Dance Studio in Olympia | Baby + Me at Momentum Dance

The baby is fed. They’ve been changed. The baby has absolutely had it with the play mat. You’ve read all the baby books…twice. You’re both just looking at each other with that expression that says what now?

I’ve been there more times than I can count. With my first, I stayed home for months because leaving felt like too much. The diaper bag packing. The nap schedule anxiety. The fear of being the only parent whose kid lost it in public. I told myself we were fine. We had everything we needed right there in our living room.

And maybe we did. But we were also lonely. I want your experience to be different.

That’s what brought me to Hallie Blackwell’s door at Momentum Dance in Lacey. I’d heard about their Baby + Me classes from a friend who wouldn’t stop talking about them. You have to check it out, she kept saying. It’s different there.

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What Actually Happens When You Walk Through That Door

Let me paint you a picture, because I needed one before I went.

You pull into the parking lot off Martin Way in Lacey. Maybe you haven’t showered since Sunday. (It’s Tuesday. I’m not asking.) The studio door opens and the first thing you notice is the light. Sunlight pours through the big windows. The room is warm, warm enough that nobody minds when socks get kicked off.

Hallie has already set out props for free play. Some weeks it’s yoga blocks that become building towers. Other weeks it’s a bin full of stress balls or a collection of colorful scarves. The scarves are that perfect weight, light enough to float when you toss them, heavy enough to feel substantial in chubby fists.

Class Begins

“For some kiddos, that free play at the beginning is their favorite time,” Hallie explains. “And then they might struggle through the rest of class because they don’t love following directions. That’s okay. That’s part of what parents learn here, too.”

After about ten minutes, Hallie gently guides everyone toward cleanup. And here’s where something unexpected happens. The kids actually help. Not perfectly. Not without reminders. But they pick things up and put them away because they see everyone else doing it.

Then the movement begins. Hallie puts on music. And this is where you realize you’re not at a typical kids’ class. There’s Simon and Garfunkel. There’s nostalgic hip-hop from the 90s. There are folk versions of classic nursery rhymes. (She does play “I’m a Little Teapot” when absolutely necessary. It’s short. We get through it together.)

She calls out suggestions, not instructions. “Who can kick while they’re dancing? Can you dance backwards? Who can spin?” Some kids follow along. Some kids run in circles. Some kids bury their faces in their parent’s shoulder. All of it is welcome.

The scarf dance follows. Then the obstacle course: slides, tunnels, stepping stones. By the end, some families head straight for the little kid table with snacks. Grandparents sit with grandchildren, teaching them how to share a space. Other families linger. Someone always has wipes to share. Someone always catches your eye and smiles.

What Makes This Place Different

When you’re searching for a dance studio in Olympia, the options can blur together. They all have mirrors and barres and websites with stock photos of perfect little ballerinas. But Momentum has something else.

For one thing, there’s the name. When Hallie and her business partner Emily purchased the studio (formerly High Impact Dance) in 2023, they knew they wanted a rebrand. High impact sounded intense. Exclusive. Like you needed to already be a dancer to walk through the door.

Momentum felt different. More universal. More about forward movement than perfection.

This isn’t a dance studio in Olympia that caters exclusively to competition teams. It’s a place where a sixty-year-old grandma can feel comfortable bouncing around with her grandson. It’s a place where a dad who’s never danced can shake a scarf without self-consciousness.

If you’re looking for a dance studio in Olympia that actually understands new parents, this is it. The punchcard system exists specifically because Hallie remembers what it felt like to have an unpredictable schedule. Kids get sick. Other kids have days off school. Life happens.

“I wanted it to feel easy and accessible, not like an obligation,” she says.

The website explicitly says the class is nursing-friendly and tantrum-tolerant. They mean it. You can nurse anywhere, anytime. No one will ask you to move or cover up. And if your kid loses it? You’ll be in good company. Someone will hand you a wipe.

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What a Decade of Teaching Has Taught Her

Hallie has been hosting these classes for over ten years. When I asked what core need she sees them fulfilling, she didn’t hesitate.

“Socialization with a limited time investment,” she said. “For new parents, that’s huge. You can pack so much into 45 minutes. Your kid gets exposure to other kids. You get to practice things like sharing and waiting your turn and saying sorry when you bump into someone.”

But she’s noticed something shifting, especially since COVID. Parents are more hesitant now. More isolated.

“I think there’s a trust gap,” she reflects. “Parents are wondering if going out is going to be worth it. Will my kid be the difficult one? Will I feel judged?”

