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Guest blog from Imogen Aujla PhD, dance psychology lecturer, researcher and life coach, Dance in Mind In my last blog I wrote about mum guilt, in the context of the range and intensity of emotions that come with being a mum. More joy than you could have imagined, a love so fierce it can feel overwhelming, incredible pride. On the good days you may feel like you can give and give and give until you have nothing left. But then there are those less wonderful days. When you still love your children more than anything, but perhaps you aren’t feeling so joyous. Perhaps you aren’t feeling so fulfilled. Perhaps you are exhausted by being needed so relentlessly. Perhaps you feel like just as you were getting the hang of this parenting thing, the goal posts have shifted (again). You may have spent much of your adult life feeling fairly secure in your abilities: you may have developed a satisfying career in the dance industry, be in a stable relationship, have a good group of friends, and a pretty clear sense of who you are and what you can do. Then along comes a baby and poof! When reflecting on the challenges of motherhood, it struck me that one psychological theory which I have taught and adopted in my own research for many years is particularly relevant to motherhood – especially if you are a new mum (or mum to a new baby, because even if you have had one before, you can almost guarantee that the next one will be totally different). That theory is Self-determination Theory, created by well-known psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. Self-determination Theory is quite complex, comprising several mini-theories that make up the whole, so I will just share one aspect of it here, and how it relates to the experience and challenges of motherhood. Basic psychological needs You may have heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of basic physical and psychological needs which states that we need particular key needs to be satisfied before we can ever reach a place of fulfilment or optimal functioning (he terms this self-actualisation). Deci and Ryan hold a similar view but focus solely on psychological needs: competence, autonomy and relatedness. When these needs have been met in our lives, we are likely to experience positive wellbeing and be in a good position for psychological growth and development. If these needs are undermined, though, our wellbeing and ability to develop can be negatively impacted. These psychological needs are universal in that they are essential to everybody, regardless of their age, cultural heritage, status or location. Let’s have a look at each one in turn and consider why they are so important in relation to being a mum. Competence A friend of mine recently returned to work after maternity leave with her second child. I asked her how work was going. “Pretty well,” she replied. “It’s nice to be doing something I actually know I’m good at.” Competence is essentially the belief that you are capable of doing what you have set out to achieve, that your abilities in a given area are sufficient. And wow, can having a baby make you feel incompetent! You may have spent much of your adult life feeling fairly secure in your abilities: you may have developed a satisfying career in the dance industry, be in a stable relationship, have a good group of friends, and a pretty clear sense of who you are and what you can do. Then along comes a baby and poof! All those feelings of competence and ability can disappear in the face of a small wriggling creature with rather unreliable communication methods. As you know, babies do not come with a manual. There’s also a good chance that your attempts to get them to follow the manual (so to speak) are unsuccessful, at least some of the time. This is totally normal and there will be several times that parents, new and old, feel completely out of their depth. The funny thing is, nobody starts a new job expecting to be an expert on Day 1. So why do we expect that of ourselves as mothers? Why do so many of us believe that it should all just ‘come naturally’? Certainly, some things may feel instinctual but many others won’t. And just once you’ve got the hang of sleep/weaning/tantrums (delete as appropriate), along comes another milestone or developmental shift that leaves you feeling clueless again. This feeling is often exacerbated by the fact that a day spent with a baby or small child can feel like groundhog day, with little to show for all the work you’ve put in. A friend of mine recently returned to work after maternity leave with her second child. I asked her how work was going. “Pretty well,” she replied. “It’s nice to be doing something I actually know I’m good at.” So how can you develop your feelings of competence when you are feeling anything but? Firstly, treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Remind yourself that you, like your baby, are a work in progress as a mum. You are both learning together and learning to be together. You are aiming to be a “good enough” mum, not a perfect one. By all means, read parenting books and blogs, but try not to put too much pressure on yourself. We are all feeling our way through it. Secondly, find ways of acknowledging all the things you are doing. Sometimes it will be obvious – how you helped with your baby’s first steps, first words, sleeping through the night, toilet training, the toddler who finally eats their broccoli, and so on. But often the smaller things that are fundamental to developing a secure and loving relationship with our child go unacknowledged. And we rarely high-five ourselves for keeping the house running, looking after a small person, and checking emails. So for a week, write down all of the things you have done every day, even if they seem insignificant. Here are some examples of things that count: - Had a shower without anyone crying - Got out of the house and went to baby group/the supermarket/a friend’s house, etc. - Dealt with a contender for the world’s most disgusting nappy - Got the baby to nap in the cot. Result! - Got the baby to nap on you. Delicious! - Got the baby to nap in the pram. Fresh air, excellent! - Played a fun game with the baby - Had cuddles and songs - Put a wash on - Got a smile from the baby. Gorgeous! - Made dinner There will be many more – in fact, once you’ve written down every single thing you’ve done in a day, you might be amazed by just how much you’ve done! Keep doing this to help you reinforce just how much you are achieving and how much all of this means to your baby’s development. You are brilliant! If you are feeling up to it and not too tired, go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? You can handle it! And you will feel really good about it afterwards. Another great way of feeling more competent is trying something new. Maybe there’s a baby group you’d like to try, but you don’t like the route there, or you don’t know anybody else who goes. Maybe you want to go shopping with your toddler but are worried about meltdowns and tantrums (yours and the toddler’s). If you are feeling up to it and not too tired, go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? You can handle it! And you will feel really good about it afterwards. Getting out of our comfort zone can be a really effective way of increasing feelings of competence. Connection (relatedness) There’s a reason that psychologists emphasise positive social relationships: they are the number one predictor of happiness and wellbeing. Deci and Ryan call this relatedness, which means having positive connections in the social environment. This includes any social relationship – with your child or children, partner, friends, wider family members, neighbours, and so on. But being a mum can be lonely. You are never alone of course – but the company isn’t always that stimulating. And if you do arrange to see friends, the meet-up can be hampered by nap schedules, feeds, or demanding toddlers. Some days you may just feel that you can’t be bothered to get out of the house, because it truly can require mammoth effort levels when you are exhausted. But try and remember that positive relationships with others are crucial to your wellbeing, and think about how you can incorporate social interaction throughout your week. Baby groups and soft play can be great as they are full of people you will have something in common with, and starting up a conversation can be fairly easy. There’s a reason that psychologists emphasise positive social relationships: they are the number one predictor of happiness and wellbeing. Of course, continue to meet friends and if you can’t see them in person, schedule in video calls when your baby is sleeping, or call them when your child is in the pram or buggy. I often call some of my closest friends who live far away when we are all on the school run – we only have about 10 minutes to chat, but it’s a great way to check in with each other every week. Perhaps you can video-call family members who will love to coo at your baby as well as chat with you. And although it can be difficult finding quality time with your partner when your days are full with sleep and feed schedules, try and find just 10 minutes each day to check in with each other and have a meaningful chat. Even short interactions with strangers can give you a little wellbeing boost. So have a brief chat with the person at the checkout, another mum in the park, or someone smiling at your baby on the bus. While your child is very young, it may be better to think ‘little and often’ rather than ‘deep and meaningful’ in terms of social relationships, but it does get easier. Trying to keep in touch with a range of people in your life will serve you well in those early years with children. You can even schedule this in on your diary or calendar to help make sure that you do it! Control (autonomy) In Basic Needs Theory, and many other psychological wellbeing theories, autonomy is crucial – the sense that we have a choice and a say in what happens to us. It’s the feeling that we can exert some kind of control over our lives and environment. You may have got to a point in your life where you are very used to being in control, and feeling like you are on top of everything. A baby or small child can undermine this feeling like nothing else. Sticking to a nap schedule? Eating your lovingly prepared meals? Listening to a word you say? If only! As with competence, try and be kind to yourself. It can be hard to accept that we aren’t in control, and to ‘go with the flow’ if that isn’t in our nature. Remind yourself that you can’t change a baby, but you can change yourself: again, try to lower your expectations and not put too much pressure on yourself. The sooner you accept that you cannot control everything, the easier it will be. Babies develop and behave according to their own unique biology, so try to respect this. It may also be helpful to read up on Stoicism – you cannot control events and other people, just your reaction to those events and other people. ...consider what you can and can’t control. You might want to also consider what you can and can’t control. For example, you can’t control when your child will sleep through the night but you can ‘nudge’ it (develop a bedtime routine, try gradual retreat, etc.), and engage in some serious self-care to help you be as rested as you can. Similarly, you can’t control what and how much your child will eat, but you can ensure that you are offering them a range of nutritious foods. Finally, there will come a time when you need to relinquish control to let your child have more control – autonomy is important for their development, too. So let them wear the bizarre outfit they chose, or have 3 oranges in a row (I must admit when my son asked for a fourth, I did stop him at that point). As the saying goes, don’t sweat the small stuff! Boost your basic needs Becoming a parent may be the best but hardest thing you do in your life. Sometimes, psychological theory can offer insights into why it is difficult, and what we can change or modify to make it feel less difficult. Basic needs theory is relevant to anyone at any stage in their life, but the fundamentals of competence, connection and control can be really undermined in motherhood. Reading this article may have helped you to identify which of these needs you are lacking in (it may well be all three), so try to incorporate the ideas I have suggested and have a think of other strategies that are likely to work for you. Acknowledge and be proud of everything you do, try new things, schedule regular social interactions, and try to let go of what you can’t control. Doing so will help you navigate the highs and lows of being a mum, and might just help you in other areas of your life, too. For more articles from Imogen, online courses, worksheets, and more, visit: www.danceinmind.org These are all areas that you can develop in our online class programme too. Our next PRO Pre/Postnatal Class block specially designed for pre/postnatal Mums who work in dance led by #dancemama Lucy Balfour continues on Wednesdays, 23 Feb – 23 March, for the next 5 weeks 10.30 - 11.45am, £45 / £30 Dance Mama Live! Participants Book my spot (Psst! You can join Dance Mama Live! for FREE here for the discount)

