Baby & Me Ballet at CWS Dance: A Gentle First Step into Dance

CWS DANCE | THE BALLET BULLETIN

We’re delighted to introduce our brand-new Baby & Me preschool ballet classes at CWS Dance. Created for babies and young toddlers, these gentle, playful sessions offer a lovely opportunity for you and your little one to enjoy music, movement and connection together.

Where and when?

Classes take place on Monday mornings at:

Dockland Settlements
400 Salter Road, London SE16 5AA

The Autumn Term begins on Monday 7 September 2026, with two carefully planned age groups:

• 10–18 months: 10:00am
• 18–24 months: 10:45am

Each class lasts 40 minutes, giving your child enough time to explore without becoming overwhelmed.

Book a trial class

What happens in Baby & Me ballet?

A parent or carer participates throughout the session, supporting your child as they discover movement in a warm and welcoming environment.

Classes include:

• Music and familiar nursery rhymes
• Playful ballet-inspired movement
• Gentle stretches, bouncing, swaying and travelling
• Props and imaginative activities
• Simple routines that encourage listening and participation

There is no pressure to perform. Your baby may watch, join in, explore at their own pace or need a little extra reassurance. Every response is part of their learning journey.

Through shared movement and play, we support early coordination, rhythm, body awareness and confidence, while creating precious time for you and your child to connect. These early experiences can also help children become familiar with taking part in a group, following simple patterns and expressing themselves through movement.

Meet your teacher: Poppy Rankin

Poppy teaches babies and preschool children across South London and also teaches baby ballet at Primrose Hill Ballet School. Alongside her dance teaching, she works as a developmental gymnastics instructor, supporting children’s fine motor skills, body awareness and coordination.

Poppy trained at Italia Conti, completing a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance. She also has experience as a children’s entertainer with P&O Cruises, where she led workshops, appeared as a mascot and performed in mini musicals.

Her enthusiasm for working with younger children shines through. Poppy particularly enjoys seeing children grow in their personality and confidence, and she looks forward to welcoming you both to class.

A special Autumn Term welcome

If your trial class leads to enrolment during the Autumn Term, your child will receive a free handmade ballet bag featuring Snowball, our ballerina cat.

There will also be little surprises inside, specially chosen for babies to use during their lessons.

We would love to meet you. If you have questions about the classes, age groups or what to bring, please get in touch with CWS Dance: our door is always open.