Who Are We?

The IBTA represents Irish ballet teachers registered with highly respected worldwide organisations: Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), and International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA), British Ballet Organization (BBO), Association of Russian Ballet & Theatre Arts (ARBTA) and others. We undergo extensive years of training and subsequent examinations to be qualified to teach and train ballet students from recreational up to pre professional level in a safe and disciplined environment. IBTA also includes representatives from Ballet Ireland, Ireland’s national ballet company which is funded by the Arts Council and Irish National Youth Ballet (INYB), Cork Youth Ballet Company and Youth Ballet West (YBW). All ballet schools in Ireland are privately run education establishments, and teachers are both self employed and employers, paying significant tax, local charges and rents etc. They are important contributors to the economy. Our members are dance educators.

Formation of IBTA

During the Pandemic, we formed the IBTA as a support mechanism for ballet teachers across Ireland.  It became the focal point for the representation of those ballet teachers and demonstrated the need for collaboration and communication as one body. 
The practice of classical ballet education was not recognised formally in the road map for reopening Ireland during the pandemic. However, the IBTA had a more powerful, united voice through being together. The IBTA were able to lobby the Government for recognition as a sector and respond to the media to ensure that good quality information was available to our customers – our students and their families. Collectively, we were able to respond as a sector to develop safety protocols for teaching ballet in the context of Covid 19, and to support our members through this difficult time.