Biodanza for Children

Biodanza for children is a precious gift for children. It’s a safe, fun space where they can give expression to their innate capacity for play and where they can learn to express themselves in movement, dance and voice. Each class has an adventure theme and music and games and dances that follow the theme. Each child is accompanied by a parent or guardian through the class.

• Biodanza for Children - Melville, J’burg
• Biodanza for Babies – Constantia, Cape Town

Health Benefits of Biodanza for Children

Biodanza is one of the ways that children can develop in a healthy way. Scientific research has proved that creative dance classes, such as Biodanza, can improve children’s physical and psychological wellbeing. In 2007 a creative dance research project involving 348 children was undertaken across the Southampton, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth regions in the UK*. The ten week programme involved dance classes with a strong focus on creativity with the aim of developing the children’s expressive and artistic skills.

Physiological and psychological assessments were carried out before and after the 10 week creative dance programme. The new and ground-breaking findings showed that creative dance increases the physical and psychological well being of children.

The physical assessments showed that the children had:

• increased lung capacity, getting more oxygen into the body
• increased flexibility, which helps prevent injuries to muscles and joints
• increased aerobic capacity, i.e. they were fitter

The psychological assessment showed that they had:

• increased self-esteem
• greater intrinsic motivation, i.e. the ability to please themselves rather than looking for outside reward
• positive attitudes towards dance

The research highlights how well children’s health can benefit from dance.

Biodanza with Children is an integrated creative dance programme that is designed to include both children of all ages and adults. This programme has been running successfully for two years now in Johannesburg and has shown a positive outcome in encouraging children to be creative and have the confidence to express themselves fully. Another key outcome of the classes is the development of the children’s abilities to communicate effectively with one another and with adults.

The novel approach of including children together with their parents or other caregivers has been very popular in integrating family members and encouraging social interaction.

Sessions are offered on the first Saturday of the month. The dancing lasts half an hour and if one sees the energy created by a bunch of children having extreme fun, it becomes clear why half an hour is more than enough. Following the dance, the group shares some refreshments thus allowing the interaction of the dance to be experienced in life as well. There is no formal dance requirement for the participants, just a willingness to enter into the magical world of play.

Please contact directly on Children Classes. Thanks.

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Biodanza for Babies

These classes, run by a registered midwife, are designed to offer mothers and their newborns a fun, relaxing and contained space to help with emotional and physical adjustments following their babies’ births.

Classes are designed for babies that are still comfortable in a sling or pouch. Please bring a sling or pouch to class with you.

Read more about Mama Bamba.
Visit Mama Bamba website.

Time out to take a deep breath and settle in the weeks and months after birth. Biodanza dance classes incorporate natural movement to re-connect with our bodies and our babies in a caring and supportive environment. These classes are designed to offer mothers and their newborns a fun, relaxing and contained space to help with emotional and physical adjustments following birth and whilst babies are still comfy in a sling or baby pouch.

Biodanza means 'Dance with Life'. It awakens our felt sense. Music and conscious movement encourage us to be present and fully alive. Dance helps us relax and let go of some of the overwhelming chaos that can arise post birth. Classes focus on giving care and attention to ourselves and our babies, who love to be included.

Lisa said:

“It gave me the space to express and explore and connect and move and dance and be centred and feel moments of deep connection with my baby and experience her wisdom and beauty…”

Robyn Sheldon says:

“I work with women, babies and birth as a midwife. I decided after my first class of Biodanza, that teaching it to pregnant couples for use in labour, and to mothers with small babies, would be a wonderful application that would really enhance the work I do.

"I love to watch the unfolding celebration of self and of connection with partners and babies that happens within the Biodanza environment.”

Time out to take a deep breath and settle in the weeks and months after birth. Biodanza dance classes incorporate natural movement to re-connect with our bodies and our babies in a caring and supportive atmosphere. These classes are designed to offer mothers and their newborns a fun, relaxing and contained space to help with emotional and physical adjustments following their babies’ births.

Biodanza is a system of dance devised by Prof. Rolando Toro Araneda from Chile, to reawaken our natural vitality and joie de vivre.

Wear comfortable clothing. R100 per class

Thursdays 10h30 - 12h00
Constantia, Cape Town

Please let us know by the Wednesday morning if you and your baby will be attending, so that Robyn can prepare accordingly.

Also please include a contact number.

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