jackman studied here.
FALSE - So did Jackie Chan.
TRUE - LASALLE-SIA is the cover for a secret organisation of 'gifted' students who are led by a bald man in a wheelchair.

On a serious note, the course is going great and rocking our world. Our teachers come from all over the world and bring some unique experience to us. We have studied all sorts of theatre styles including Japanese, Indian and Chinese forms which have influenced us all as actors while also studying the traditional western styles. I think just about every Acting and MT student is loving the international experience here and we have made lots friends from around the world.

Not to mention...we can get $8 one-way tickets to Phuket and Bangkok :)

Keep us posted on who else is coming over..........but make sure your sources are reliable! :)


Crispy.

Hi
Can someone tell me how much the acting course costs approximately, per semester?
Thanks

Sounds Great- Pleased to hear it's going well!!! I like intimate groups I think you get a lot more out of them as you a get to really leave those comfort zones. Keep updates coming Crispy- like I said I wasn't bagging at all. I hear pretty good things over there- and it sounds like it's really good. Obviously others can't take things that I have heard (although they seem unfounded) in their stride it's good you can :). You would know you are there!!!

Lukey,

You may not have directly bagged the school but posting inaccurate information about the course can possibly be just as damaging. The course is still new and has not developed a reputation yet, so circulating rumours on the Net about 'culling' in the first year of the course does not help us.

CHP - both the MT and Acting course is $19,000 SGD a year (3 year course). I don't know about this year's group, but our year group and the group before have all been given a $10,000/yr scholarship so our fees are effectively only $8000 SGD a year. You'll need to check with the school if they are offering the scholarship to this year's intake.

Crispy.

Like I said- Crispian I wasn't bagging anything. I didn't consider it a rumour as I heard it from a reliable source- who by the way I will be taking it up with at a later date as they haven't turned out to be so reliable!?! I certainly wasn't trying to start anything and apologise if it appeared that way--- which is why I bothered replying to say it's great how you guys are doing and it seemed unfounded what I had been told. If I was going to start something I wouldn't have done that- now would I ?!? Man I am the last person to start #@$% and now I know (through your posts) they are like I said unfounded and I will take it up with my friend- sheez. don't bite my head off grrrr

i probably shouldn't post this because the people i know who have gotten into the course has skewed my judgement of it and my opinion isn't as objective as it could be but hey free specch and all!

there are a lot of new courses "popping up" recently it seems and i think the best advice any of us could recieve (as an applicant to a few of these) is to do your research! don't be naive people!!! for every person in the business who sincerly wants to help and nurture and give aussie talent a shot there is someone out there who is in it for the almighty dollar... now it may seem contradictory that people are asking about the courses trying to do research here and i'm telling them to do exactly what they are doing but you need to look at more than a website and a few people's (for the most part biased) opinion. go to the school grounds if you can, get a list of teachers and research them, go to your dance school and ask what people have heard, ask ex pupils their opinions, and god forbid you ring the people up and see if you can talk to them in person (for places such as Lasalle this may not be viable but if you go to an audition ASK QUESTIONS!!!)

i know of one course whose name i won't mention, that actually advertised having teachers (extremely good ones at that!) that they didn't have, ( i know this through personal contact with one of the teachers involved) they charged extortionate fees for pathetic CONTACT hours, and yes it is CONTACT hours you should be looking for because anyone can send you home with a book and say "learn this"! and have now employed a teacher who is about as qualified to fly a 747 as they are to teach. (yes i have a personal opinion so this is a somewhat tainted and perhaps exaggerated view but before you ask i would never again be associated with this person proffesionally)

now my opinion of lasalle as i stated earlier is a bit skewed because of certain pupils i know that have been accepted. although i know some absolutely amazing performers in the course aswell! from what i know the course is a bloody hard slog, it's not for the faint-hearted but i have heard that the dance is not as intensive as perhaps other institutions, the acting and general standard of the teachers is wonderful (again from what i have heard) and i believe they are almost into their new campus??? correct me if i am wrong! yet i come back to this years intake, i know of at least two students who are... well not of the standard that i expected to get in and i personally doubt that one of them will finish the course, (personal opinion!!!!!!!) simply because of their attitude. ANYWAY!

my point is, don't be naive... now i don't mean to scare anyone off, by no means do i want to dissude anyone from pursuing their dream and i am certainly not saying that universities (ie WAAPA and the like) are the ONLY ways to learn ( though they do have some credibility in an industry that is, let's face it, a bit unstable) heck their are plenty of people who don't even train in our industry! and on a personal note i am to attend one of these "new courses" this year! (more an more bias i hear you screaming!!! i know i know!)

my message is simply this... don't walk into this with your blinkers on... you wouldn't want to be taught english by someone who is two pages ahead of you in the study guide now ... would you?