Welcome to our blog takeover to kick off 2022 with #dancemama Imogen Aujla PhD, Dance Psychology Lecturer, Researcher and Life Coach, danceinmind.org Motherhood can be an emotional rollercoaster sometimes. Our feelings can be so much more intense than before we had children: joy like we’ve never experienced; a love so fierce and primal it’s hard to put into words; pride that makes us literally want to burst (and, let’s face it, new levels of frustration, rage and exhaustion). But we also get the emotional bonus prize that nobody wants: guilt. Lots and lots of guilt, about anything and everything. In recent years it has become fashionable to describe guilt as a useless emotion, but I don’t subscribe to this idea. Guilt does have a role to play, because fundamentally we feel guilty when we have done something wrong, and making things right can be important for our learning and development. The issue is that we sometimes feel guilt when in reality we haven’t actually done anything wrong, and that is often the case with ‘mum guilt’. What is guilt? Guilt is a negative emotional state that occurs when we have done something we believe to be wrong: caused physical or emotional harm to someone else, or broken some personal ethical or moral rules. It can prompt us to review and reflect on our actions and seek ways to make amends. From this perspective, guilt is useful: it helps with self-awareness, holds us accountable for our actions, and encourages us to develop more pro-social behaviours. And, of course, making amends can mean a huge amount to those people we have hurt, and may be necessary in order to repair relationships with them. You need to try and be kinder to yourself when situations are outside of your control But there are two problems: firstly, when we ruminate on our guilt and struggle to move past it, even when we have attempted to fix the problem. In this instance the guilt becomes counter-productive and self-limiting. Secondly, sometimes we think we have done something wrong, but we are unable to fix the problem because there actually is no problem! The unique challenges of ‘mum guilt’ I’m sure dads feel guilty too, but mums often seem to be shouldered with the ‘mum guilt’ burden. As mums we tend to hold ourselves to unrealistically high parenting standards and subsequently end up feeling guilty about anything and everything, including but not limited to: - Our birth experience - Breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or combination feeding - Going back to work - Not going back to work - Feeding our baby or toddler shop-bought pouches and jars - Feeding our baby or toddler family meal leftovers - Going out or away without our children - Negative feelings towards our children - Screen time - Needing time or space away from our children - Not playing enough with our children - Not doing enough ‘developmental activities’ with our children - Not always being present with our children - Shouting or snapping at our children - Not being able to afford the toys, clothes, etc. we would like for our children - Giving too many toys, clothes, etc. to our children and worrying we are spoiling them - And on. And on. And on! You may notice that there are several contradictory items on this list: you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Many of these examples represent things we think we have done wrong, or that we should feel guilty about. But our thoughts are not facts, so we need to try and be more objective when dealing with our guilt. So how do we do it – how can we move past the guilt when it isn’t valid, and how can we learn from it when it is? Guilt about things which are outside of our control When you are feeling guilty about something, the first thing to consider is the extent to which what happened was due to your own thoughts and actions, and the extent to which what happened was beyond your control. Perhaps you had a difficult birth and were not able to do skin-to-skin in the early days as you had hoped. You may have read about the importance of skin-to-skin and feel guilty that you did not have that experience with your baby. This is a difficult situation and one which may have taken a physical and psychological toll on you. But how much control did you have in this situation? For example, did a necessary medical intervention prevent you from holding your baby immediately? Is there anything you could have done differently if you could turn back the clock? I’m guessing not – labour and birth rarely follow our carefully considered plans, so the guilt in this situation is doing you a disservice. There are also so many other ways to bond with your baby as they grow. As a mother who works in the dance industry, there’s a good chance that your job is part of your identity and may be a huge source of fulfilment and satisfaction for you. You need to try and be kinder to yourself when situations are outside of your control, because there is nothing you can do to change them – and, therefore, no reason to feel guilty. It’s not always as simple as this, I realise, and you may find yourself ruminating on the situation. To try and stop the negative cycle of thoughts, have a go at a though diary. A popular technique in CBT, thought diaries help you to gain some distance between your thoughts and feelings, to examine the evidence for and against the guilty thought, and to see things from a different perspective. Do a thought diary as often as you need to, whenever you feel guilty about something that is outside of your control, or that you know deep down you don’t really need to feel guilty about. You can find one here. Over time you should find that you are better able to distinguish thoughts from facts and diminish overwhelming feelings of guilt or rumination over these types of situation. Guilt about our choices Let’s think about another common source of guilt: returning back to work after maternity leave. This can be really hard. I found the guilt of returning to work (even after having switched to part-time, flexible working) almost unbearable after I had my first child. It was slightly easier after I had my second, but still difficult. If we return to work after having a baby, it tends to be for a variety of reasons. Maybe we have to, for financial reasons. Returning to work is a necessity, a non-negotiable, so again be kind to yourself because there is no reason to feel guilty here. You may find thought diaries useful in this situation too. When we return to work because we want to rather than have to, we may experience more internal conflict between our love for our child and our need to be engaged in work. As a mother who works in the dance industry, there’s a good chance that your job is part of your identity and may be a huge source of fulfilment and satisfaction for you. This can be tricky, because you may feel selfish for wanting to spend time away from your children so that you can nourish this other part of your identity. But it isn’t selfish: if it will make you happier then you will be a better mum. It’s as simple as that. If you have made the decision to return to work because you want to, be confident in that choice. You love your child and you love your job, and nobody is asking you to choose between the two! Also, remind yourself that feeling guilty after a bad drop-off at nursery is natural, but ultimately won’t help your child (although having a good cry in the car park may help you, so let it out!). Be kind to yourself. Feeling guilty after returning to work is completely natural, but it isn’t entirely without its uses. What can we learn from guilt in this scenario? Perhaps it prompts us to be more present when we are with our children, to make the most of the time. It may also help us to create stricter boundaries between work and home than we had before, which is good for everyone. Guilt about our behaviour A final example of guilt is another common one: shouting at your child. Of course, there are times when this is absolutely warranted – when they’re hurtling headfirst towards a busy road, for instance – but often we shout at our children over relatively small things when they have pushed enough buttons, or when we are stressed, sleep-deprived or under pressure, and we know in our hearts that we are reacting disproportionately to what has happened. Firstly, treat yourself with compassion and kindness. Everybody shouts, everybody loses control, and you are only human. Don’t tell yourself you are a “bad parent” because you had a bad moment. Having said that, this is one example where guilt is well and truly helpful. What can you learn from this situation? What might you do differently next time? What steps might you need to take to stop this from happening again? Let’s say you need to get to work but your child has decided that they really don’t want to put their shoes on, thank you very much, and would much rather run around the house singing at the top of their voice than go to pre-school. You are under time pressure and feeling out of control of the situation. Will shouting really create the desired behaviour from your child, or prompt her to act up even more? If you do snap and shout, how will you both feel afterwards? In this scenario, the guilt is probably warranted: yes, you are under time pressure, but if you weren’t, your child’s actions would be less likely to result in “mummy’s angry voice”. So you can certainly learn from this. Think to yourself: what could you do instead of shouting? You may come up with a range of ideas: get up earlier; make a game out of getting ready; set a timer for leaving the house; pretend it’s a race to see who can get their shoes on first. How might this change the situation for the better? How will you both feel afterwards? Oh, and do apologise to your child if you have treated them unfairly. Even though you’re the grown-up and you’re in charge, you still need to show that you’re fallible and make amends. Finding the good in the guilt Next time you feel guilty about something, ask yourself the following questions: is this situation within or outside of my control? Do I need to take a step back and examine my guilty thoughts and their accuracy? Is feeling guilty helpful in this situation or unhelpful? Can I learn something from the guilt, change my behaviour or make amends? Can I do this while also treating myself with kindness and compassion? See if you can either move past unhelpful guilty thoughts, or find the good in the guilt, and be proud of yourself for making positive changes. For more articles from Imogen, online courses, worksheets, and more, visit danceinmind.org

