Today we’d like to introduce you to Christiana Behnke-Simmons.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christiana. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My dancing career started at the age of two. Ever since I’ve been dancing across the globe and learned different dance styles starting with Polynesian dances learned on Hawaii and performed in adult age in Tahiti and Bora Bora, to African dances, Latin rhythms learned by Latinos all over the world like Germany, USA, and the Dominican Republic. Hip hop is my biggest strength but fusing all styles together is what I love to share as my dance styles when I teach. I started teaching dance at the age of 12 and have taught internationally ever since. Being pregnant with my first son in 2016, I couldn’t just stop dancing and especially after giving birth dance is what brought me back to life during my postpartum phase. Dancing with my baby wrapped around my belly, I just had to share my passion with other moms and dads as I couldn’t imagine being the only one going through it. I created my own babywearing dance class fusing all kinds of world rhythms to share the bonding joy and passion for dance! Also, catering to pregnant moms BabyGaroove is the perfect prenatal dance workout and the best preparation for labor. Being pregnant now with my second baby on the way, I have choreographed a labor dance with my midwives to help other mommas out there to have easy labor and share the benefits of dancing through pregnancy. My heart lies within dance and sharing it with my babies and inspiring others to do the same is the best gift life could give me!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building your own brand is a struggle and a roller coaster road. As a stay at home mom, it is hard to find the time to promote yourself and if you are creating something completely new, there is no guideline to success! Believing in myself and seeing some sparkles in mommas and papas eyes while dancing with us enlightens my fire to keep on moving and inspire others even more.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mama movements – what should we know?
I’m mostly known for my dancing skills and teaching skills around the world. I went viral on social media three times with both of my pregnancy with well-known choreographers which has brought a lot of attention to me dancing through pregnancy and being an advocate for the benefits of dance during pregnancy!
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Listen to your heart and believe in yourself! Follow your god given talent as we all have one and should use it to find our purpose in life!
Pricing:
- $350 for the online instructor training
- $650 for a live instructor training
- $1200 for a one on one instructor training
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.mamamovements.com
- Email: babygaroove@gmail.com
- Instagram: BabyGaroove
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/BabyGaroove
- Other: @nanadance24
Image Credit:
Steve Cooper, Jeremy Long, Monica Russo Tacke, insage productions
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
