Baby group booming in Goole

My Baby Can Dance Selby, Goole and Surrounding Areas is a a preschool activity based on natural movement to music, and multi-sensory early years’ learning, developing little ones’ physical and emotional needs in a structured, friendly equal setting.

Janine Burley-Gosling set up My Baby Can Dance in Hull in 2011, and by then end of that year it had won Best Pre-school Activity for Hull & East Riding for 2012 by Netnums.com.

The first franchise was sold a couple of years after and there are now 13 franchises. The early years’ development programme teaches children about vital skills in preparation for preschool with music and movement. Children are given the tools to go on to structured dance tuition with confidence and social skills plus musicality and coordination.

Our Goole chatted to Sam Owen-Smith who bought her first franchise in 2015.

What is your proudest achievement?
In the five years since I became a franchisee with My Baby Can Dance Ltd we have won countless awards, Little Vikings, What’s on for Kids, most recently we won Best Children’s Activity for under-fives in the Hull and East Riding Mumbler Awards which was announced during lockdown and I was absolutely thrilled. Our director won Business Woman of the Year 2018 with the Yorkshire Choice Awards.

But to be perfectly honest my proudest moments come from simple things. When a child has a lightbulb moment in class, for example, last week a very young child learned how to catch and the look on her face was utterly priceless. To see a child achieve a new skill in class and feel confident enough to show everyone in class is just the best feeling.

How did lockdown affect your business?
Lockdown effectively left my business dead in the water. As a company we decided that we would try to create an online presence to ensure the children continued to remember us. We came to the decision that financially, times were going to be tough for everyone. Some of our families would have lost jobs, homes, been furloughed or made redundant, so we decided that we would provide this service for free. Our families are important to us – this is more than a job, it’s a privilege to be part of these children’s formative years and our relationships with those families can go on for many years.

I had a 12-year-old home schooling and two older children remote learning for college and university. Our internet was definitely strained to say the least. Although it took me a little while to get in front of a camera, I do believe the phenomenal support we received from our families saved our business and we have now returned to Covid-secure face-to-face sessions and are full to capacity. It is slightly different, as it has to be, but it’s wonderful being back with our community again. We are offering friendship, advice and social interaction during our full programme of educational activities and I am loving it.

What are you plans for the future?
I just want to see us grow out of Yorkshire and into the wider community. My own plans for the future of my areas are; take on another couple of leaders to help me provide a six-day programme of classes across the region in all my areas.

What would you say to someone thinking of joining the class?
I always say ‘come and give us four weeks’ because something magical happens at four weeks, children come out from behind mum and join in with our activities. From then on, their social skills build and enjoyment comes from being familiar with our syllabus. The repetitive nature of our class builds confidence so quickly and confident children soar in education. Our class is such amazing fun, these children learn so much in such a short time you’ll never regret it.

For more information about My Baby Can Dance, please visit mybabycandance.com