I think I know this certain school you are thinking of Quirkster!!!--- they want their money up front, they have no accreditation and their contact hours (half of them bunked in with their part time students) are not what constitutes a a "Full Time" course. Expecially when you are paying exuberant amount for a Non nationally recognised course that isn't even Austudy approved. I also know past students from this course- and they were not a happy camper. That's right do your research!!!! Look at the qualifications offered. There are alot of really good training institutions that are doig fantastic things for Perth (where I am) and presumably the rest of the world!!! but don't be fooled there are some very conning people out there!!!

I've spent the last 10 minutes reading these posts about "rumours" people have heard about Lasalle and all I have to say is that rumours are called that for a reason. I study at Lasalle and I can promise anyone who has auditioned that if they want the best training possible this is the place to go. Yes it's hard, yes it's a slog but that's what this proffession is about right? Ok so 'apparently' people know people who got in and they are 'apparently' not very good? Come and see one of our performances before you judge people and I think you'd be very suprised. I know alot of talented people who got into the course and I also know alot of talented people who got rejected. Thats got to tell you something right? If you do your research you'll see that Denis Follington and Leith Taylor are the directors of the MT and Acting Bachelors. Denis Follington started the musical theatre bachelor at WAAPA, left it and a few years later came and started the course here. He knows everything there is to know about this industry and has got the best teachers around for us. I personally wouldn't want to be studying anywhere else. Please do your research before you post guys. You just look ridiculous otherwise.
Thanks

so what new course are u doing quirkster? I am probably as discerning as you when it comes to training so I'm interested to see which one you have chosen!

Crispian, there is a rumour going around Perth, (which incidentally I started), that all La Salle First Year Drama Students are majoring in skulling Tiger Beer. There is also another rumour (which I also started) that even Bob Hawke is envious. Please feel free not to reply.

Thank you, "Lasalle all the way" for your post. You put into words what I was thinking, especially regarding the rumours that have been mentioned. I have heard firsthand from the students at LaSalle about the standard, the teachers (impressive resumes!), the professional attitude, the course structure, etc... There is nothing about it that suggests it is one of these new wishy washy courses that are popping up. Looking forward to 2006 auditions already.

Dear Quirkster: Can I please have a list of the W.A Academy of dance and drama... sorry "the Entertainment Factory's" ex students working professionally in musical theatre. Your right there hasnt been any ex-students at Lasalle yet, however a great deal of the students who are still in first year have been approached by major theatre companies in Asia and in the break between first and second year are starring all over the Northern Hemisphere in massive musical theatre productions. Not bad for a group of first years still with another 2 years to go of a Bachelor of Arts in musical theatre with honours. I suggest for what you are paying you do your research and realise that 60 intense contact hours a week over 3 years for less price than where you will be learning will seem like a better deal for you. But please continue to have your opinion, however misguided, because we love the fact that people like yourself know nothing about our course and we can continue to learn from the best people in the industry. Denis Follington head of MT for 18 years at WAAPA aint bad. Oh and Leith Taylor as many years in the WAAPA acting department.... mmmm let me think..... this is just simple reasearch! Oh and come to our musical for your research. Two Gentlemen of Verona April 20-22 directed by our guest director in residence Dr Alan Nielsen from Austin University Texas. It will make you realise that your opinion is severely misguided. Have a good year.

