This viral ‘Baby Dance Club’ helps parents and newborns bond
Both doctors and new parents know that the first few months of a baby’s life can be a crucial time for development, but it can also be a physical and mental ordeal for Mom and Dad.
Perhaps that’s why one dance studio in Columbus, Ohio, has gone viral with its videos of a “baby dance club” that gives new parents a way to shake off the stress — and soothe their newborns at the same time.
In the fun videos posted to Flux + Flow’s TikTok, Facebook and Instagram pages, you can see parents swaying to dance beats while holding their little ones, usually in slings or baby carriers.
@fluxflowbabydanceclub Baby Dance Club is expanding its offerings and will now be happening 3 times a week! Mondays noon-12:30pm Wednesdays (starting May 24th) noon-12:30pm Saturdays (starting June 3rd) 3-3:30pm Join us in person or online from anywhere in the world for Baby Dance Club. Know someone caring for a 0-6 month old? This is the perfect class for them! And the community emerging is absolutely lovely. Book at flux-flow.com/schedule Video: @lifebyleilandslens ——— Baby Dance Club is a 30 minute dance class for the parents and caregivers of babies 0-6 months old and their babies! The class is designed to create community and joy for adult participants while providing tools to connect with babies through dance. No baby music here! We’ll have a fun upbeat playlist to get us dancing and laughing. The class will have a seated alternatives for the whole class. We understand that people who have given birth may need to modify and take breaks and that will be encouraged and celebrated at the studio. This class will also be offered virtually so those who are unable to join in person can still join in from home! Do I need a baby carrier? No, but you are free to use one! The teacher will offer a variety of options for how to hold the baby but ultimately you decide what works for best for you. How firm is the 0-6 age range? This age range is in place to ensure a quality class time experience. We did a trial class with a 2-14 month old age range and the older babies had different, more complex needs for stimulation. This class is essentially for babies young enough that when you dance with them they have all the stimulation they need. We are essentially practicing baby hypnotism 😂 If you have a 7 or 8 month old you can give the class a try and the teacher will give you feedback as to whether or not it’s a good fit. #baby #babydance #babydancing #babyactivities #infantcare #infant #dance #babies #babiesofinstagram #babygirl #babyboy #babyshower #babyshowerideas #mybaby #newborn #newbornphotography #newborns #newbornbaby #postpartumwellness #postpartumcare #ostpartumfitness #postpartum #newparent #newdad #newmom #queer #queerowned #queerled #queerparent #queerparents #queerownedbusiness ♬ original sound – BabyDanceClub
Flux + Flow advertises the classes as being for “parents and caregivers of babies 0-6 months old and their babies,” and the Zumba-influenced movements are equally designed for Mom and Dad’s exercise and the little one’s relaxation. The studio says babies must be young enough to get all the stimulation they need from the movement and the music.
The classes are a quick 30 minutes long, but the studio stays open a full hour to give participants a chance to socialize. A single session costs $16 each ($12 for the first month) but you can get 10-class passes or monthly unlimited passes.
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Mind you, exercise classes for new moms and dads are something you can find at yoga and dance studios in nearly every city. But at the usual “Mommy and Me” yoga class, for instance, the babies are usually spectators lying on a mat — not participants. Or they’re carried, but caregivers are just doing gentle floor exercises. Baby Dance Club has more in common with Zumbini, where kids from 0-4 are encouraged to move with parents, fostering social and emotional engagement while they develop fine motor skills.
As Flux + Flow puts it, their classes are essentially “baby hypnotism” where the parents rock out while the kids get rocked to sleep. It also doesn’t hurt that the playlist eschews nursery standards in favor of dance floor hits like Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants” or Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.”
“The point is to have fun and create a connection with the baby,” studio founder Russell Lepley told the Wall Street Journal. “But people do say that it’s a good workout, and we do get sweaty. There is a warm body attached to you.”
Flux + Flow currently hosts Baby Dance Club at noon Mondays and Wednesdays and 11 a.m. Sundays ET for both in-person and virtual attendees. You may be able to find similar classes in your area soon, though: events like a Barre + Baby workout class in Brooklyn, New York already exist, and surely others will be jumping on the trend.
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