Part of our guest blog take over with Niamh Morrin, Soma Movement Is there a correct way to breathe? Surely if air is entering and exiting then that’s all we need to worry about? Well – yes for sustaining life – but maybe not for aiding optimal function of the musculoskeletal system! Can we assume all postnatal dancers have a disrupted breathing pattern? Yes, most probably! Good breathing patterns are our foundation – they affect our entire body. Our diaphragm, pelvic floor and core muscles should move together with each breath – the co-ordination of these muscles is essential in regulating intra-abdominal pressure – poor pressure management within our core canister can lead to pressure leaking out of a “weak area” – leading to the risk of hernias, prolapse and a persisting diastasis recti. In addition, poor breathing patterns can lead to excessive holding of tension in our pelvic floor, core and neck and shoulders. Tension holding is not a sign of strength and will eventually lead to a weakening of a muscle as it is not being stimulated correctly. Pregnancy can alter and disrupt optimal breathing patterns. During pregnancy the rib cage widens and the diaphragm gets pushed up (LoMauro and Aliverti, 2005) – the diaphragm struggles to contract and flatten and rib cage movement reduces – this make it difficult to get a deep inhale or exhale. These changes can throw us into shallow breathing pattern (all neck and shoulders) or belly breathing (where the inhale pushes the belly out). Can we assume all postnatal dancers have a disrupted breathing pattern? Yes, most probably! And as a side note, I haven’t worked with one dancer, young or old, male or female, prenatal or postnatal with a good breathing pattern! This begs the question – do dancers have poor breathing patterns? To be honest, I can’t answer that with any scientific back up, but in my experience, neck and upper abdominal tension is a very common “habit” in dancers. I believe every dancer needs training in correct breathing patterns. I’m pregnant/postnatal – why care about my breathing? If we don’t re-establish and train correct breathing mechanics, we will miss out on strengthening and connecting with our core and pelvic floor in a natural way. A correct breathing pattern should naturally lengthen (inhale) and contract (exhale) our entire pelvic floor and abdominal wall. When diastasis recti, weakened abdominal and pelvic floor dysfunction are almost part and parcel of the maternal journey, correct breathing will be the first step in retraining your system correctly. Re-establishing correct breathing Correct breathing is not as simple as letting your belly rise and fall (this actually shows pressure leaking of a weakened area). Read the 4 steps below to see how you can improve your breathing pattern and work your core and pelvic floor correctly. #1 – Develop an awareness of your breath Position yourself in a comfortable kneeling position with attention to posture, shoulders over pelvis and pelvis in neutral (Figure 2). Wrap your fingers around each side of your rib cage (fingers on the front, thumb wrapped around to the back). Take a 5 second inhale and exhale. What happened on the inhale? 1) Did your neck get tense? 2) Did your shoulders move up? 3) Did your tummy expand? 4) Did you widen and lengthen your lateral abdominal muscles? 5) Did your rib cage expand in 360 degrees? (i.e. did it widen, expand out to the front and out to the back) 6) Did you notice any movement in your pelvic floor? #2 – Let’s get your ribs expanding in 360 degrees Now repeat your inhale and exhale and let’s get your ribs expanding in 360 degrees. Wrap your fingers around each side of your rib cage. On the inhale concentrate on keeping your neck and shoulders relaxed and instead “blow your rib cage up”! It should expand out to the side, front and back. To help with rib expansion we need good eccentric length in our lateral abdominal muscles (transverse abdominals and obliques). If you lack this strength you will notice very little expansion of the rib cage and your tummy will expand out (belly breathing!). To practice lateral expansion of the abdominals, drop your fingers down so they rest on your sides and under your rib cage. Breath into your fingers – you should feel your sides expand out into your fingers. Your tummy will expand a little but not a lot! Missing out on good rib expansion and eccentric lengthening in our lateral abdominal muscles will essentially mean we are missing out on a good opportunity to use our core muscles effectively. A muscle must first lengthen to get a good contraction; this is why dancers work their plie before they take off from the ground – this will give them better jump height because the calf muscles have been lengthened first. If we take this principle to the core we need to ensure that our breathing allows our core muscles to lengthen before they contract. In a nutshell, good rib expansion and lengthening of the core muscles gives opportunity for the muscles to contract well – thus providing lots of lumbopelvic stability. This is especially important when you are dancing – if your breathing patterns aren’t allowing good lengthening and therefore good contracting, then you will never be able to sustain correct core tension when performing exercises that require lumbopelvic stability! Video 1: Exercise to assist with rib mobility #3 Time to take note of your pelvic floor If you are starting to find good movement in your ribs and lateral abdominals then focus now on allowing your pelvic floor to relax and spread on the inhale. As you exhale you should notice a natural contraction or recoil. #4 The exhale If the inhale has done its job at lengthening the abdominals and pelvic floor then they are in a perfect position to naturally recoil (at rest) or contract more fully if required for exertion (i.e. dance, general exercise, lifting kids!). On the exhale allow your pelvic floor to gather together and lift whilst concentrating on contracting your tummy muscles evenly –contraction of your abdominal should start at your lower transverse abdominals (as low as hip bones and pubic bone) all the way up to your ribs. In a nutshell Co-ordinating the movement of your ribs, lateral abdominals and pelvic floor on your inhale and exhale will be key to retraining the muscles of your core and pelvic floor whilst teaching them to contract effectively for optimal function. If you are postnatal and are looking to retrain your core, heal diastasis recti, address pelvic floor dysfunction, improve overall strength for return to dance or even address pain and discomfort breathing patterns should be addressed first and foremost. Reference LoMauro A, Aliverti A. Respiratory physiology of pregnancy: Physiology masterclass. Breathe (Sheff). 2015 Dec;11(4):297-301. doi: 10.1183/20734735.008615. PMID: 27066123; PMCID: PMC4818213. Also see Niamh's other blogs on Diastasis Recti and Pelvic Floor

Part of our new blog take over from Niamh Morrin, SOMA Movement Introduction Although the pelvic floor can be troublesome for anyone no matter their age or sex it can become a particularly troublesome part of the body for athletic females (Rebuildo, Faigenbaum and Chulvi-Medrana, 2021), dancers (Thyssen et al. 2002) and maternal women (Faubion et al. 2012). Evidence suggests that female athletes are three times more likely to experience pelvic floor dysfunction as compared to their male counterparts – throw the pre and postnatal journey on top of that; the maternal female dancer, is most certainly at risk of encountering pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). The pelvic floor can be particularly vulnerable during the journey to motherhood. Reasons that pregnancy and childbirth can influence pelvic floor function include: 1) A growing bump and widening pelvis will put stress and strain onto the pelvic floor muscles. 2) A long pushing phase or experiencing a tear can directly affect pelvic floor function 3) The overall postural changes and muscle imbalances that can occur during pregnancy can affect the function of the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor dysfunction is NOT normal and should not be brushed under the carpet as a postnatal issue that’s part and parcel of becoming a mum. Understanding the basic anatomy and function of pelvic floor, training it in the right way and getting support if needed should be part of every female dancers pre and postnatal journey. What’s frustrating, is that despite its very important functions, the pelvic floor isn’t an area of our body that we can readily see or even feel entirely comfortable talking about. Important functions include: 1) Spine and pelvis stability and support 2) Breathing and posture 3) Pelvic organ support 4) Continence (Urinary and faecal) 5) Sexual activity Anatomy Basics The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that together form a hammock at the base of the pelvis (Figure 1). If we were able to look down into the bowl of our pelvis (Figure 1) we would see that the pelvic floor muscles span the entire pelvis cavity – muscles attach to the pubic bone at the front, the coccyx and sacrum at the back and the ischial tuberosities/sitz bones at the sides. There are a number of muscles that make up the entire pelvic floor, some superficial and some deep. The superficial muscles provide the squeeze which help with continence and the deep layer supports our pelvic organs (bladder, bowel, uterus). There is also a right and left side and a front and back to the pelvic floor. The right or left side can function or become dysfunctional independent of the other side, the same goes for the front and back and deep and superficial layers. In theory when contracting our pelvic floor we want our pelvic floor muscles to fire as a cohesive unit – just like our primary core muscles (internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus and rectus abdominal muscles). Also, similar to our core muscles, whilst we can consciously contract them, the pelvic floor should fire automatically to provide stability to the pelvis during movement. Signs of dysfunction Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a non-specific term that can encompass a wide variety of conditions. If a pre or postnatal dancer is experiencing PFD they might notice one or more of the following symptoms. Urinary or faecal leakage; this could occur with jumps, coughing, sneezing, or lifting (stress incontinence) Experiencing a very strong and uncontrollable urge to go (urge incontinence). Pelvic pressure or the sensation of something falling out of your vagina Urinary or bowel frequency/urgency (Having to “go” more often than every 2-4 hours during the day or getting up more than once in the night Pain with urination or bowel movements Incomplete bladder emptying (having to “go” again or dribbling a few minutes after urinating) Pelvic pain (pain in the pelvic