I suggest you actually maybe do research yourself before you rip into things you know nothing about!!! I know alot of the first year and second year graduates from the "wa academy of dance and drama" who are out in the real world working professionally. Mark is over doing Musical Theatre in West End. Liv starred in Sydney's "vagina monologues", coreys continuing his study at the respected brent street and got picked up by Detour management and starred in the W.A tour of "gabba gabba hey" choreographed by Paul Mecurio (not sure of spelling) and Tonille and Tarna got picked up by Encompass and are both working consistently- Kristina is over in Sydney working consistently also. Danielle studied with them before continuing her study at La Salle so actually a fair few of them are doing really well depending on whatever their aim was for the end of the course. The Entertainment Factory are not trying to hide their roots love... if you read their company profile it's written in black and white. They simply changed their name for Accreditation purposes only. The wanted to be a separate entity. So you putting their affiliated name in quotation marks doesn't really do alot!!! And as for Quirksters remarks- I am pretty sure you missed the whole point quirkster was getting at. If you actually read between the lines on the post he was not ripping into La Salle. He was ripping into a Perth course that is claiming to do things they can't and don't. So get off your mighty high horse and read the post from a reaonable distance rather than jumping to pretty little conclusions. I know who he is talking about it is clear when you actually read it. Maybe not so clear to you coz you're in Singapore I don't know but he wasn't talking about La Salle when he was talking about "a school". I personally think La Salle is a great institutions and don't want to get into a p%$&^ing contest with anyone thinking otherwise as I think it's pointless. There are many great training facilities in Perth, Australia and the entire frickin world. And whether you believe it or not - not all the graduates from all the schools will make it- there is some in every instituation that won't!!! Some will always study and never do, some will fall in love and have babies, some will find a different vocation, some will succeed from sheer determination. I sincerely wish you luck in your B.A with Honours and all the students at La Salle and to be honest everybody in the industry that loves what they do and when I see you at an audition sometime with either just a BA or an Advanced Diploma or nothing at all but talent - one question... will it really matter?!?! Good training is good training La Salle delivers that, New york ABA delivers that and I am sure some remote performing arts schools in I dont know wogga wogga delivers that to- don't count the little guys out!!! I hope I get my point across- it is not an argument to put down La Salle I think their great and everyone thinks very highly of the people who began the course- they are of course (pardon the pun) very well known and that is a great thing for the institution and it's students. My problems is pointless discussions like these ones - and people that well .. really just don't get it x

again let me clarify, i never said lasalle was not a good course! in fact if you read some of the other posts regarding the institution mine was very supportive and damn, i was almost promoting it! look i was simply sharing points that I have found, and just to let you know... yes i know who denis and leith are, yes they are fantastic people, yes they are great at what they are doing and i truly think that they are amazing proffesionals i know exactly what they have acomplished and it's extremely impressive, and i'm sure pretty sure they would agree with me when i say that they do not need anyone spouting their achievements in this forum they are quite well known in perth. so... if you choose to take my opinions in any way other than offered that's up to you. In fact i wouldn't normally reply to this kind of pathetic retoric but i think you need to realise that in fact some people's opinions however slightly may differ from your own. good luck in your performance i'm sure it will be great. look i'm tired and maybe i am taking this way beyond what it should be but i was pretty forthcoming with the praise for lasalle, i did do my research about lasalle and maybe in the long run the course would have been cheaper, did you stop to think that perhaps not everyone has that kind of money to not only pay tuition but also travel expenses, week to week living expenses, gear and the like while only being able to work for an extremely limited amount of time. I personally don't have anyone to pay my bills for me so you'll have to forgive me for that. I pay my own way and unfortunately i need to work to do that. besides the money factor your insinuation that i know nothing about the course is definetly misguided, i spent several weeks researching, asking questions, seeking out all the information that i could from students, from their own website etc etc... i think i have wasted enough time but just for the record how about you do your own research, really look into the teachers, the performance criteria, the electives, the course outline and i don't just mean from the website about the MY institution. how about before you make insinuations about my desicions you look a little further than your own backyard. yes i'm going to defend the institution that i'm attending as you should yours but seriously we're not in competition... yet. let's wait until we've graduated before the petty personal attacks begin... again i wish you and all of the lasalle students the best of luck in your performance... ps. i think your giving my opinion far to much weight, hmmm maybe i'm doing you the same injustice... hey i never said i wasn't human!

I've been accepted into the Music theatre course at LASALLE for the 2006 intake and i know personally 2 other people who are going as well. From what research ive done and having spoken to several other people it seems like a really decent, hard course, quite similar in many respects to the WAAPA course except with more government funding!

Hi everyone I'm trying to get more info on the film programme at LASALLE I know it's not relavant here but can someone who's studying there give me an indicatio of how good it is? They don't give all that much of publicity for the course but LASALLE itself looks a wonderful place to follow the arts. I'm trying to apply for the July intake this year so pls if anyone can give me any info it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

i just want to say i love lasalle its gosh darn hard yakka but i tell ya the course and the people really challenge you to better your abilities and aspire to a standard that is world class. i for one hope that when im finished my three years i have the knowledge and the developed talent to mix it with the best....why else would i be here???? cheers

Dear All, Thankyou for the discussions/opinions that I have read above. I am a 22 year old male from South Australia and have been accepted into the Music Theatre (hons) degree for the july 2006 intake. It is great to hear some honest (Bias or not)opinions about the lasalle course and others around australia. It is also great to hear people talking passionately about the industry we are all trying to get into. For anyone that has also been accepted...it would be great to hear from you, maybe just ask denis to forward my contact details on. Anyway...thankyou all again for the further insight into the course and country in which I am soon to embark on. reading the entire discussion has made me even more excited about the people/teachers & course that I will hopefully be emerged in over the next 3 years. I wish everyone good luck with their future ambitions.. Zachary

Hey Zachary! That's great, can't wait to see you up here. I'm in the musical theatre course at the moment, I'll get your email off Denis. Get very excited, you're going to love it!!!!

