MAD Academy provides the perfect blend of music and dance for young children. Our classes are packed with music, movement, rhythm and dance. Our approach is fun, funky and physical and we pride ourselves on our free spirited and relaxed approach.
Helen Harrington founded MAD Academy in 2004 in Reading, Berkshire. Having been a musician and singer all her life, she couldn’t wait to introduce her own baby son to the joys of music. However, Helen was also a passionate believer in the importance of movement and physicality to young children. So when she couldn’t find music classes for babies which really encouraged physical play and dance, she decided to start her own!
From the very beginning, MAD Academy classes were high energy, interactive and fun. Helen assembled a team of experts, including a professional dancer, choreographer, fitness expert and primary school teacher, and together they developed the MAD Academy curriculum.
The combination of music and dance was a big hit with children and parents alike and classes soon spread across the country. It wasn’t long before MAD Academy classes were being run in nurseries and preschools as well. MAD Academy children’s parties also became extremely popular, with their fun, funky and physical style proving perfect for creating a party atmosphere.
The MAD Academy business model was also extremely attractive to entrepreneurial individuals eager to acquire a franchise. The opportunity to run a successful, child-centred business which was flexible enough to fit around family life meant more and more franchisees joined the MAD Academy organisation. With the continual support and expertise of Helen and her team behind them, franchisees launched successful businesses across the county.
In 2009, due to a rising demand, MAD Academy started to bring its huge expertise in teaching young children music and dance to Early Year organisations through the launch of its training and accreditation programmes.
Today, MAD Academy continues to expand with new franchisees joining and launching classes every term. And parents and children benefit alike from the constant new material developed by Helen and her team which ensure classes are always fresh, exciting and developmental.
