Lovable as babies can be, they can put a serious crimp on your style. But one dance instructor in town who knows what it's like to carry an infant in tow is now offering at least one personal outlet where tiny tots won't get in the way. Bethany Laney, founder of Balanced Babywearing Ballet, caters to the Baby Bjorn-adorning set with classes offered in a studio at the School of Russian Ballet in Lakewood Ranch.

What exactly is baby wearing ballet? It's basically what it sounds like. Mothers come in wearing all different kinds of carriers, usually ones made of some soft material like an Ergo or a Tula, or just wrapping a baby up on them, and doing ballet together.

This is a new business of its own. How are things structured? At the School of Russian Ballet, I teach ballet and lyrical to little ones. They were graciously willing to rent the space to me to hold the class. It's a separate business I have created and started. I go regularly to a baby-wearing group and have done some marketing through there.

As a dance instructor, have you seen demand for this type of class? There is a growing number of women in Sarasota who are baby wearing. It's on the rise in America. There is a great need for moms to have something creative and that they can do safely while wearing a baby at the same time. And there is a great demand in Sarasota as an arts community. I regularly teach with my baby on me, and especially when he was younger I didn't want to give him up to somebody else to watch. I would teach ballet and he would fall asleep on me. I had a friend who asked if we could do a baby-wearing class. I started to do some research and realized this was a real thing. It's offered in California and a couple of other places. 

Balanced Babywearing Ballet