It started off like any
other ballet barre workout: I ran through my checklist of positioning and
alignment, like all dancers everywhere, when I started my pliés.
Rest hands lightly on the barre.
Turn out from the hips.
Engage the abs.
Tuck the pelvis under.
Pull up and press the feet into the floor.
Knees over toes.
And then I laughed at out
since I could barely see my feet at all. My baby bump was squarely in the way.
At 32 weeks pregnant, first
position looked very different.
I enjoyed dancing throughout
my pregnancy for so many reasons. It was good for my growing and changing body,
it was good for my mind and it was wonderful for my soul. It kept me active and
helped ease some of the pregnancy discomfort of sore hips, back and feet. It
gave me a comforting, familiar activity to do during a very unfamiliar and
somewhat anxious time.
And it was a great way to
connect with my baby. I loved feeling her little feet and hands respond to the
music and to my movements. It was a very special pas de deux.
Before I go any further,
it’s important I give the same disclaimer from my Yoga for Dancers post:
I’m not a healthcare professional and though I’ve been dancing for most of my
life and have even taught dance, I don’t consider myself an expert. I can only
speak to my own personal experience. I talked to my doctor and my midwife about
dancing while pregnant, as I would recommend anybody do. You need to do what’s
best for you.
For me, that meant
alternating gentle ballet barre workouts with prenatal yoga, taking lots of
walks and meditating.
I followed Kathryn Morgan’s Ballet Barre videos with a few modifications as things progressed: no forward
port de bras, very small port de bras backwards, extra special attention to hip
placement and low extensions. It was really interesting to feel how my body was
changing and to figure out how to adjust to those changes. No surprise, the
biggest shift I felt was in my balance. I really had to work on engaging all
the muscles in my ankles, legs, core and arms to compensate for my bump pulling
me out of alignment.
I searched and searched for
a prenatal dance class in Paris but I just didn’t have any luck, hence why I
opted to dance at home. But if you’re in the Edmonton area, check out J’adore Dance for their excellent pre and post-natal dance classes. My sister did
Salsa Mama dance class there with both her boys and they now offer a Ballet and
Barre Mama class.
Most yoga studios offer
special prenatal yoga classes. Do some research beforehand and ask around so
you can find the right class for you. Additionally, there are tons of prenatal yoga videos on YouTube. Again, be mindful of how you feel and always
check in with your doctor/midwife/healthcare providers.
Another perk of dancing while
pregnant was the exciting thought of having something in common with some of the
top Ballerina Moms and Moms-to-Be around the world:
Dana Stephensen, Soloist
with The Australian Ballet, recently celebrated her son’s first birthday and
her return to dancing full-time this season. Check out her excellent blog
and Instagram account, The
Balance Point(e) for her insights into balancing dance and motherhood, plus
tips for healthy eating and general wellness.
Principal Dancers Heather
Ogden and Guillaume Côté of The National Ballet of Canada are expecting their
second child, a sibling for their young daughter Emma, in January 2017. Their announcement on NBC’s Facebook page was beautiful and garnered thousands of
‘Likes’ and comments from well-wishers around the world, including yours truly -
The National Ballet even ‘Liked’ my comment back!
New York City Ballet
Principal Ashley Bouder documented her pregnancy on Instagram with her
own hashtag #Bouderbump. There’s a great photo of her, sweaty and beaming post-performance
with her fiancé and an 8 week sticker on her belly, having just performed the
roles of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake at two months pregnant - like a boss! Her little girl
Violet was born the day after my Moira made her grand entrance, also by
C-section. It’s cool to know I have a badass C-section scar just like one of
the best ballerinas in the world; that definitely bolstered me during my
recovery.
Though I was never whipping
myself around in perfect fouetté turns at six months along like Ashley was in this video, I was always proud and thankful to be dancing while pregnant. It
kept me happy, healthy and connected to my Tiny Dancer and I will cherish those
memories forever.
It also reaffirmed how much
I love to dance and how much I looked forward to dancing and sharing that with
my girl.
And that’s something so special, it needs its own blog post.
Watch the blog for Part Two of When 1st
Position Looks Different coming soon!
 |
| 37 weeks pregnant at Le Centre de Danse du Marais Photo credit: Crystal Hedeman |
