People Dancing

From the moment of birth, movement becomes a shared language between parent and child. This workshop invites dance artists, students and facilitators to investigate the role of movement in early attachment and development.

Through discussion, creative tasks, and embodied practice, we will delve into the journey from infancy to toddlerhood, considering how movement supports bonding and a sense of self. We will examine ‘matrescence’ - the transition to motherhood - and how a mother’s evolving identity is linked to her baby’s development.

Together, we’ll explore how entering the child’s world serves as a gateway to working with parents, and conversely, how understanding the parent’s experience opens the door to the child’s realm.

The day includes a practical in-studio session with locally based parents and babies, offering participants the opportunity to observe, engage, and reflect on movement as a bridge for relationship-building and attunement. You will leave with a deeper understanding of developmental movement in the first year of life and the language to articulate these experiences to families and communities.

By attending this workshop, you will learn:

• Insights into creating parent-baby movement sessions, with a focus on connection
• The concept of ‘matrescence’ and the experience of becoming a mother
• How to recognize and support some of the developmental movement patterns in infants
• Ways to articulate and share the importance of movement in the early years with families and communities.

This workshop – for dance artists, students and facilitators wishing to investigate the role of movement in early attachment and development - is open to all, not only those who identify as a mother.

About Mafê Toledo

Mafê (read Mah-Fay) is a Brazilian-born community dance and movement practitioner. Her vision is a world where everyone is free to move, express themselves, and be met as they are.

A mother herself, Mafê’s practice is shaped by lived experience, blending research, personal insight, and participant input. Her mission is to create vibrant spaces where children and adults experience the world from the same perspective, cultivating connection and joy. Working in partnership with arts organizations and children's centers, Mafê’s sessions support adults in exploring their evolving identity as parents while young children's voices are recognized and celebrated.

Mafê’s practice is deeply rooted in somatic education, particularly Body-Mind Centering®, which emphasizes developmental movement and the experiential understanding of body systems. She is a qualified Somatic Movement Educator (SME) and Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME), holds a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography (Roehampton University), and has a Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning (Trinity Laban).

Image credit: Photo by Anna Gordon.