Baby Ballet takes flight in York with 15 classes planned for 2016

Baby Ballet is booming in York - and budding Darcey Bussells are flocking to lessons, with the odd Billy Elliot joining in too.

There are 11 classes in the city with four more planned to start in the new year.

Baby Ballet started ten years ago in West Yorkshire, aimed at introducing children as young as six months to ballet in a fun, non-pressured and non-competitive way. It is now franchised across the country Jane Herbert is the organiser for York, where the focus is on pre-schoolers, with classes open to children aged 18 months and older. There are no groups for babes-in-arms yet, but Jane says to watch this space.

"What we do is teach them some basic elements of ballet and general movement to music," says Jane, who took her own daughter Elsie, now aged eight, to Baby Ballet class when she was two.

"She was seduced by the idea of wearing a pink tutu," says Jane. Elsie doesn't do ballet now, but the lessons induced a love affair with performance and built her confidence. "She did modern dance and musical theatre and is now cheerleading."

Classes last around half an hour and are a mix of music, dance and fun.

At Clements Hall in South Bank, you can almost feel the excitement as the two and three year olds take part in their class.

Tutor Gemma Thomaz begins by inviting the girls and their carers (mostly mums, but there is a dad and a gran too), to join hands and form a circle. Gemma is loud and smiley, with the bright enthusiasm of a children's TV presenter. In no time, she's coaxed her charges into the warm up - clapping hands, shrugging shoulders and wiggling their hands. They sit down with legs poker straight in front of them and Gemma asks them to show her their "good toes and naughty toes", directing them to point their toes, ballerina-style, then flex them. She kneels down and works her way round the children, making sure they know the difference.

Then it's back on their feet for their first dance. They move around in a circle to She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain When She Comes. Gemma weaves in some basic ballet moves, first position, with their feet in a 'V', then performing a plié, where they bend at the knee, followed by a pirouette.

Arms raised above their heads as they spin, they look like the little figurines in a child's jewellery box.

Things get a little bit more chaotic when Gemma introduces a gallop. Some children see it as an excuse to break free and run as fast as they can to the other side of the room. But Gemma skilfully reins them back in, and soon they are leaping energetically in her wake as she leads them on a very merry dance.

Bright scarves are the next prop, and the children wave them in time with the music. Finally, the teddies come out; a cue that it is time for quiet, cuddle time. Silent Night plays on the sound system, as the toddlers snuggle into their soft toys and get ready to return to the grown-ups.

Mum Susie Ellis has been bringing her daughter Phoebe, aged 22 months, to the class for the past eight weeks. "I brought her older sister here and they just both absolutely love it," she said.

The classes, she believes, offer a great introduction to the basics of ballet. "And it's a lot of fun," she adds. Her elder daughter has caught the performance bug and is going to start a Stagecoach course in the spring.

Susie said: "It gives them confidence, social skills and the chance to meet up with other children."

Vikki Mackley's three-year-old daughter Aimee has been a regular at Baby Ballet for three months. Vikki said: "Her co-ordination has improved massively and she has just recently learned how to jump. "There is the social side too: she enjoys mixing with other children who come along."

Vikki added that Aimee loves dressing up for the class. "That's a big part of it too," she says.

In the new year, Aimee will be sticking with Baby Ballet - moving up from the Tinies class she is in at the moment to the Movers group for the over-threes.

Baby Ballet will be spreading its wings in 2016 too, explains Jane, who is partner in the business with Louise Bradbury, who runs classes in Leeds.

"We have 11 classes at the moment in York, but will be expanding to 15 after the Christmas break."

Classes cost £15 for a three-week trial. Should the child wish to continue, there is a one-off Baby Ballet membership fee of £10 and the 35-minute classes cost £4.80, payable by term or monthly standing order.

For the first time, there will be classes at York Sports Village, as well as on Sundays.

"We run classes on Sundays at Leeds and they have been very popular," says Jane. "Children these days do so many activities, so we need to be as flexible as we can."

There is also a Groovers group for older children, aged four to six, with more of a focus on ballet instruction.

Jane said: "A lot of our children do go on to dance school and do ballet exams. But some just come for fun."

Find out more at babyballet.co.uk