Belly babies a new dance class for mums or dads and their babies will be held at Wester Hailes Education Centre on Wednesdays 10.30am from 25 February to 1 April 2015.
The project supports babies with their parent during the baby’s first year. It’s a 6 week courses with each session lasting 1 hour with 30 mins social time per week.
From their website:
All group leaders are experienced dance teachers and/or dance movement therapists with specific skills in working with groups and with non-dancers, who understand the importance of encouraging positive attachment and bonding skills between parent and infant.
Each session will include:
- Meet and greet
- Introducing the theme of the week, health and social check-in with parents, getting ready (removing shoes, putting on slings etc)
- Warm-up in circle to prepare participants for the class – mobilising, strengthening and stretching the body
- Setting the theme using simple steps and movements in the circle – creative and action learning
- Developing the theme, learning a simple fun choreography – practice and mastery builds self-esteem
- ‘Circle time’ on Yoga mats, focussing on baby massage, baby dance, stretching and cool down
Families of the participants will gain from an improved sense of health and well-being. Baby and parent participants will gain physical confidence, experiment with play activities, develop new friendships and get more connected to their local community. Previous experience of delivering this class in a private setting noticeably reduced stress and symptoms of PND in mothers, and the babies demonstrated improved engagement with parent and others.