I heard that denis follington is leaving lasalle sia is there anyone out there you knows where he is off to next???. like is he coming back to australia to go back to perth to teach at WAAPA??? thanks

i think your right crisp, it is such an old debate. Which drama school is better. and it goes into a fully fledged quite synical argument around november each year when the auditions come up for the aussie schools. i think every course has its good and bad points and those will be different for every individual. you cannot judge a course by who has got into it or really even who has graduated from it to go on, or not to go on to bigger 'better' things. its all down to the individual actor, the school is a way for you to train and develop skills. you are not supposed to be the best actor when you get it, otherwise what would be the point in going? Support eachother guys, the industry is cut throat enough without the actors going against eachother or thier supportive institutions. Save that for the casting directors. :) Be thankful the opportunities are there in the first place.

OK, this is bloody ridiculous!!! You know what, I was accepted to LaSalle for the 2006 intake and I will be jetting off from Perth in 2 months. Luke, quite honestly, you can bag the "qualtiy" of the students that were accepted but let me point this out. OK, firstly The Entertainment Factory is a name that has been on the backburner of the W.A. Academy of Dance and Drama for a long time. They registered the business a long time ago and chose to run the two institutions under different names. I don't know what their accredited course is like, I have seen the details and it certainly looks good, but at the end of the day it comes down to what teachers they have and what those teachers know. Everyone has to choose the course that is right for them and you're right, research is the key. You know what I've researched both, and LaSalle is the right place for me, so sue me for choosing to leave little Perth where there is NO opportunity for work in the Musical Theatre industry. Just because I chose to leave at the studying stage does not make me a bad person. Sometimes you have to sever ties and move on. Someone said, in this industry it doesn't matter what the piece of paper says. You're right it doesn't, if you have the skill you have it and if you don't you don't. Your training will hone that skill but in the end the people that give you that piece of paper are your contacts and that's the extent of it. You know what, I spent 7 or 8 years as the W.A. Academy's top student and if you're going to put me down as "got into LaSalle but not so good" you're not reflecting very well on your own school Luke. So I'm going to point that out. i don't know what I did to &%#$ you guys off but quite frankly I'd expect that after 14 years of loyalty I would have been treated a bit better. So you can put me down and then you can praise The Entertainment factory. But I'm going to point out to everyone here that by doing that you're digging your own grave. So if I was there top student for 9 years.... but I'm one of the crap ones that got into LaSalle this year, what does that say about The Entertainment Factory? I'm not bagging them, I'm just pointing out Lukey's error in his comments. Don't go bagging LaSalle or things you don't know about Luke. I am the kind of person that will speak my mind on it. Personally, I say go there, if you want all round training and you want to stay in Perth, go to the Entertainment Factory, the course is worth it's while.

seems to me that pretty much everyone agrees that it's the quality of the teachers and your own hard work that count so why are we still arguing... or is it that everyone just wants to look more intelligent by throwing second hand opinions from one corner to the other... self indulgence, do we sound like performers or what!

Denis Follington is retiring and going travelling around the world. There are certainly no plans to return to Waapa. He's going to get a very well deserved rest and holliday:)

This is interesting, oh Guess- ever heard that song " your so vain" dearest- i know other people accepted to La Salle besides you so maybe broaden your horizons a little bit hey!!!I think that you are talented (not that you should need my approval) but could proabably ten times better if you would actually listen to what your teachers tell you instead of answering with the ever so familiar "oh I know" and "but i was concentrating on that this time" And don't talk to me about little old perth- i am from england remember!!! I have other friends and aquaintences besides you- some who have fed me unreliable information (which I humbly corrected) and some who i still think are not that talented!!! again my opinion that i am entitled too. Also there is a difference between a registered business and a registered training organisation. That means that the course is accredited and can train in nationally accredited courses. you don't know everything!!! i thought this subject had died down anyway- i was quite happy to agree that there are all sorts of training facilities suited to different people for all sorts of different reasons and thought that this little chat had begun to work haromonously as one agreeing that they are all happy with where they had chosen to train. I don't want to start another debate as to be honest with you don't have tme with all the contact hours and studying lol... wishing everyone a hard year's work ;)

Guys, whoever you are, please stop using this site to make yourselves look good and others look bad. You all look ridiculous and should be embarrassed. Use this site properly or not at all. Thanks.