babyballet dance teachers are ready to shimmy into the new term after attending Sparkle conferences

Did you know that this summer, babyballet teachers from across the UK gathered for our first ever dance teacher conferences? Our Sparkle events were dedicated to giving back to the very special people who turn dreams into reality for our little stars.

Due to popular demand (we’re an enthusiastic bunch here at babyballet!) we decided to double the magic and host not just one, but two CPD events: one for the northerners in York, and a second down south in Milton Keynes. We’re thrilled that so many of our talented babyballet teachers took part and made the days extra special!

The Sparkle professional development conference days were jam-packed with opportunities for our teachers to share their best practice, upskill ready for the new term, and of course, perfect their shimmy Strictly-style… can anyone spot a familiar star among our midst? Read on to find out what we got up to at our Sparkle conferences…

The babyballet® Story

babyballet wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible determination and willpower of our founder, Claire O’Connor.

At Sparkle, Claire shared how her vision, to make ballet classes enjoyable and accessible for all children, grew from its humble beginnings in a play gym in Halifax, West Yorkshire, to the widely acclaimed global brand it is today. Watch our behind-the-scenes videos on the babyballet Network Instagram profile to see all the fun that Claire and the team had during our Sparkle CPD conferences…

What Did Teachers Get up to in Our CPD Workshops?

Our teachers engaged in a carefully crafted schedule of hands-on sessions, each designed to bring out the very best in our teaching team. From making every child and parent feel welcome in class, to sharing their very best tips and tricks of the trade, our teachers left feeling ready to make the new term their best yet!

What makes a babyballet teacher sparkle?

Our Creative Dance Support Consultant, Miss Abigail, led a soul-satisfying session focused on sharing best practice and pin-pointing the exact and unique blend of skills that combine to make our baby ballet teachers. A quiz was also on the agenda testing just how well teachers know our magical world of tutus and pointed-toes.

The importance of inclusion

At babyballet, we strive for every child and parent to feel welcome and included in their dance class. That’s why we’re committed to continuous professional development. Our very own head office inclusion specialist, Miss Lara helped our teaching teams to explore practical strategies for fostering that inclusive atmosphere that our babyballet classes are well-known for, enabling all our little stars to shine.

Did you know that in addition to our original babyballet syllabus classes, we also offer a specialised SEND Shine programme, offering some of our families and children a little extra-special baby ballet magic?

Making our wellbeing a priority

Putting people first will always be at the heart of what we do here at baby ballet. That’s why we invited the performance industry wellness expert, Will Centurion, to talk about the importance of putting self-care at the top of our priority list.

Our Special Guests

Of course, it would not have been a real babyballet day out without surprise appearances from two of our favourite cuddly stars, Twinkle & Teddy. They sure knew how to bust out their best moves alongside the BBC Strictly Come Dancing star, Janette Manrara!

Being a working mum herself, Janette arrived ready to share her own experience as a parent of attending a babyballet class with her one-year-old daughter, Lyra. Chatting with our CEO, Claire O’Connor during a live Q&A session, Janette had nothing but praise for our fabulous teaching team, noting their enthusiasm, engagement and seemingly never-ending amounts of patience! Following the Q&A, our babyballet teachers pulled on their dancing shoes and perfected their shimmy during a dance workshop led by the salsa queen herself. 💃

Think you know a special someone who may just have that unique blend of magic required to join our amazing babyballet teaching team? Get in touch to let us know!

Or email info@babyballet.co.uk to join our babyballet Franchising mailing list for further insights about joining our amazing babyballet network.