Ashford dancer on a mission to inspire more boys to enjoy ballet!

Kent based dancer Matty Hurst is on a mission to inspire more boys to take up ballet, after becoming the first man to open a babyballet® franchise in the UK.

Matty, 28, has been running his ballet classes at the Elwick Club in Ashford for the last 12 months. He now teaches around 150 children aged between 6 months to 6 years, including 13 boys, from Monday to Saturday.

Matty said: “It’s great that we now have 13 boys taking part in our Ashford classes. In fact, in one class there are five boys, which makes up a third of the class. We’ve also now got dads bringing their sons in which is super important because traditionally ballet classes were seen as a mum and daughter activity.”
He added, “For me, ballet is the foundation of all dance styles and it requires strength, confidence and discipline. It’s a skill that helps build children’s confidence and they love it.
“Ballet has given me so much in life and it would be amazing to see more boys believing they can be ballet dancers if they want to be without any stigma attached.”

Matty is an experienced dancer with over a decade of professional experience, having worked in theatre shows and performances across the UK. He specialises in ballet, contemporary and musical theatre.

He is backing the My Boy Can social media campaign to support and promote the right of every child to enjoy what they like, without the constraints of gender stereotypes.

Claire O’Connor, CEO and founder of babyballet®, said: “Matty is doing a great job in inspiring the next generation of dancers. Our classes are fun, enjoyable and sociable which makes it easy for everyone to fit in. We should all be encouraging young people to bring their passions to life regardless of gender and we’re proud that babyballet allows and promotes that.”

Matty’s classes take place at the Elwick Club, Ashford, from Monday to Saturday. For more information visit https://babyballet.co.uk/babyballet-school/ashford/.

For further details about babyballet, and the classes on offer in other areas of the UK, visit: www.babyballet.co.uk.