The Worksop ballet teacher bringing the joy of dance to a new generation

Michaela Young is the proud new owner of a branch of Tiny Toes bringing ballet to children aged six months to four years in venues across North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire from April.

Free taster sessions are set to start at The Masonic Hall in Worksop The Elms Hotel in Retford and The Common Ground Community Centre in Nether Edge, Sheffield from April 20 to April 23.

Starting a new business venture is daunting at any time but for Michaela, aged 26, she had the added pressure of navigating lockdown.

She said: “Since focusing more on my teaching I knew I wanted to set my own classes up but was scared of taking the plunge and doing it.

"It was September 2020 I started looking into different franchises and options moving forward.

"I found out that Tiny Toes ballet is an award-winning programme and the only pre-school ballet programme in the UK that is fully integrated with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

"I felt so much more comfortable setting this up with the reputation Tiny Toes already had and the support that they were willing to give. I took the plunge in November and was supposed to open in January for our free taster events and then obviously lockdown 3.0 happened.”

Determined to continue with her dance teaching dream Michaela refused to let the pandemic squash her dancing dreams and she adapted with an online lockdown programme.

She said: “Luckily being under an already established company, head office was super supportive and straight away came up with the eight-week free lockdown program to keep the momentum going but to also give parents and children something to look forward to day to day.

"We ran the lockdown programme incorporating a variety of different activities including dance, drama, crafts, cookery, puzzles and even EYFS ideas for parents to do with their little ones. We incorporate a theme for the term and the lockdown programme was no different.

"We had a new theme each week including superheroes, under the sea, animals and the hungry caterpillar- to name a few. This was all done online on either Zoom or Facebook live so anyone could take part.”

The lockdown sessions received rave reviews from parents and now Michaela is eager to get back to face to face classes as lockdown eases.

"It will be amazing for people to finally join us into the Tiny Toes world. After the free taster session the bookings will then open for our first term week commencing April 26.”

Michaela is now urging parents in the region to get involved and support her new business venture.

“The benefits to these classes are endless,” she said. “Children will really go on an imaginative journey throughout our class. They will have the opportunity to use props, listen and understand music, use different types of instruments, and be able to role play.”

www.tinytoesballet.co.uk/north-nottinghamshire-south-yorkshire

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