A Caterham dance school owner has met one of her ballet idols.

At only 5’2in Sleep is famous for being the shortest male dancer ever accepted into the Royal Ballet School.

He has performed with everyone from Nureyev to Princess Diana and earlier this year won public acclaim for turning non-professional, largely overweight amateurs into dancers for a Channel 4 documentary, Big Ballet.

Sleep was the guest speaker at baby ballet’s annual conference at babyballet’s Head Office in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Yorkshire mum-of-four, Claire O’Connor set up the company in 2005 and it is now the UK’s leading pre-school dance concept.

She has 60 franchised babyballet schools across the country, with over 10,000 youngsters attending over 1000 classes and both Claire and babyballet have won numerous awards.

Claire featured in the Big Ballet series and was so inspired by Sleep she wanted all 60 women who work with her to meet him. She says it was the most brilliant day imaginable.

Sleep held a dance workshop and then spoke about his exciting career. He also complimented the babyballet teachers who he said were passionate and committed about teaching youngsters dance. “I idolise Wayne Sleep and was star struck.

He spoke from the heart and inspired us all, but it was dancing with him that really made my day. He is so theatrical and such great fun. I had the best time ever,” says Katie Carter.

Katie set up babyballet Caterham and Warlingham in September 2013 and now has over 115 pupils.

I set up babyballet Caterham so I could balance looking after my daughter full time as well as running my own business. babyballet dance classes allow babies, toddlers and young children to enjoy the physical and social benefits of ballet, song and dance in a safe, caring, positive and informal environment. With a real focus on learning through play, every child can build their confidence and social skills, learning manners, discipline and respect while developing their basic ballet technique, coordination, musicality, balance, posture and rhythm.

Sleep is a patron of the British Ballet Organisation and vice-president of the Royal Academy of Dance, He has two entries in the Guinness Book of Records and has appeared on numerous TV shows including Stepping Out, Strictly Dance Fever, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Come Dine With me and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. He is back on our TV screens this month in Celebrity Masterchef 2014 but wasn’t giving anything away about his cooking skills. “I hope people will tune in to watch the programme, they won’t be disappointed, we had a great time filming it,” he says.

Anyone who would like more details about babyballet can contact Katie on 07590313011 or visit www.babyballet.co.uk

Based on information supplied by Katie Carter.