Now here’s something fun for mother and baby. At a dance studio in Japan, mothers and their babies bond through samba. It’s become popular, as it helps de-stress both mother and child.
It's never too early to learn to dance.
At one dance class outside Tokyo, babies are being shown the samba shuffle and other Latin dance moves that some say also helps new mothers get back into shape. It’s become quite a hit.
Moms hold their kids in baby-slings or in their arms while they dance.
[Yukie Hada, Mother]: (Female, Japanese)
"I decided to attend this course because it's pretty unusual to dance with your baby in a baby-sling.”
[Ryoko Kawato, Mother]: (Female, Japanese)
"It was much more fun than I had expected. My baby went to sleep and I also felt refreshed so I enjoyed it a lot."
The class is led by a professional ballroom dancer, who said she came up with the idea three years ago when she saw her husband dancing with their daughter in a baby sling.
She says that the music and movement had a calming influence on the babies.
[Yumiko Tanaka, Dance Instructor]: (Female, Japanese)
"With this dance, even the cranky babies fell asleep and stopped crying. Also the mothers can let go of stress and it really is a good work out for mothers who were lacking exercise during pregnancy."
"Baby dance" didn't take off until last year when the "Japan Baby Dance Association" was set up.
Now, over 30 mothers across Japan have become certified instructors to teach their own dance class, some even moving to the U.S. or the United Kingdom.