floor, lower abdominal, coccyx, pelvic region including urethral, bladder and anal pain) Constipation Painful menstruation Painful intercourse Training the pelvic floor Kegals – what are they and do they help? A kegal or pelvic floor contraction is an exercise that isolates and contracts the pelvic floor muscles. A bit like a bicep curl – the exercise is targeting one specific area of the body. The idea of a kegal is to get someone to connect with their pelvic floor muscles and increase muscle volume and strength. Different versions of the kegal are designed to increase the responsiveness (i.e. exercises would include quick contractions and relaxations) and endurance of the pelvic floor (i.e. exercises would include holding a contraction for a period of time like 10 seconds). Kegals are often thrown around as the solution to all pelvic floor dysfunction – the reality is that it will usually only be effective if the pelvic floor is hypotonic and lacks muscular tone. Sometimes Kegals quite simply might not help the PFD or in some cases (for example when the pelvic floor is tight or hypertonic) they might be making the issue worse. This is where the pelvic floor issue is NOT a pelvic floor issue and the pelvic floor is simply taking the hit for an issue somewhere else in the body. Because the lower extremity, hip, abdomen, pelvis, and spine are a connected kinetic chain, any dysfunction along this chain may cause overcompensation and dysfunction of other associated muscles, including the pelvic floor (Fabion et al. 2012). Some of the major contributors of pelvic floor dysfunction might include 1. Incorrect response to increases in intra-abdominal pressure 2. Hip muscle imbalance 3. Function and strength of external rotators / turnout muscles Incorrect response to increases in intra-abdominal pressure. When it comes to PFD we often need to retrain the natural function of the pelvic floor (Zivkovic et al. 2012). With each inhale the pelvic floor should relax and spread and with each exhale the pelvic floor should gather and contract (Bartelink, 1952). The pelvic floor, should, in theory work in synchrony with the respiratory diaphragm and the muscles within the abdominal cavity (Figure 2). Training the co-ordination of this is essential for good pelvic floor function. Without training this natural synchrony we might hold a constant level of tension or tone in the pelvic floor – our inhales might not be accompanied by a relaxation or lengthening of the pelvic floor. Holding tension in a muscle will introduce fatigue, hypertonicity (tightness), weakness and ultimately poor function. Another consequence of poor synchrony is that an exhale, in particular a forced exhale (i.e. during a cough or laugh) which rapidly increases intra-abdominal pressure could cause a bearing down on the pelvic floor, instead of it gathering and contracting. This puts the dancer at risk of stress incontinence (i.e. leaking) or pelvic organ prolapse. Training good synchrony in breathing patterns is essential so that when it comes to effort we can increase abdominal pressure without pelvic floor failure. Dance can be a high impact, high intensity activity and dancers need to put effort into movement – they need to leap, jump, pirouette, run, lift and transition in and out of the floor. Dancers are therefore constantly increasing intra-abdominal pressure in response to effort – having good natural function of the pelvic floor means that it will be ready to gather and contract during these moments of increased effort. Hip muscle weakness / muscle imbalance The hip muscles are often used as a window into the pelvic floor. Hip muscles include the adductors, the hip flexors and extensors and the internal and external rotators (Figure 3). Many of these muscles have been found to work synergistically with the pelvic floor (Halski et al. 2017). They work together to provide pelvic stability. Imbalances and weaknesses within the hip complex can therefore contribute to changes in the orientation of the pelvis and the musculoskeletal balance of the hip, this can therefore directly affect the function of the pelvic floor muscles. Specifically, research findings have revealed a relationship between pelvic floor tightness, dysfunction and abnormal pelvic alignment (Tu, Holt, Gonzales and Fitzgerald, 2008). In addition, research has shown that hip muscle strengthening benefited the pelvic floor in individuals with stress urinary incontinence (Marques et al. 2020). Function and strength of external rotators / turnout muscles When it comes to dancers, a very important consideration in the hip and pelvic floor relationship are the hip external rotators. The obturator internus, a turnout muscle is a pelvic floor muscle and the remaining external rotators are fascially connected to it – the dancers’ turnout muscles are their pelvic floor and therefore the function of these muscles are directly important for good pelvic floor function (Tuttle et al. 2020, Baba et al. 2014). Foster and colleagues (2021) found weaker hip external rotators and abductors in women with increased urinary urgency and frequency (signs of pelvic floor tightness). But can we not assume that all dancers who use turnout have strong, functioning external rotators?Personally I’m not convinced and research has recently found that many dancers rely on floor friction to hold external rotation (Duncan et al. 2020) – this finding suggests that the function and strength of these muscles might not be what we need it to be and better training and understanding of the external rotators themselves is required. For good functioning external rotators (ones that can contract and relax) we need correct positioning of the hip socket, good pelvic alignment and balanced strength between the internal and external rotators – these very specific things can be altered during pregnancy and therefore might need attention postnatally – especially if PFD is present. If a postnatal dancer, with PFD is suddenly (or has always been) more comfortable standing in external rotation – the chances are that their external rotators and therefore their pelvic floor could be overworked, tight and weakened. Organising the strength and balance within the hip will be an important factor in improving pelvic floor function. Getting support Pelvic floor dysfunction is NOT normal and should not be brushed under the carpet as a postnatal issue that’s part and parcel of becoming a mum. Pelvic health physiotherapist A pelvic health physiotherapist is best placed to provide you with a clear picture of why you might be experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction. Through internal examination, they can gain a full understanding of your pelvic floor and what is and isn’t functioning as it should. Understanding whether it’s a prescribed programme of kegals that is required or whether the problem could be stemming from another part of your kinetic chain is key. Pelvic health physiotherapists can also administer manual therapy (trigger point massage and myofascial release) to the pelvic floor – this is a very effective treatment for a hypertonic (tight) pelvic floor (Faubion et al. 2012). Postnatal corrective exercise specialist A postnatal corrective exercise specialist is well placed to train the function, strength and balance of your body whilst considering and integrating the correct function of the pelvic floor. Whilst returning to dance and intense physical activity it is key to understand, train and strengthen the body in a way that targets the postural changes and muscles weaknesses that can occur during pregnancy and ultimately affect the function of the pelvic floor. ____ Want to be pro-active at re-entering the dance workspace after birth? Sign up for Dance Mama Live! - our flagship professional development membership programme - and get 30% off our specialist dance class programme for dancing parents, suitable for general and professional levels (code will be sent with your Welcome Pack). References Baba T, Homma Y, Takazawa N, Kobayashi H, Matsumoto M, Aritomi K, Yuasa T, Kaneko K. Is urinary incontinence the hidden secret complications after total hip arthroplasty? Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2014 Dec;24(8):1455-60. doi: 10.1007/s00590-014-1413-4. Epub 2014 Jan 10. PMID: 24408744. Bartelink DL. The role of abdominal pressure in relieving the pressure on the lumbar intervertebral discs. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1957 Nov;39-B(4):718-25. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.39B4.718. PMID: 13491636. Duncan R, Wild C, Ng L, Hendry D, Carter S, Hopper L, Campbell A. Dancers' Joint Strategies for Achieving Turnout in Low and High Friction Conditions. Med Probl Perform Art. 2020 Jun;35(2):96-102. doi: 10.21091/mppa.2020.2015. PMID: 32479585. Faubion SS, Shuster LT, Bharucha AE. Recognition and management of nonrelaxing pelvic floor dysfunction. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Feb;87(2):187-93. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2011.09.004. PMID: 22305030; PMCID: PMC3498251. Foster SN, Spitznagle TM, Tuttle LJ, Sutcliffe S, Steger-May K, Lowder JL, Meister MR, Ghetti C, Wang J, Mueller MJ, Harris-Hayes M. Hip and Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength in Women with and without Urgency and Frequency Predominant Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. J Womens Health Phys Therap. 2021 Jul-Sep;45(3):126-134. doi: 10.1097/jwh.0000000000000209. PMID: 34366727; PMCID: PMC8345818. Halski T, Ptaszkowski K, Słupska L, Dymarek R, Paprocka-Borowicz M. Relationship between lower limb position and pelvic floor muscle surface electromyography activity in menopausal women: a prospective observational study. Clin Interv Aging. 2017 Jan 4;12:75-83. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S121467. PMID: 28115836; PMCID: PMC5221554. Marques SAA, Silveira SRBD, Pássaro AC, Haddad JM, Baracat EC, Ferreira EAG. Effect of Pelvic Floor and Hip Muscle Strengthening in the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2020 Mar-Apr;43(3):247-256. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2019.01.007. Epub 2020 Jul 21. PMID: 32703614. Rebullido TR, Gómez-Tomás C, Faigenbaum AD, Chulvi-Medrano I. The Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence among Adolescent Female Athletes: A Systematic Review. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021 Jan 28;6(1):12. doi: 10.3390/jfmk6010012. PMID: 33525502; PMCID: PMC7931053. Thyssen HH, Clevin L, Olesen S, Lose G. Urinary incontinence in elite female athletes and dancers. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2002;13(1):15-7. doi: 10.1007/s001920200003. PMID: 11999199. Tu FF, Holt J, Gonzales J, Fitzgerald CM. Physical therapy evaluation of patients with chronic pelvic pain: a controlled study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Mar;198(3):272.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.09.002. PMID: 18313447. Tuttle LJ, Autry T, Kemp C, Lassaga-Bishop M, Mettenleiter M, Shetter H, Zukowski J. Hip exercises improve intravaginal squeeze pressure in older women. Physiother Theory Pract. 2020 Dec;36(12):1340-1347. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2019.1571142. Epub 2019 Feb 1. PMID: 30704364. Zivkovic V, Lazovic M, Vlajkovic M, Slavkovic A, Dimitrijevic L, Stankovic I, Vacic N. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises and pelvic floor retraining in children with dysfunctional voiding. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2012 Sep;48(3):413-21. Epub 2012 Jun 5. PMID: 22669134.

