ADULT BALLET CLASSES

Instructor Tracy Laughton of Body Balance Dance Studio in Parklands in Cape Town picked up ballet again six weeks after her c-section by working out at the barre and realised her daughter loved the music and interaction. “It became a great bonding experience for us, so I decided to offer the service to other new moms,” says Tracy.

WHAT DOES A CLASS LOOK LIKE?

There are classes for each age group of baby – under three months, three to six months, and six months to a year. “Each class starts with a gentle warm up followed by time at the ballet barre exercising with your baby on you in a pouch or sling,” says Tracy. Classes are casual, and moms can take time out to feed their babies or settle them. When babies are at the crawling stage, a class may involve exercises on the floor, or dual exercises where you stretch your arms by lifting your baby – so you both get a workout!

THE BENEFITS

While you may feel the loosening of ligaments that comes with pregnancy gives you bonus flexibility, Tracy says this is actually a weakness, so classes focus on rebuilding your body’s strength. Building your core strength also takes the pressure off your back, which takes strain when breastfeeding and carrying your baby. “Just getting out of the house with your baby and spending time with other moms trying to get fit again has many benefits too. It gives you a great support system. The classical music helps you build something really special with your baby as well,” she adds.

NEED TO KNOW

You don’t need to have done ballet before to join. Classes cost R320 a month or R100 per class. Email tracy.dancing@gmail.com for more.