My small steps ended in true global success
Babyballet began as a dance class for pre-school children. Now it’s marking it’s 15th anniversary as a world-spanning business Tom Scargill has the details
WHEN SHE started offering dance lessons for pre-school children in Halifax in 2005, Claire O’Connor set out on a journey that would see her business go global. As babyballet begins a year of celebrations for its 15 th anniversary, we spoke to her about the journey so far.
Ballet has been part of Claire O’Connor’s life for as long as she can remember.
Growing up, she watched her mum, Barbara, now believed to be the UK’s oldest ballet dancer, teach the dance discipline to thousands of children, and soon became a dancer herself.
“My siblings and I grew up with ballet, and my mum encouraged me to attend traditional ballet classes from the age of three to 14”, Claire explains. “However, by the time I got to my teens, I started to go through a period of low self-confidence and felt I wasn’t the right shape for ballet.”
Fast forward a number of years, working alongside her mum for knowledge and advice, Claire’s idea for babyballet was born.
She explains: “I didn’t want other children to feel the way I felt, like I was the wrong shape or size for ballet. So, I began offering ballet classes for preschool children in Halifax. The emphasis of the classes was, back then, as it still is now – all about building confidence and just having fun.”
The initial success and demand for babyballet in Halifax was astounding and Claire wanted children further afield to enjoy the classes, and so developed babyballet into a franchise model. The business now has 83 franchises across the UK plus internationally in countries including Australia and Singapore.
More than 25,000 children attend babyballet classes each week, and the company has recently signed its first ever master licensee based in New Zealand, in addition to its three existing licensees in the country.
Claire says: “Our international expansion is really picking up pace now, and it’s very exciting see our classes grow overseas. In New Zealand, we’re working with a lady called Emma Payne who graduated from the Auckland City Ballet Centre in 2001 and has since danced professionally around the world. Emma’s role is to help oversee and grow babyballet in New Zealand through the recruitment of dance teachers and studio owners as licensees.”
In summer 2018, Claire made the decision with her family set off for an adventure of a lifetime with a nine month trip around the world while researching international expansion opportunities for babyballet in more countries.
The family started in Canada - where Claire’s husband, Chris, was already working as a rugby analyst for Toronto Wolfpack, and went on to visit the USA, Europe, Dubai, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Claire explains: “Deciding to take the children out of school and home school them while we travelled was one of the bravest decisions we had to make. My son was in Year 9 at the time, and my daughters were in Years 5 and 7.
“When it came to home schooling, my husband, Chris, and I didn’t really understand anything about how to make it work.
“We had to do some very quick research to find out what we needed to know and do before we set off around the world. When we looked into it, it was incredibly reassuring to find that there are many more people than you think who home
school their children, and we discovered a huge support network with lots of information and advice available for parents.”
Back in Halifax with her children back in school, Claire is now busy gearing up for 12 months of celebrations that will mark babyballet’s 15th year in business while working on plans to grow the brand further.
She says: “I’m very proud of how far babyballet has come in the last 15 years, but equally I’m excited about what the future holds as more children start to enjoy and experience babyballet classes both in the UK and globally. We’re actively looking to recruit new franchisees across the country and have some big plans for the year ahead when it comes to our celebrations.”
With her day starting with the school run at 8am, followed by a typical agenda of visiting franchisees across the UK, networking or development work before school pickup, homework and tea, Claire’s schedule is certainly fullon.
“I make the most of these crazy busy years while I can”, she says. “Although they’re hectic, I know I will miss it when the children grow up and I don’t have to do it anymore.
“Besides”, Claire laughs, “the quiet life isn’t for me just yet.”
For information on babyballet classes in the
Halifax area and franchise or license opportunities, go to babyballet.co.uk
I didn’t want other children to feel the way I felt, like I was the wrong shape or size for ballet