Ballymena's Home of Dance

Find your rhythm at Ballymena Dance Academy

Ballet, tap, modern, hip hop, ballroom, latin, contemporary & jazz — expert tuition for preschoolers to adults, from your first class to the world stage.

Book a Free Trial Class Call 07800 529098
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Young dance students rehearsing at the barre
Kara McCartneyPrincipal & Choreographer
About Us

A supportive academy with a world-class reputation

Owned and run by choreographer Kara McCartney, Ballymena Dance Academy has built an excellent reputation across the town for nurturing dancers of every age and ability. Our studio at Pennybridge Industrial Estate offers a warm, encouraging environment where students learn technique, build confidence, and fall in love with dance — whether they're taking their first steps or training for competition.

"For many of the children and young people, it will be their first experience of competing on a world stage as part of such a prestigious competition, and the lessons they will learn from it will be very valuable." — Kara McCartney, Principal, Ballymena Dance Academy
51
Dancers Competing Internationally
8
Competition Categories
Ages 3+
Preschool to Adult Classes
2026
Dance World Cup Qualifiers
What We Teach

Classes for every age and style

From your child's first ballet steps to advanced competition training, our experienced instructors bring out the best in every dancer.

Ballet

Classical technique, posture and grace, taught from preschool through to advanced grades.

All ages

Tap

Rhythm, sound and sharp footwork in a fun, energetic class environment.

All ages

Modern & Lyrical

Expressive, flowing movement that builds strength and storytelling ability.

Junior & senior

Hip Hop

High-energy street styles for kids and teens who love to move to the beat.

All ages

Ballroom & Latin

Elegant partner dancing, from social dancers to competitive couples.

Teens & adults

Contemporary & Jazz

Dynamic, technical styles used in our award-winning competition routines.

Competition

Acro & Showstopper

Tumbling, flexibility and show-style performance skills for competitive teams.

Competition

Private Lessons

One-to-one coaching tailored to individual goals, at a pace that suits you.

All ages
On The World Stage

51 of our dancers are heading to the Dance World Cup

In January, Ballymena Dance Academy qualified for the Dance World Cup — often described as the "Olympics of dance" — after months of dedicated training. This July, 51 of our dancers, aged 7 to 22, will compete at the Dublin Convention Centre against more than 11,000 young performers from 50 countries, across lyrical, modern, contemporary, acro, showstopper and jazz.

Proudly supported by Galgorm Collection and Logans Executive Travel, this is the biggest achievement in the academy's history — and proof of what our students can accomplish with the right training and support.

Join Our Next Class
Reviews

What dance families say

★★★★★

"My daughter has grown so much in confidence since starting ballet here. The teachers are patient, encouraging and clearly love what they do."

Dance Parent, Ballymena
★★★★★

"An incredible academy — the World Cup qualification says it all. Professional training with a real family feel."

Local Parent
★★★★★

"Started as an adult beginner in the ballroom class and never felt out of place. Friendly, welcoming and genuinely great fun."

Adult Student

Your first class is on us

Book a free trial class today and see why families across Ballymena trust us with their dancers' training.

Call 07800 529098 Email Us
Get In Touch

Visit our studio

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Studio Address

Unit 22a, Pennybridge Industrial Estate
Ballymena, BT42 3HB
Northern Ireland

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Phone

07800 529098
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Email

info@ballymena-danceacademy.co.uk
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Class Times

Weekday evening classes & Saturday morning sessions
Contact us for the full term timetable