Belly dancing with mom and baby
By Shannon Findlay
Nicole Gartner, mother of three month old Nolan, rocks her baby to sleep as she sways to the rythmn of the music. Photograph by Shannon Findlay.
WILLOWBY — The first thoughts that come to mind when discussing belly dancing are generally ones of exotic dancers dressed in flowing skirts and skimpy tops. The last thing you’d expect is a roomful of new mothers some with babies strapped in carriers across their chests, others dancing alone while a toddler runs through their legs.
But that’s what you’ll find at a class called Belly Dancing Babies and Tots, which is drawing mothers from around Edmonton.
Six months ago, professional dancer and mother of three, Tascheleia Marangoni, decided to start a class where mothers could keep in shape and bring their children along.
“When I was pregnant with my one year old I thought to myself, I want to start doing some dancing that fits with my life of having little ones,” said Marangoni.
Her first look was to a company based out of Ontario called Salsa Babies that offers salsa dance classes for mother and child. Marangoni soon got in touch with founder Jennifer Torres and has created another branch of the company through Belly Dancing Babies.
Though trained in many dance forms, Marangoni teaches belly dance as it is something you don’t necessarily have to be talented at to enjoy. Marangoni says that for women looking to get back in shape after childbirth, belly dancing not only provides fitness, but promotes a positive self-image.
“There’s a lot of range with belly dance and it’s something that really promotes the feminine woman, and women as a rule just feel really good doing that.”
Marangoni’s classes are not exclusive to mothers with young children. She offers other classes including Belly Dancing Teen’s, and Belly Dancing Families. In the short time Marangoni has been offering these classes she says that though some have been hard to get off the ground, people love Belly Dancing Families.
“Everybody really likes the idea of a class you can bring anybody to. You can bring your baby, your toddler, your teenager, your grandmother or your neighbour. It’s just meant to be a fun kind of family class.”
Eden Gurnett gives dance instructor Tascheleia Marangoni a big hug. Photograh by Shannon Findlay
Marangoni is currently only running one Belly Dancing Babies class out of the Bedouin Beats dance studio downtown. She has plans to start up more classes in the west end particularly in her own community.
“I happen to live in the west end so I’m just supporting my community by saying I’ll run classes at the Willowby community hall if there’s enough interest.”
The spring sessions of Marangoni’s belly dancing classes will be starting up in April.