This is where her philosophy comes in. She’s not trying to make the babies feel seen. She’s making the parents feel seen.

“Some parents have a hard time with kiddos who don’t want to do exactly what you’re being asked to do. They get embarrassed. I just try to let them know: it’s okay if he wants to run around. It’s okay. Giving them that permission to relax a little bit, some moms and grandmas need that.”

This is what makes Momentum different from any other dance studio in Olympia. The owner explicitly says, “I’m not trying to make the kiddos feel seen. I’m trying to make the parents feel seen.” That philosophy changes everything.

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What Parents Actually Say

I asked Hallie about the feedback she hears most often.

“I don’t know if there’s one common piece,” she said. “Everyone’s journey is so different. Some families are coming because their first child is shy. Maybe their second child has energy that’s hard to burn off at home. Some are coming because grandma is in town.”

But if there’s a thread that runs through all of it, it’s this: they want to come back.

“They can’t wait to come back to class. That’s the thing I hear most often. This became something they look forward to. Something that breaks up the week. Something that reminds them they’re not alone.”

For parents who’ve been questioning whether they’re doing enough, a dance studio in Olympia might seem like an unlikely place to find reassurance. But for the families who show up week after week, it becomes exactly that.

One family came with a child who had been referred to physical therapy for motor delays. The physical therapist actually suggested they try a movement class.

“She improved so much,” Hallie remembers. “Watching her gain confidence and strength over those weeks, watching her parents see that progress…that’s why we do this.”

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For the Parents Still on the Fence

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking it sounds nice, but your kid would never sit still for it. Or you’re not a dancer and you’d feel ridiculous.

Hallie has a simple response.

“Come try it for free. We offer a free trial. Just show up and see how it feels.”

If your kid won’t sit still, that’s fine. Sitting still isn’t the goal. Moving is the goal. Exploring is the goal. Following your child’s lead is the goal.

If you’re not a dancer, that’s also fine. Nobody’s watching you. The other parents are too focused on their own children to notice whether you’re on beat.

“I think since COVID, there’s an expectation to not go out. It’s deeply rooted in who we are now. Parents are wondering: can I trust that going out is going to be worth it? So trying to soften that blow, that’s one of my goals. Because getting out of the house? It so often makes the rest of the day run so much smoother.”

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Three Activities to Try at Home

Can’t make it to a class this week? Hallie has suggestions.

The Pillow Path
Grab every pillow you own. Arrange them across your living room floor. Put on a song you actually enjoy and challenge your child to move from one end of the room to the other without touching the floor. Walk across. Crawl across. Fall into them dramatically.

Flashlight Dancing
Turn off the lights at dusk. Give your child a flashlight. Put on something slow and let the light dance across the walls while you move. Let your child control the beam sometimes. Watch them discover that they can make the light go where they want.

The Scarf Drop
Take any lightweight scarf. Hold it high above your child’s head. Make eye contact. Let it drift slowly down onto them while you sing one long, slow note. Watch them try to catch it. Feel it land on their face. Watch them throw it back up for you to do again.

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How to Find Your People

Here’s what I want you to do. Pick a Tuesday or Wednesday morning this month. Don’t overthink it. No need to clean your house first. Don’t worry about whether your baby napped enough.

Just drive to Momentum Dance off Martin Way in Lacey. Walk through that door.

Hallie will be there. So will the scarves. So will half a dozen other parents who showed up exactly as they are: tired, hopeful, a little nervous, and ready to try.

The Baby + Me classes on Tuesdays are for ages birth to three and Tumbling Tots and Wednesdays are ages 1 to 4. The first class is free. The punchcards never expire. You can text them with questions. Hallie set it up specifically because grandparents kept asking for an easier way to connect.

When you’re searching for a dance studio in Olympia that feels like coming home, this is it. Not because of the mirrors or the barres or the perfect little dancers. Because of what Hallie said:

“I’m trying to make everybody comfortable and excited to be here. Make it feel like a little party for them, too.”

Your first class is free. Your second class, you’ll probably buy a punchcard. By your tenth class, you might be the one handing tissues to a crying grandma who just watched her grandbaby take their first steps toward another child.

That’s how villages start. Not with grand gestures. With a Tuesday morning, a warm room full of scarves, and someone who looks at you and says follow their lead.

Visit Momentum Dance Studio:
📍 7839 Martin Way E #A105 Lacey, Washington 98516
📞 Call (360) 455-4173 – or – Text at (360) 524-3058
📲 @momentumdancewa on Instagram and visit their website www.dance-momentum.com

Find the schedule at Momentum Dance Schedule. 

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