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What Is Shuffle Dancing? Two Mom Friends Are Going Viral With Their Moves
Two neighborhood moms looking for a workout buddy found a passion — and a friendship — in dance. Now, they teach other moms to groove, one shuffle at a time.
Anna Blanc, 42, and Christina Reynolds, 38, of Kansas City are the creators of 'Shuffle Mamas,' an online business that offers courses on shuffle dancing, a style distinguished by dragging or sliding steps. Despite zero dance experience, the moms taught themselves to shuffle in Reynolds' garage, dancing through the pandemic, homeschooling and pregnancy, often with their six children running about — and sometimes participating.
'There are so many pulls on your time ... between kids and school — so we get together for 'our time,'' Blanc, 42, the mother of three children ages 13, 11 and 8, tells
'Away from our kids!' Reynolds, whose kids are 14, 9, and 5 months, tells 'A sacred hour.'
On their TikTok and Instagram accounts, the moms show their dance moves to their 1 million followers, including their 'goofy' progression from beginners to pros. They say people can shuffle dance to anything from pop to country, as long as the beat is strong and fast.
To Reynolds and Blanc, dance is deeper than cutting loose.
'Shuffling became a safe place to de-stress, heal from trauma and grow in confidence,' they wrote in the caption to a video posted to their Instagram account, 'Shuffle Mamas.'
The moms always knew of each other, but it wasn't until the COVID lockdowns in 2020 that they properly met through a neighborhood exercise class, hosted by Reynolds' husband.
Anna says she appreciated how moving her body 'made a difference in my mental health' during Reynolds' discovery of shuffle dancing on TikTok.
With their homes only a 20-second walk apart, the women met twice a week for one hour in Reynolds' garage. They studied shuffle dancing videos and recorded their moves.
'In our first videos, our kids ran around because we were in lockdown,' says Blanc. 'They would play in the yard while we were in the garage.'
A sisterhood developed.
'Our initial connection was that our kids played together and we carpooled a bit — dance was really our only touchpoint,' says Reynolds. 'For years, we didn't talk about anything personal. We just danced.'
Dance, adds Blanc, was how they 'invested' in themselves while raising kids.
'Anna was so supportive, especially when my baby was on a schedule,' recalls Reynolds. 'I would text her, 'He's down for a nap — run over now!''
The women's motto: 'We have to dance.'
The moms saw that their children were picking up the beat.
'Our kids want to be involved,' says Reynolds. 'We've seen their confidence grow over the years through shuffle dancing — watching us dance and then feeling empowered to dance as well.'
Reynolds says her 14-year-old son is 'a natural' at shuffle dancing.
'We have a really close relationship but I've never forced it on him,' says Reynolds. 'Now he is starting to own it.'
Blanc adds, 'My 11-year-old would never be in a video with me and has not tried it, but my 8-year-old is all about it. He'll jump up and learn moves.'
Being a mom, says Reynolds, has helped them learn to be teachers and communicators. Their audience agrees.
'I gotta find another dad to shuffle with and we can challenge you guys,' one father wrote on TikTok.
'Mommy goals!' wrote another person.
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