Rachel Withers started ballet in 1977 when she began training at the Dorothy Stevens School of Dance. A RAD York Scholar, training under Louise Browne, Rachel was awarded the Margot Fonteyn award for Scholar of the year in 1986. Rachel obtained her Advanced (now Advanced 2) RAD Certification at the age of 16. She was then accepted into the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London, England. One of Rachel’s career highlights was performing for Dame Ninette de Valois 90th birthday gala celebration in 1988 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden with a capacity audience of nearly 2,000 friends, colleagues and admirers, including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Dame Margot Fonteyn. Dame Ninette de Valois was a - dancer, choreographer, teacher and founder of Britain’s Royal Ballet.

At the age of 18, she began her professional career, when she performed with the Royal Ballet in Sleeping Beauty. Rachel has studied and worked with numerous notable dancers, teachers and choreographers, including Dame Alicia Markova, Vassilie Trunoff, Dame Beryl Grey, and Brenda Last.

In 1990 - Rachel began teaching at the Dorothy Stevens School, at the Goddard School of dance and Stagecoach Performing Arts. Rachel has taught age ranges from 2 years to 18 years in both Ballet, modern and creative dance. Whilst teaching Rachel studied additional dance genres in particular contemporary dance and the Graham technique and gained a Bachelor of Performance Arts (hons) – Leeds University in 1993. After gaining her degree Rachel set up community art projects involving dance and drama for under privileged children and was involved with going into to schools to deliver creative dance and movement. Rachel has used dance and drama as a method of engagement, and creative expression, to build confidence, self-esteem and the ability to work positively with others.

Rachel has choregraphed pieces for theatre groups and her work has been performed at the Edinburgh Festival.

It was in 1998 that Rachel decided to leave the Dance world and started a family in 2000.

It was in 2007 Rachel realised she was out of shape and not looking after herself. Rachel attended a local gym, and after 9 months of training with the owner, took her first ballet fitness class. At the time Rachel wasn’t focused on developing the class other than helping women exercise and stay in shape using her ballet fitness method. It was towards the end of 2011, that Rachel started to support other woman with setting up their own ballet fitness class and this was when BalletBeFit was born. . It was in 2015 that the business went online so Rachel could further support other fitness professionals and those wanting to pursue their passion for dance and fitness.

BalletBeFit’s whole ethos is to support women in the fitness industry and make dance and fitness accessible to all ages and levels.