Dance, let loose, and come back home early enough to start the next day feeling refreshed. This is the concept behind Mama Geht Tanzen (Mama Goes Dancing), the parties created by two moms from Germany that attract thousands of overwhelmed mothers in 170 cities, all looking to take a break from their hectic routines.
The idea came to Anna and Andrea in 2022 while their kids were running around and playing together. Sitting at the dining table, they reminisced about the fun they used to have on the dance floor before life presented them with different plans for their Friday nights.
Highlights
- Mama Geht Tanzen organizes early evening dance events for mothers.
- The parties take place in 170 cities across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
- Some events are women-only, providing a safe and stress-free environment.
Image credits: Mama Geht Tanzen
At that time, the picture looked quite different: they were both busy moms breastfeeding their youngest children.
"We still had babies ourselves and were looking for a party where we could go dancing. In our hometown of Wuppertal, there was no club that opened its doors before 11 p.m.," Anna explained to Bored Panda.
"However, this time was not feasible for us with a nursing baby, so we looked for somewhere where we could go dancing earlier. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything, so we did it ourselves."
The idea is stated simply on their social media page: "How about we get all the friends and moms we know together to dance—maybe from 8 p.m. when the kids are asleep?"
Image credits: Mama Geht Tanzen
"At no point did we worry about the dads or how long they would be able to look after [the children]," they add. "No, this was all about us! What time is best FOR US."
Mama Geht Tanzen now hosts dance events from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. across the country. It has also expanded to Austria and Switzerland, with parties taking place in Vienna, Bern, and St. Gallen, and it's expected to expand into France.
"We were all women with hobbies and a social life before we became moms. Becoming a mom changes that. That's great, but sometimes you still miss being able to dance carefree without having to pay attention to other needs," Anna highlights.
Anna and Andrea began organizing the parties to balance their nostalgia for fun nights out with their new parental responsibilities
Image credits: mamagehttanzen
In fact, there wasn't anything similar to go to. Formal after-office events reminded Anna and Andrea of groups of men dressed in suits, while traditional nightclubs evoked scenes of singles dancing and flirting—a life stage they had already left behind.
After hosting the first parties in Wuppertal, their inbox became flooded with messages from mothers across the country who wanted to take part in the events.
One of them was Julia Wolf, who now organizes parties in the Berlin/Brandenburg region for over 500 women.
The parties attract women from 170 cities across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Image credits: Mama Geht Tanzen
Julia joined the project seeking a way to balance her social life and her love of fun nights out with the demands of parenting.
"I am a mother of two small children and I exclusively breastfed both of them after their birth. Because of this, I was very bound to home in the evenings and didn't go out for years, as they needed me at night," she told Bored Panda.
Julia's favorite part about Mama Geht Tanzen is its carefree atmosphere on the dance floor.
"I organize the parties in different clubs in Berlin and Potsdam on a rotating basis. Depending on the size of the venue, the number of guests varies, but on average, there are 500-800 women on the dance floor."
Are men allowed in? This varies from party to party, Julia explains. On some evenings, women can bring their partners. However, other events are women-only.
Image credits: Mama Geht Tanzen
Image credits: mamagehttanzen
"Motherhood really changes almost everything in life at first, and I've personally experienced it and also hear it in my surroundings, that because of this, ME time and self-care often take a backseat, which is completely natural!" the Berlin mom adds.
"That's why I truly appreciate offers for women and mothers to do something good for themselves and take a break."
According to a 2021 report by the European Institute for Gender Equality, gender gaps in housework participation are the largest among couples with children. The institute notes that about 91% of women with children spend at least an hour per day on housework, compared with 30% of men with children.
Men are only allowed if they accompany their partners; however, some parties are women-only
"The parties are a great opportunity to meet up with friends, make new connections, and enjoy a worry-free night out," says Luisa, who hosts the events in Stuttgart. "It's a safe environment where women can dance and have fun without stress or unwanted attention."
The music ranges from 90s and 2000s hits to current chart-toppers, Luisa says, mentioning that they also host themed parties with neon body painting.
Image credits: mamagehttanzen
For Andrea, who has a 9-year-old daughter and attended one of the parties in Berlin, the experience was "cathartic."
"We were in a safe space, only women whose sole purpose was to dance and forget the reality for a bit. Without looking for a partner, without wanting to be noticed, without trying to impress with their outfit or make-up, and with absolutely no care in the world. Just to have a Wildberry Lillet in their hand, a beer, a glass of wine, or a bottle of water, and to exhaust themselves dancing.
"And it was cathartic. We were dancing like no one was watching because no one did, and it was so freeing."
At Andrea's party, the DJ was also a woman. Many of the artists chosen were from "back in our days," she says—Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, N*Sync, Britney Spears, and 50 Cent.
Some of the songs also had a message, like Jennifer Lopez's I Ain't Your Mama or Fall Out Boy's I Don't Care.
"But all the inside demons were exorcised towards the end on Smells Like Teen Spirit, and we completely forgot about ourselves on Pink's Raise Your Glass."
Many women see the events as an opportunity to dance and let loose without dealing with unwanted advances from men
"I looked around at all those women and was happy for all of us that there was such an event that gives us the opportunity, for a few hours, to hang up our mother and wife clothes, make ourselves beautiful, and dissolve all the frustrations, all the despair and all the worries with school, work, kitchen, chores by sweating on the dance floor."
"I'm going to live in Germany it's been decided," one user wrote
