This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elizabeth Wellington, cofounder of Moms Feelin’ Themselves. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When my son was about a year old, I was having a tough morning (which wasn’t unusual). I had dropped him off at day care and needed to head directly to my counseling office, while somehow also finding time for errands.
As I felt overwhelmed in the car, it hit me like a lightning bolt: I just wanted to dance with my friends.
The desire wasn’t about late nights or alcohol. I just wanted a physical, embodied way to let go of everything I was carrying as a new mom. I needed to create community and bond, without having to talk. I was looking for joy, fun, and connection — and I knew other moms probably were too.
Talk therapy and mom groups weren’t enough
I’d been shocked by how hard the transition to parenting was. I am a trained mental health counselor, and I do everything I’m supposed to to care for my physical, mental, and spiritual health. Yet, I was struggling desperately with undiagnosed postpartum depression and anxiety.
I just wanted someone to come sit next to me and explain why becoming a mom felt so overwhelming. I wondered if dancing could be a way to create that connection with other women, without needing to vent or pretend that everything was OK. I had already been to talk therapy and moms groups, and found that they weren’t enough.
Soon after that moment in the car, I called my friend Sarah. At the time, she had two kids and business experience working with entrepreneurs. Sarah and I had moved to Boulder, Colorado, around the same time, and bonded during nights on the dance floor. I knew she would be the right partner to try this with.
We initially did kid-friendly dances, but moms couldn’t relax
Sarah and I immediately started looking for places to host events for the business we were calling Moms Feelin’ Themselves. We ran a few small dance parties for moms and kids to start building a following and community.
Those dances confirmed what we already knew: we didn’t want the kids there. It’s hard for moms to be present with themselves when they’re caring for little ones. That solidified the concept of a moms only after-bedtime dance party.
We hosted our first full dance party on Mother’s Day 2023 and called it the Mother’s Day Rager. When it sold out, we knew we were onto something.
We sold out a 550-person event, and went national
After the success of that event and others in 2023, a major Denver venue reached out to us about hosting a dance party for 550 moms. Sarah and I were so excited, but we were both also about to have babies.
We took time to focus on our new additions, knowing that when we came back, Moms Feelin’ Themselves was going to really take off. Sure enough, in May 2025, we sold out the 550-person venue. Since then, we’ve hosted events in cities around the country, including New York, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City.
It’s amazing to walk into one of our events and be greeted by a sea of smiling moms. Of course, the ’90s and 2000s hits, played by local female DJs, are fun too.
We’re careful not to buy into hustle culture
The Mom Dance Party has become our flagship event. It gets a lot of attention because of the novelty of the idea. It’s fun to see moms being glamorous and dancing the night away. And yet, our mission has always been about more than that.
A dance party is a fun invitation, but we also want to offer deeper healing and self-care to moms who need it. Beginning this spring, Moms Feelin’ Themselves will offer masterclasses online, with some in-person groups available in certain cities.
Sarah and I are very conscious about how we plan to grow the company. We don’t want to recreate hustle culture; instead, we want time to care for ourselves and our families. We’ve done the by relying on our community of women (mostly moms). We deserve glitzy nights out and the freedom to pursue our passions.
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