Part of our new Blog Take Over! series from Niamh Morrin, SOMA Movement See Lucy and Niamh talk about this new development on Dance Mama on IGTV “It’s all about the gap” “Once my gap has closed I am safe to do any exercise” “My rectus abdominal muscles tore during pregnancy” “I can’t do any front-loaded exercises with my diastasis” “I must do x,y,z to heal my diastasis” “I am too long postnatal to heal now” “A diastasis recti always looks like a distended tummy” “A diastasis recti is only related to the rectus abdominal muscles” There are many myths and misunderstandings surrounding the diastasis recti (DR). Myths can instil fear of movement and delay healing. The following article will hopefully disperse these myths and provide a fuller understanding of a DR. What is Diastasis Recti? Diastasis recti is the term used to describe the stretching and thinning of the connective tissue that runs down the middle of the abdomen between the two sides of the rectus abdominal or 6 pack muscles. Diastasis recti is a natural process and according to Mota et al., (2015) 100% of pregnant women will have it at their due date – some womens’ diastasis will heal on their own whilst many others will need specific exercises to help it heal. The connective tissue involved in a DR is called the linea alba. There are a number of abdominal muscles that contribute to the formation of this connective tissue. Most obviously the linea alba connects the two sides of our rectus abdominal muscles. In addition, tendon like extensions of our lateral abdominal muscles feed into and contribute to the make-up of the linea alba – these muscles include the external obliques, the internal obliques and transverse abdominals. The linea alba therefore acts as a midline anchor for all the abdominal wall muscles and it is therefore all these muscles that pull and generate force at the linea alba. What is most important here is an understanding that all our core muscles need to be involved in the postnatal rehabilitation of the core and successful healing of a DR. Figure 1: Core muscles to work on if you have a diastasis. Reference: Hudani, M (2020). Diastasis Rectus Abdominis: Start here (Part 1). Available at: https://www.munirahudanipt.com/single-post/diastasis-rectus-abdominis-start-here-part-1 What does a Diastasis Recti look like? As a dancer, aesthetics and how we feel about our body can be a big part of what we do and who we are. We can assume that all DR’s look like a distended tummy or pooch but understanding that it can look and feel very different from person to person is very important. You might have a “mummy tummy” or “mummy pooch” where the lower and/or middle part of the abdomen is loose and distended out. ·Your whole abdomen could look like it is still rounded out or distended. You might not have any abdominal distension but you might notice a vertical “gap” down the midline of your abdomen. You might not notice anything too different aesthetically, but you just feel much weaker and disconnected to your core. How do you check for a Diastasis Recti? It is usually best to have a postnatal exercise specialist, a pelvic health or women’s health physiotherapist check this for you – however, you might want to check it yourself also so let’s make sure you have a few pointers to get an accurate finding. What we are looking for when checking for a DR is any gapping between the two sides of the rectus abdominal muscles and any squishiness or sinking feeling in the linea alba. Traditionally a DR was only assessed by the “gap” however a DR is now more commonly assessed by width and depth. A DR is confirmed as having a gap of more than 2 finger widths and/or a sinking feeling down into the linea alba. A healed diastasis is firm or trampoline feeling for depth, and a gap that is under 2 fingers. You can do a self-check for DR by following these simple steps: Lie down on your back – it is best to get into this position by rolling from your side and over onto your back. Halfway between belly button and rib cage: Find a place in the middle between your belly button and your rib cage. Pick your head up a very small bit off the ground. With two fingers laid horizontally, feel the gap between the two sides of your rectus abdominal muscle. How wide is this gap? Do your fingers squish/sink in? Relax your head and note down what you felt. Above your belly button: Place your fingers right above your belly button. ­Pick up your head a very small bit off the ground. Feel the gap between your rectus abdominal muscles. How wide is is? Do your fingers squish/sink in? Relax your head and note down what you felt. Below your belly button: Place your fingers right above your belly button. ­Pick up your head a very small bit off the ground. Is there any gapping here? How wide is it? Do your fingers squish/sink in? Relax your head and note down what you felt. Adding in the breath: Now check your DR whilst adding in a breath. This tells us what your breathing system is like and what your pelvic floor is doing. Take an inhale and on the exhale lift your head, think about drawing your pelvic floor up, drawing your hip bones together and bringing ribs in and down. What’s your gap (in all three areas) like now? Does it get more squishy or more firm? Do your rectus abdominal muscles pop up? Do you get doming out of the linea alba? We’re looking for the changes that happen here when you exhale and how well your system handles pressure. Figure 2: Location of a diastasis recti. Reference: Core exercise solutions, how to check for a Diastasis Recti. Available at: https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/how-to-check-for-diastasis-recti/ Is your Diastasis Recti…Wide? Squishy? Below belly button? Above belly button? A DR can be noted anywhere along the linea alba. A DR can appear in different places on different people (Figure 2). Some will be wide but firm, some narrow but squishy and others wide and squishy. Some will just have a DR below the belly button and others will have it closer to the ribs – others might have it the entire length of the linea alba. Everyone’s DR can be different. It is because of these variations that individualised approaches to healing will be most beneficial – especially if you have tried a general exercise programme for DR healing and it is not working. In general, the depth or squishiness of a DR is affected by the function of your deep core (Transverse Abdominals and Pelvic Floor) and the width is affected by the function of your more superficial core (Rectus Abdominals and Obliques). Traditionally it was gap closure that was deemed most important in the healing of a DR – however, current thinking is less to do with the gap and more to do with firmness in the linea alba and the core’s ability to manage and regulate loads, pressures, and forces. I have a diastasis, can I plank / do front loaded core exercises as part of my training or choreography? Maybe! As mentioned above its important to know how well your core is managing and regulating pressure. Take for example, two different dancers, both with a 3-finger width diastasis – these two dancers might handle loads differently and therefore a plank type of movement could be good for one and poor for the other. What we are looking for is for the core to fire as a cohesive unit – if it is not firing cohesively we might get increased squishiness in the linea alba, doming of the rectus abdominal muscles or doming out of the linea alba (Figure 3a). If it is firing cohesively (Figure 3b) we should get a firmness in a linea alba and flattening across the abdomen – this is a sign that we are getting a more even core contraction. No matter the “gap” some women will be able to recruit the core well and do front loaded exercises whilst others might need to work more on establishing good core recruitment in easier positions first – regardless, each dancer will need to progress at their own pace depending on how the core is handling load and managing pressure. Figure 3: A) the rectus abdominal muscles are over recruited whilst the transverse abdominal muscles are under recruited. The abdominal wall appears domed out. Figure 3: B) The core is firing as a cohesive unit. The transverse abdominal muscles are recruited together with the rectus abdominal muscles. The abdominal wall has a flatter profile. Healing a Diastasis Recti – building the foundations first #1 Breathing Correct breathing is the foundation stone for correct core (and pelvic floor) function and therefore DR healing. For our core to function well we need our inhales and exhales to lengthen and shorten our entire core system respectively. Faulty breathing mechanics will disrupt this natural muscle function and prevent the core muscles getting the stimulus needed for adaptation. Example of faulty breathing mechanics: 1) Our inhale is all neck and shoulders 2) We maintain a constant level of tension in our abdomen (i.e. suck in our belly button, grip with our upper abs) 3) Our inhale is all belly 4) Our rib cage motion is limited and only moves up on an inhale (with very little back and side expansion) When we take an inhale we are looking for a 360 degree rib cage expansion – this encourages lengthening in the entire abdominal wall (and pelvic floor). Following the inhale, the exhale should provide 360 degree compression where the whole abdominal wall shortens – just like pulling a corset tight. #2 Core firing For good core muscle recruitment, we are looking for balanced muscle activity from the bottom to the top of your abdomen. This balance needs to be maintained so that pressure within the core system is maintained and stability is provided for your body (Figure 3b). So, for example, allowing the rectus muscle to become more dominant over the deep transverse abdominus will result in doming and pressure leaking out on the front of the core (Figure 3b). This is a sign that the deep core stabilisers aren’t fully on board – thus leaving you vulnerable to injury and stalling or