Belly Beats: Dance for Pregnancy @The Labour Dept.

***This series will be hosted in English***

Get ready to groove and breathe your way to a confident childbirth experience! Join our  series of dance classes that are specially designed to support your body through pregnancy and prepare for birth.. No dance experience is needed- everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Let’s embrace the rhythm together and empower ourselves for this incredible journey!

What are the dates of this class:

June 6 17:30-19:00
June 13 17:30-19:00
June 20 17:30-19:00
June 27 17:30-19:00

Who is this class for? 

For English speaking pregnant people, expecting babies between July & October, who want to learn practical exercises to prepare for childbirth, dancing, making new friends and finding strength in each other along the way.

What does this series of group sessions include: 

1. Dancing for childbirth: We warm up, move and stretch all our body. We dance soft, strong and grounded to the rhythms of the music, emphasising the movement of the hips and legs to increase flexibility in the pelvic floor. It is a soft workout but an empowering dance, rooted in African, Latin American and Modern dances, among others.
2. Listening session: We will be dancing to a selection of music that has been designed to sharpen the early listening of our unborn babies, introducing them to the songs and sounds of a diversity of music from all around the world. You are also welcome to bring a song/music that you want to listen to during labour, so that you can develop a personal dance and a joyful memory to it.
3. Breathing for labour: After a good session of dancing and listening, we will round up with breathing exercises that will relax the body. Most importantly we will learn how to breathe during labour. Learning some breathing techniques will help us to generate a calm and strong mind to endure the challenges of labour, connecting with the pace and the rhythm of contractions while letting our body relax and realise.

What to expect: 

We will create the space for ourselves to connect with the moment of birth in the company of other expecting mothers, finding empathy and support in each other, and share the joy that is there to celebrate during this hour and a half of empowering dances.

It is most recommended to practice these exercises on a regular basis during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. For this reason, we encourage those who would like to, to join these sessions on a weekly basis, in order to make these dances and movements your own.

What should you bring with you?

• Comfortable clothes that allow you to move and stretch
• Running shoes
• A pregnancy belly band or support belt if you have one. Alternatively, a long cotton or pashmina scarf that you can tie around your hips
• A yoga mat, if you have one. Otherwise alternatives will be provided
• A song you would like your baby to listen to, or the music you would like to hear during labor

How to book?

→ To book these classes, please click on this link.

About your teacher

Trained dancer and Choreographer Alondra Castellanos Arreola, graduated from the Academy of Dance and Theatre in Amsterdam, followed by an MA in the Anthropology Department at Goldsmiths University of London. After years dedicated to work with dance and movement in the fields of Arts and Humanities, and together with the knowledge and guidance of experienced mothers and doulas, Alondra has developed a unique class dedicated to pregnant women who feel the need to move, breath and dance as a preparation for childbirth.

She combines several techniques that are highly recommended as practice to prepare the body for childbirth, including pelvic floor exercises, a variety of hips and pelvic movements common in African, Latin America and Modern dances, and breathing techniques that help us to stay calm and strong during labor.