So you want to dance: Part 25 of series Postings discussion This link allows you to see others thoughts on this piece and contribute to the debate yourself if you want. We look to guarantee this link for a number of years, though after 3-6 months the page may be closed to further additions. Ballet.co's Doing Dance forum reviews by Anjuli Bai

Congratulations! Wonderful!

But – I think that means I’ll have to stop taking ballet classes, doesn’t it?

Not necessarily, but you really do have to talk to your doctor and ask her if continuing to take class is a good idea for you individually. Make sure she understands what ballet class entails. Then follow her advice. But once you do that and if you have her permission, there is no specific reason to stop. You will just have to dance differently.

Differently?

You are going to become a different person, physically and emotionally. You will need to accommodate to those changes.

Besides the obvious what’s going to change?

For one thing your sense of balance will change as your body changes.

More weight forward, I suppose.

And more weight backward. Pregnant women tend to tilt back through the spine to accommodate the added weight in front. That’s part of why they tend to get backaches. You will need to be aware of that. Bending forward as much as possible will help to relax those contracted back muscles.

Certain parts of the ballet vocabulary will gradually become more difficult for you and even if it doesn’t should be avoided.

Like what? I suppose big jumps…..

I would stop big jumps almost immediately. No sense taking a chance on jarring the body or risking a fall. But eventually the small jumps, too, will cease to be a good idea.

So, what can I do?

All the terre a terre steps such as waltz turns, adage, glissade, balancés, etc. should be fine – unless you feel uncomfortable. Let how you feel be your guide.

Turns might become “iffy” as your sense of balance changes. You might want to do them more slowly – like chainés or piqués – you can substitute soutenous. Your teacher should help you find substitutions.

But I can do all the adage stuff right?

Yes, I don’t see why not if you are comfortable with it. However, I wouldn’t go for high extensions.

Why not?

The stability of the hip joint changes with pregnancy as the body prepares for the passage of the baby, so I wouldn’t put any more pressure on it. Can’t hurt to lower the leg a bit. The object of exercising during pregnancy is not to stress the body, but to keep it active, toned, moving rather than static.

You might also need to reassess the environment of the class.

You mean like the temperature?

Well, no – unless that is a problem for you. I was thinking more about the degree to which the teacher is willing to allow you to alter some of the work and also how the people around you feel about it.

Uh oh – they might not like having me around?

No, no. They will like you just fine, but they may be concerned about the possibility of inadvertently hurting you – bumping or kicking.

Oh! I hadn’t thought about that….

I was teaching an adult class once in which three of the ladies were pregnant. The class expressed some concerns about inadvertently hurting them, so we agreed that all three of them would share a barre in one particular place in the room and to the extent possible they would constitute their own separate group in the center.

While it is unlikely that there will be others in the class who are pregnant at the same time you are (the above instance was unusual), you might ask for a special place on the barre – like on the end of a barre – or a portable barre for yourself. It will not only make you feel a bit more comfortable, it will probably make everyone else feel that way too. No one – no one – wants to hurt you accidentally.

In the center you might want to either stay in back – or in front – or at the end of a row so you aren’t in the middle of lots of moving bodies.

I’ve heard that exercise – especially dance – can be good for a pregnant woman like me.

Every dancer I’ve known through the years who became pregnant and was able to continue her dancing – with modifications and permission of her doctor – thought that it really helped her. Kept her body toned, muscles strong, kept her involved with activities and people she enjoyed which also helped her mood.

What about afterward?

Depends upon your experience with the birth process. If your doctor says its okay – then you can come back – but do it slowly. Giving birth is a major experience for the body and it needs to recover. And, of course, you will not only be recovering but also taking care of a new little person which can be quite tiring. So easy does it coming back. Give yourself time. Be patient with yourself.

I’m beginning to look forward to this.

So am I. When the baby arrives – bring her/him in – and we’ll find a tiny pair of slippers and get started on ballet lessons right away!