regressing your DR healing. #3 Progressive overload There are many core exercises and there is unfortunately not one set of magic exercises to heal a DR – everyone’s DR could be slightly different and therefore different exercises would often be chosen based on the individual, their stage of healing and location of the DR. However, once good breathing mechanics and core firing have been checked and established, challenging the core in a progressive and varied manner is important. Progressing exercises based on achieving solid technique and good pressure management strategies would be advised. #4 Address the entire body Diastasis recti is a whole-body issue. Strengthening the abdominal wall without addressing poor movement habits and muscle weaknesses above and below the core could halt your DR healing. Working on good movement patterns and strengthening weaknesses whilst applying them to workouts (i.e. dance) as well as to day to day life and activities (lifting children, heavy shopping etc) can go a long way. So, for example if you are unable to move your hips and shoulders from a stable foundation (i.e. core) and independently from your rib cage then every time you perform an upper (e.g. port de bras, partner lifts) or lower body (e.g. plie, jumping) exercise or movement you might be failing to recruit your core appropriately and/or continually put pressure out on your DR. Diastasis Recti – myths unravelled Diastasis recti is a diagnosis that can be treated, no matter how new or old the diastasis is. Understanding that a diastasis is not just to do with the gap between the rectus abdominal muscles and entirely to do with our deep and superficial core muscles, our breathing systems, our core firing patterns and our whole kinetic chain is the first step to progressively healing a DR and improving the function of the core system. References Dufour et al., (2019). Pregnancy-related diastasis rectus abdominis: Impact of a multi-component group-based intervention. International journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 10(2). Dufour et al., (2019). Establishing Expert-Based Recommendations for the Conservative Management of Pregnancy-Related Diastasis Rectus Abdominis: A Delphi Consensus Study. Journal of Womenʼs Health Physical Therapy. 43(1). Mota, P., Pascoal, A.G., Carita, A.I., & Bø, K. (2015). Prevalence and risk factors of diastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, and relationship with lumbo-pelvic pain. Manual Therapy, 20(1), 200-205. About Niamh Niamh is a graduate from a BSc in Sport Science and Health (Dublin City University) and MSc in Dance Science (TrinityLaban). Throughout her years working as a performance enhancement practitioner at the Centre for Advanced Training (TrinityLaban) and as a visiting lecturer in Dance Science (University of Bedfordshire) she continued her professional development and qualified as a Sports Massage Practitioner with Sports Therapy UK and completed a PhD in Exercise Physiology (Buckinghamshire New University). Her most recent stop along the professional development road was at a Pre and Postnatal Corrective Exercise Specialist course (Core Exercise Solutions) which has culminated in the development of her own business "Baby&I" - a business designed to coach, educate and inspire women to maintain strength and function and therefore participation in sport and dance during and after their child bearing years. https://www.babyandi.org.uk Niamh is passionate about the use of the right exercise prescription to increase strength, reduce pain and improve function in the pre and postnatal body. Niamh believes that pregnant and postnatal dancers should not be left to navigate the complexities of prehab, rehab and their return to dance without being given the tools to do so safely and effectively. Niamh is also a member of Dance Mama's Research Advisory Group

Welcome to 2021! A delayed post due to the insanely busy start to the year thanks to a fantastic cocktail of events both positive and challenging in equal measure. I was very grateful to receive my Arts Council England National Lottery Grant for Dance Mama Live! which has been a 'thing' since 2019, but is now an actual tangible 'thing'! There's the WHOOP! I am working like the clappers behind the scenes to bring you the best programme possible with partners Sadler's Wells, One Dance UK, Yorkshire Dance, DanceXchange and Clearcut. The ticket release is coming imminently, and for more details on this FREE progressive and much-needed programme of monthly activity of webinars and creative workshops with experts and artists from across the organisations click here - where you can also sign-up for updates. However, hearing this a mere four days after our third national lockdown was announced has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. When ole BoJo sent us back into our hibernation (and let's face it, we had all seen it coming, but like each time the rules have changed is always a total downer) I was at the hob and just cried out, 'For ****'s sake! What was the point of me doing a flippin' degree and wanting a career if the government insist on giving me no time to do it, ARRRGHHHHH!!!!!' I know that a good group you out there probably feel the same. This is also said with the respect and grace of our fellow comrades working full or part time in jobs they are less passionate about, and those homemakers too - I doff my cap to you. With respect to that and being more than happy to do my part and do my duty to my children and family and help the national effort. I just want to highlight what this looks like from a freelance dance sector working parent. May I introduce to you the uninitiated, the time sponge that is homeschooling - which is putting enormous, unsustainable pressure on all involved. Like oil and water, I vowed not to try and do both work and homeschool at the same time. They do not mix. Inevitably someone is left frustrated and crying (usually me) when those pinch points occur, so I do my best to avoid it. So that makes for a really long day. Like really long. Today I started at 5am when I was awoken by my 4-year old and couldn't get back to sleep thanks to the Hamilton soundtrack ear worm and ideas for this site, da-da-da-dah-da... This is just my take, and there is a plethora of circumstances, situations, furloughs, redundancies, technical poverty and gender equality that is being cranked up to the max... Joeli Brearley and the good folks of @pregnantthenscrewed and Anna Whitehouse @mother_pukka have been doing an amazing job highlighting that it is not possible for parents (mainly the Mums) to be doing homeschooling and work, and running a house. Some solutions have been furlough or increased flexible working. If your self-employed like me, and just been giving a wonderful gift to get cracking on your business, stopping is not really an option. I mean I could? But where does that leave you, with the content and programme I am creating for you that's taken years to build. Mmm...(plus I enjoy it). So what does it look like in reality? I feel inspired to write this as I just don't feel that there is enough empathy. Something I touched on with Danielle Jones today on her brilliant project Artists Exchange Programme's Instagram live. E to the M to the P to the A to the T to the Y. Sure, all circumstances and all backgrounds are under so much pressure - non so-much as the frontliners. Big love to those working tremendously hard to keep us safe. I can only write what I know, and this is a little window what our week looks like: Monday 9am - 3pm Homeschool, with a bit of emailing and site updates in and around year 3 maths (God I was so happy o have left maths behind in year 11 and it is back, BACK with a vengeance) and maybe a drop off its one of the pre-school days for kiddie number 2 (who is like a WWF wrestler and a pinball at the moment - really conducive to concentration). 3 - 4.30pm Juggling playing with/entertaining the kids, with a few work calls and more admin. 4.30 - 6pm The dinner jive 6 - 8pm The put down jam 8 - 10pm + More admin Then - Schitts Creek break (what is it about our generation and programme's with Creek in the title - go Dawsons!) Repeat until Friday .... Saturday 9am - 5.30pm Work uninterrupted and sigh. Sunday Family Day - nature walk and get those incidental steps up! Now, I don't have an aversion to working. I have a strong work ethic, and sometimes that can get me into trouble. However, the expectations on all working parents needs to change. Remember last year when everyone was super supportive when your kid walked in on a call? That was shortly after laughing at that poor woman wrangling her kid of a BBC news interview (man, how irritating was that reaction). That is still definitely OK by me, but I'm not so sure that this is the case across the board. Talking to PiPA Campaign this week and from the general mood of looking at the stats around women in the pandemic, COVID-19 is definitely highlighting gender inequality in terms of choices being made around parenting , domestic and job responsibilities that could potentially drag us back to the 50s for longer than lockdown. Now, I love Elvis and a bit of doo-whop, but I definitely want to leave the lack of progress on the equality front there, thanks. I may be jesting here, but I don't say this lightly. So, I shall finish this 'insight' with a huge amount of gratitude to the teachers and the children who are doing their level best to navigate this tempestuous waters (often simultaneously teaching on Zooms whilst homeschooling their own kids) and to you, comrade - I see you! You now know what the beavering away looks like from the Dance Mamaship - duplicated I'm sure in households up and down the UK. So I implore us all - be kind, everyone is fighting a battle. I have created Dance Mama Live! for you - yes you! And it's FREE! Have a gander at the info page and sign up for guaranteed creative time, inspiration, information, connection and community.

