Hi I’m Katie, founder of Inspire, I started dancing aged two and I’ve not stopped since.
Which is why I established Inspire in 2010 – to do just that, inspire the next generation, right here in East Yorkshire.
Born and bred in Beverley – it was only natural that I would be lured back from the bright lights of London to establish my own dance school in my beautiful hometown.
And so Inspire was born….
From those first snowy evenings in Etton Village Hall with a handful of pupils, Inspire has grown into a vibrant and successful dance and theatre school.
We teach over 380 pupils a week, have an extensive timetable teaching seven different disciplines in venues across Beverley and East Yorkshire.
I’m so lucky. I get to do what I love every day.
I’ve been the girl who lives and breathes dance and as a mum to two girls, I also know what it’s like to be a parent. To want to see your children thrive, be confident, and to do what they love.
It is these foundations on which Inspire has grown.
When I was growing up dancing, I had wonderful opportunities but I was scared to make a mistake. I wanted to blend in and not stand out for any reason (good or bad) and when I started Inspire, I was determined to build something different.
I wanted to create somewhere that children are at the heart of everything we do, somewhere that expectations are high and we know when to push our pupils – but not at the sacrifice of mental health.
At Inspire we have clear values at the heart of our school. We understand anxiety, neurodiversity and the importance of being inclusive. We celebrate every pupil for where they’re at and for who they are.
We know our pupils as people as well as dancers and we’re really proud of the school we’ve worked really hard to create.
I’m so proud that our pupils past and present tell us that our school teaches them so much more than dance because our aim is to provide a positive environment for pupils to flourish as performers and in life – to build confidence and self esteem, friendships to blossom and for every pupil to feel at home.
We’re a really friendly, super supportive and inclusive school and we would love to have a conversation to see if you think we’re a good fit.
We offer training in Classical Ballet, Tap, Contemporary Modern, Street Dance, Musical Theatre, Acrobatic Arts and we have our own performance company too, so there’s something for everyone!
From Pre-schoolers through to Adults – there is no upper age limit to joining the Inspire family.
We invite prospective pupils to come and try out classes so that they can find the one that’s the best fit.
If you’re interested in finding out more and arranging a trial session, we would love to hear from you.
All our staff take pride in building strong relationships with our pupils and families. We create an inclusive environment ensuring we meet pupils individual needs and we welcome both girls and boys into our school.
At Inspire we have 5 core values which are at the heart of our school.
We are passionate about building confidence in all our pupils, not only in their dancing and performing ability but a deeper confidence to take forward in their lives. Our pupils take that confidence when they leave us as Graduates into their next chapter and beyond.
Positivity is infectious ! We create a positive environment so our pupils feel uplifted and always leave class with a smile!
At Inspire we truly care for all our pupils. We are a big family and we encourage pupils to care for their peers and to practise kindness.
This is where the magic happens… In class when pupil’s find something hard but dig deep and find the inner strength not to give up. The moment they crack it after minutes, weeks or months is real life magic!
When we have healthy self-esteem we feel positive about ourselves and about life in general. With the increasing pressures on children and young people, we understand the important role we have as teachers in our pupil’s lives. We practise mindfulness in our classes and although we are not experts, we encourage our pupils to recognise their own strengths and to feel proud of them.
At Inspire, we feel privileged to watch our pupils develop as dancers and people, from Pre Schoolers to Inspire Graduates, we love being a part of their journey
Start your Inspire journey in our Little Stars classes where little ones and their grown-ups can enjoy dancing together.
Our journey begins for pupils age 2.5 where they can join our Pre School Ballet and Tap Classes.
Ballet and Tap pupils progress into rosette classes when they start school and will aim to take their first IDTA rosette exams.
Pupils Age 4 can also start our Street Dance, Theatre Works Classes and Acrobatic Arts classes.
Street dancers also have the opportunity to take IDTA Street Dance Exams and progress through the age appropriate classes
Pupils in the ballet and tap classes continue to progress through the IDTA exam grades and will aim to do an exam session each year onwards.
Ballet and Tap class pupils begin to work on the IDTA contemporary modern syllabus
Ballet pupils may join our Enhancing Classical Technique Class in addition to their usual class
Street Dancers move into purple class
Junior Theatre works pupils move into Intermediate Class
Street dance branches move into the senior class where they now train in both street dance and contemporary dance
Senior Ballet Tap and modern class- pupils have by this point established a strong level of graded work through all 3 dance genres.
Pointe Work – (selected pupils only)
We provide adult classes for our pupils to continue their dance journey at Inspire beyond our children’s classes.
We also welcome new adult dancers to the school because it’s never too late to start dancing!
(Please note ages are approximate for examinations)
We are very proud of the fulfilling journey we provide at Inspire for our pupils, please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
We create opportunities for pupil’s to enter IDTA examinations, take part in our Bi-Annual Shows, we hold regular workshops with guest teachers, West End Workshop opportunities, Summer Schools, family theatre trips- there is always something going on!
We are extremely proud of our outstanding IDTA examination results and have a 100% pass rate.
We are proud to have Inspire graduate Sam Darwell touring with professional company; Varna Ballet and Sam has recently been cast as the principal role Rothbart in their production of Swan Lake.
We are also proud to have a current Inspire pupil training with Northern Ballet on their CAT programme.
We are extremely proud of our school; all our pupils and parents feel part of our Inspire family.
