Have you heard about Fat Kid Dance Party? It’s a weekly dance aerobics event for bodies of every size, hosted by Bevin Branlandingham of Queer Fat Femme. The LA based weekly dance party (which happens Wednesdays at one of our favorite places, The Plus Bus) is not only going out on tour, but is putting together a workout series that you can download and dance to from the comfort of your own home. You can help support production of the series by contributing to the Indiegogo campaign here.
Branlandingham started Fat Kid Dance Party in response to bullying and traumatic experiences she had as a child. “I internalized the messages that being fat is bad, and that I should be ashamed of what I looked like. Whenever I would try to dance or move in any way in public, I felt a lot of judgement that made me want to stop moving altogether. Most people who have been fat know that shame doesn’t create weight loss.”
Photo: Fat Kid Dance Party Facebook Page
This, paired with her experience and standing in the body positive community led her to create “the kind of dance class I wish I had when I was a kid, and throughout my life.” Branlandingham goes on to say that Fat Kid Dance Party isn’t about weight loss, it’s about radically affirming all bodies, something that isn’t happening enough in the world at large.
Fat Kid Dance Party has some rules that everyone can get behind (which are outlined in the video above):
1. There’s no wrong way to do Fat Kid Dance Party. If you show up and you move, you’re doing it right. Branlandingham set it up so that you can participate at the level that you are most comfortable with.
2. If you feel awkward, shout it out. “If you feel awkward, shout out ‘I feel awkward,’ so that everyone can cheer for you. When you feel awkward, you’re out of your comfort zone and you’re pushing yourself to experience something new.
3. If you want to sing along, go ahead, and if you can’t sing, then sing louder. When you’re singing and dancing and getting into it, you’re getting more joy out of what you’re doing, and that’s the whole point!
4. High fives for self-care. When you’re having fun, you get a high five. When you stop to drink water, you get a high five. If you show up, you get a high five because, as Branlandingham says, the hardest part of working out is just showing up.
For many people, especially plus size people, it can be difficult to find ways to enjoy movement and activity in a safe space without experiencing oppression or shame. Fat Kid Dance Party is offering a solution to that, both in-person and on your own time with the upcoming workout series, which has reached 84% of its $10,000 goal. Help support it here, follow them on Instagram, visit the website and check out the Fat Kid Dance Party tour dates below. We will update this article with more tour details as they become available.
Wednesdays at 7pm at The Plus Bus – Los Angeles, CA. Book here (No drop-ins, please)
Saturday, February 24, 2018–Seattle, WA at Curves in Bloom
Saturday, March 10, 2018–Portland, OR. Event details TBA
Saturday, March 24, 2018–Minneapolis, MN. 5PM class! Event details TBA
Friday, April 13, 2018–Chicago, IL. Evening class. Event details TBA