So, what the blazes has been going on since I last blogged? Part of my brain is still stuck in March to be fair. We have reached the 6-month mark in this situation known by many names; pandemic, global crisis, COVID-19, COVO, The VID etc. With my limited, but interested knowledge of crisis response, is an important step to acknowledge. I thought this would be a pertinent time for me to pen a few reflections I have had on this period and highlight some moments that have occurred. Part of my brain is still stuck in March to be fair. Like with most families, a major one has been settling the children back into school and I guess I haven’t really had the bandwidth to write a blog until now, 4 weeks in. Looking back at my last blog (an aeon ago otherwise known as March 2020) it is clear to see how much energy the home schooling was taking up. Being pragmatic, the threat of this is something that still hangs over our parental heads, and is something some parts of the world are still experiencing. So, my thoughts on how I have kept going are ‘make hay while the sun shines,’ in that in the snatches of time that have been available, I have asked myself the question, ‘How can I best serve?’ So, in spite of the times, I have cracked on as best as possible with pushing Dance Mama forwards to best serve you. I have also made sure that I pace myself and have ‘buffer time’. Practice what you preach, sista. I have asked myself the question, ‘How can I best serve?’ Here are some highlights: Dance Mama now has over 50 stories, with a couple now on YouTube with staff from New Adventures (including Associate Artistic Director, Etta Murfitt) and Ruby Wolk, Senior Ballet Learning Manager, Royal Opera House. This month we have a very generous offering coming this month from Leila McMillan in support of #BLAW2020 Dance Mama has worked with more mentees who have taken advantage of the 1-hour pay what you can session for newbies (still available) and other session discounts, to support them to also crack on with their creativity in this difficult moment. The Project Management Masterclass has moved online to support dance folk and beyond as an education about the ins and outs of bringing their creative ideas to life, whilst merrily singing the praises of Excel. Whoot! Free ‘Community Chats’ have been provided on Zoom to connect dance peeps in a fun and friendly space with like-minded individuals to discuss issues of the day. I have been speaking about being a #dancemama in online forums across our fair nation to some frankly, brilliant people (like Mothers Who Make and Jude Kelly CBE) through Birmingham Dance Network, Parents in Performing Arts Campaign and WOW Foundation. Following an ‘in conversation’ with Active Pregnancy Foundation and a failed but enjoyable attempt at a PhD scholarship, I was invited to join them as Secretariat to the Scientific Advisory Board. Rejection is redirection people! Set up a wellness sister site Spirit Mama to divulge and explore further my approach to life. I do hope that somewhere along the way with all of this, I have been able to give you some succour, either remotely by my ramblings and posts (or the odd Facebook Live video), or in person through any other aforementioned programmes. I do what I can to consistently look to the future with as much optimism as possible to muster. In spite of everything, it is imperative that we do whatever it takes to healthily feed our inspiration and passion for our artform as a down payment on creating some smashing experiences for those in greatest need now as well as when we can all freely dance together again. Have on repeat in your minds ‘This too shall pass.’ #dance #dancemama #parenting #COVID19 #Zoom #Googlemeet #YouTube #optimism #mentoring

Today is a special anniversary of a year since my trip to Dublin to meet Patricia Ward Kelly @genekellylegacy, wife of #dancepapa icon Gene Kelly , and the RTE Concert Orchestra playing excerpts of his work, interspersed with biographical and historical anecdotes from Patricia. It was a magical trip, and a MAJOR highlight of my career. Many moons ago, I grew up watching Gene on many a Sunday afternoon with my family, spending a vast majority of my childhood in Stratford Operatic Society (now Stratford Musical Theatre Company) and Stratford Music Centre, with my professional debut aged 8 with the RSC’s first collaboration (I know understand) with Opera North, Show Boat . Musical Theatre really shaped my understanding and appreciation for music, dance and theatre Musical Theatre really shaped my understanding and appreciation for innovation in music, dance and film, and by the time I went off to Laban I had been in 30 productions. Crikey! ‘Why didn’t you go to musical theatre school?’ I hear you cry. Well, I can sing in tune, but the timbre is not really West-End level. That is to be left to the likes of consummate professionals such as #musicaltheatremama Caroline Sheen. Gene’s enigmatic style and performance quality is clear to anyone who is familiar with MGM’s work of the golden Hollywood era. When I reached the last year of my degree I was passionate to write my dissertation about his huge contribution to dance on film which being mainstream, academically had gone a little unnoticed. I think the big budgets and joy seemed to mask the absolute science behind creating his cinedance. The three big ones for me are of course, Singin’ In the Rain (1952), the Alter Ego sequence from Covergirl, 1944 (which was the first ever film-on-film choreography) and The Worry Song from Anchors Aweigh (1945). The latter being another first for animation and live action choreography for the first time. Of course, a fourth would also be On The Town (1949)– a first for site-specific choreography. As well as being a law degree student, speaking an array of languages and a lover of poetry and literature, his writing on capturing the kinesthetic of movement on screen with multiple angles and shots to create the illusion of the audiences ‘collective eye’ is a testament to Gene’s fierce intelligence and creativity. Lightning struck twice last year as the enigmatic Patricia invited me to the BFI event last November, which delved deeper into stories and artefacts – I enjoyed geek-ing out with my sister who is also a long-time Kelly fan. I understand that like so many brilliant shows, COVID-19 has put a hold on concerts due to be held over this period, but the project is due back at the Southbank next year (after multiple global tours). I implore any musical theatre fan to catch this fantastic experience when you next get the opportunity. All together now, ‘What a day this has been…’

Well, I don’t need to start this blog with focussing on the obvious of what we are all doing at the moment, and what the situation is. Last time I wrote you a blog, we were pre-lock down, and I thought I would touch-base with a note to K.B.O. (keep buggering on) and highlight some brilliant solutions to keep us moving that have been occurring (and not just ‘PE Jesus,’ Joe Wikes*). Firstly, I, like most of the parental population, have been re-deployed to rent-a-teacher. Whilst lead-in time has been non-existent, following a schedule for my children and me is what we are anchoring ourselves in. With a due note that this doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, I wanted to highlight for dance folk, we can draw on our dance training skills once again in this circumstance. My personal favourite schedule addition has to be Friday Night Disco, complete with flashy lights and George Ezra. Discipline equals freedom, and with the parameters drawn very close, we need all the freedom we can grab. So, trying to make it as fun, we’re doing assemblies on our passions; Spurs (Dad), Unicorns (Big One), Poo (Little One) and Singing – The Beatles. My personal favourite schedule addition has to be Friday Night Disco, complete with flashy lights and George Ezra. I don’t know about you, but I have had an existential crisis (again) on not-knowing which day was which (beyond that of Christmas holidays phenomenon) and having some sort of ritual on particular days seemed to help us create a shape to the week. This is nothing new, but aside from the obvious and necessary draw-backs of lock-down, the opportunity to design our lives on a limited scale has it’s upsides. However, don’t get thinking this is some sort of Maria Von Trapp/ Mary Poppins set-up, there is still fighting, toys being chucked against walls, and some sort of tantrum going on… Last blog, I moved fast on reminding folk of the Dance Mama, Class Programme, and having updated it with a few faves that have developed over the past weeks, I have been totally overwhelmed as wonderful dancing humans have been getting online in droves to keep us all inspired and fit. I have done my best to re-post this on Facebook as and when I see stuff. this is the sort of content I dreamed about as a new mum at home. English National Ballet have been doing daily class in the studio then in the kitchen and tomorrow friend and colleague Katie Mason will be doing a live session for people with limited mobility, , alongside other toptastic dancing stars, Bennet Garside of the Royal Ballet and Founder of Everybody Ballet, Joshua Barwick of Company Wayne McGregor teaches barre this week and Birmingham Royal Ballet have been sharing footage of their dancers now back in the four corners of planet earth, practicing in gardens and in lounges as well as Assistant Director, Marion Tait sharing her positivity. Wednesday at 10am will see one of my all time favourite #dancemama s Etta Murfitt, Assistant Director of New Adventures, leads class. Although we are in desperately difficult times, this is the sort of content I dreamed about as a new mum at home. I truly hope it brings support and light to those pregnant #dancemama s in isolation. Please also do check the social channels of Active Pregnancy Foundation for sound advice and safety tips. Dance schools and teachers are getting their classes online so no-one has to stop. One Dance UK giving great advice for this time and info on how to teach online, safely. So, move the coffee table, push the sofa against the wall. It’s not time to give in to Netflix and a soft seat. There’s time to connect with your global dance family! *credit to my sister for that gag

I’m not going to spend a great deal of time on reiterating the severity and seriousness of the situation we face at present – here I wish to focus on solutions that we can come up with to support each other through this difficult and challenging period for our lives. Particularly acknowledging the new government advice for pregnant women to isolate for 12 weeks. When I re-launched Dance Mama back in 2018 one of the new features I gave to the site is the Online Class Programme. I curated them in separate sections (pre and post-natal) and in the different dance styles and fitness sessions I could find. A lot is free and some is pay-per-view. This was because, in my own experience, trying to find appropriate content in a short space of time, sleep-deprived, not knowing when my baby would wake up was HUGELY frustrating. There was no time to be scrolling through endless videos on YouTube or sites. I remember spending inordinate snatches of time trying to find anything on diastasis recti that I felt was under-pinned by science or an experienced dance professional. I ended up doing a Davina McCall DVD, a DVD from the US of a woman who was married to a guy from Desperate Housewives (??), trying to employ whatever I could remember from my Pilates sessions and the post-natal text book I bought and the rather brilliant Yoga With Adrienne. Let’s just say, both times I had children, the process was S L O W. So, as I started to find things, and having worked on class programmes at The Place, Central School of Ballet, DanceXchange and at Rambert, I curated them in separate sections (pre and post-natal) and in the different dance styles and fitness sessions I could find. A lot is free and some is pay-per-view. Take me to the class programme! In the last few days I have seen that some of my brilliant colleagues are moving their sessions online – BActive Pilates, Wellebeing Yoga and Pilates and Centre Point using Zoom or Hoop. I'm sure a lot of studios will soon follow suit. Let's hear it for the trailblazers, though! Dance Mama also believes in supporting the three areas of physiology, approach and creativity. With physiology needs being mitigated by the class programme, you can find further content on mindset and productivity for your approach to your career and situation from people I really look up to in this area on this page too. In terms of your creativity, this is the time to employ it. I have also seen groups being set-up online to share ideas of occupying children indoors such as Plan C, which has gone from a new group to 21k or more members is a matter of a couple of days - a really positive response to this difficult situation. In terms of your creativity, this is the time to employ it. If there was ever a time the world needed creative people, it’s now. With scenes of singing and exercise classes happening in Italy with people in isolation or on lock-down, this is the stuff that will keep people going, and as we are likely in for a long stint of this, positive morale is not only key to how we get through it, but also how our bodies will respond to healing. In this regard please do check out the extensive work of Dr Daisy Fancourt in this area. I’m really happy to receive any suggestions (TW: @thedancemama) for more dance-related content, and don’t forget that there’s also information and sign-posting on the resources page. I’m not the first say this at all, but maybe unexpected positives from this is that people will really start to prioritise their health in a real way, find inventive and productive ways to occupy themselves, amplify their kindness to support the vulnerable and have greater empathy for those who are isolated beyond this time for whatever reason. Stay well xo

Well the Autumn term is well and truly underway. I feel I am a little behind as I had a little later start to the beginning of it due to adventures abroad, but this time of year is an opportunity for a fresh start, and I was eagerly looking forward to getting back into a routine. I once again put this down to my dancer training, and a large dollop of my Type A personality. I freakin’ love structure. It’s also been time to get back to the barre. As those of you who have been following me this past year or more, you will remember it has taken me an age to heal my diastasis recti. This has made me pretty reluctant to doing anything other than yoga, Pilates or the gym in since my son was born. He has just turned 3, and by heck fire, it’s been a long time. It also gave me the real-life experience to start the online class programme to help other parents at risk of isolation combat this. Over the summer, although I was more emphasis on the ‘Mama’ and less on the ‘Dance’, I was able to get to yoga regularly at my local studios with #yogamama and all-round super-star, Jade Carey (shout out to Red Hot Yoga) and strengthen my mind, body and spirit in the unique way yoga can. Then, as school has started, I hitched on the Spanx, took a deep breath and headed back to class with my fellow #dancemama Jane Caldwell at We Love to Dance in Surrey . You can see by the utter joy on my face I was very happy to be ‘back at it’. I remember writing a post on returning to ballet on my old Dance Mama site when I first went back after I had my daughter. Again, it took an age to build up the confidence and strength. Logistically getting to the gym/studio can be super-hard if you don’t have family nearby, like me. Back then I was lucky to have a close friend who looked after her in the car seat whilst I could take class. This has never been forgotten as a wonderful act of true friendship. It also gave me the real-life experience to start the online class programme to help other parents at risk of isolation combat this. It has quickly risen to the ‘next level’ as I am currently working on a project at the Royal Opera House which is affording me access to their staff ballet session. Crikey. No pressure on yourself there Luce, ha ha. So Friday, I stood outside the Fonteyn Studio, like a kid in a candy store, staring at all the amazing exhibition of photos of said ballet icon and Nureyev. My inner 8-year old going wild with excitement at imagining who has been inside that space and who would be rehearsing there today. I totally geeked-out. Yes, it took me until today to feel my thighs again, but what an utter treat. Sometimes in dance we put a high value on the ‘judgement’ of what our peers, teachers, rehearsal directors or choreographers may put on us whilst we do class, but my most happiest of times in the studio is when I get back in touch with my younger self and dance for my own happiness. So in this week which celebrates #worldmentalhealthday I highly recommend that whatever you enjoy, go do it and do it some more! Look out for a new interview on Thursday 10th October in celebration of #worldmentalhealthday

Going hand-in-hand with the uploading of interviews with two dance #producermamas in the past week, Grace Okereke and Emma Jones, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on portfolio working after my own recent experience of expanding my producing skills to outdoor festivals with Greenwich Dance. Before that I want to explain ‘portfolio working’ to my understanding. Most of you who are converts and have a good sense of this already, but for those of you who are new to this, the concept has been kicking about for a few decades now. It basically means, you can be more than one work thing, at the same time – e.g. being a human being, not a human doing. Coined by Charles Handy back in the late 80s, being a Portfolio Professional ‘is a way of describing how the different bits of work in our life fit together to form a balanced whole.’ Oh no, not blessed balance again! That which seems an elusive chalice we keep chasing in manner of Indiana Jones. BUT it does neatly describe how we can add the parenting slice into our ‘working in the arts’ pie – imagery I use in mentoring sessions (and who doesn’t love pie? Savory or sweet). I believe balance is something we can shift in and out of, and the game is not about finding eternal, perfect balance (as I actually think that’s not possible) but more about recognising what both out of balance feels like and what alignment feels like, and using this as your barometer for more staying in the balance zone more often. I recently led a workshop at Greenwich Dance on ‘Building Your Portfolio Career’ which was open to anyone, not just dancing parents. Drawing on the book Building A Portfolio Career (McCrudden, Bourne and Lyons), the methodology is consistent across all groups (and one I assume most consultants use) which is fundamentally; What do you want to do? Where are you know? What are the realistic steps to achieving this? The realism, for me, depends on how much belief you have (and that’s a whole other blog!). To be frank (and when am I not?) parenting is a 24/7 production so the transferable skills are pretty straightforward. The underlying foundation to all this is working out and writing down your values. Again, this is something I wrote out for myself back in 2011 (the last time I went self-employed) and have found myself revisiting and redefining at this stage in life. Brene Brown is en vogue right now because she’s awesome, and among many other amazing insights and research, has identified some 30 values in Dare to Lead that are pretty useful to help you pinpoint which ones resonate with you. When you get clear of what this is then you can then crack on with formulating your recipe for your portfolio pie. For me at the moment this is; Dance Mama, Cultural Project Manager, Holistic Practitioner/Seeker, Mother/Wife/Friend/Daughter/Sister. I have full respect to all the parents, Grace, Emma and beyond who have the weight of production as a large slice of their pie. To be frank (and when am I not?) parenting is a 24/7 production so the transferable skills are pretty straightforward. There are clear objectives (a show has to happen / a school run has to happen), schedules (both usually involve getting up at the crack of dawn and working long hours), costume, set and props (a gazebo here, a school uniform there) all juggled into a melange of activity, creativity, emotion, and the heat of external and internal pressure. It is full on. What I do note about both women is that they have a really clear understanding of their values, what’s right for them and their family and how they display tenacity in the face of so many variables. #producermamas, I salute you!