While many use November as a time to think about thankfulness, there is also a movement, known as No-Shave November to raise awareness about men’s health. MoveNation decided the month of November was the perfect time to express appreciation for the dads and important male-figures that help make dance dreams possible. This culminated in a celebratory Dads in Dance Week, where dads were invited to dance alongside their children in class.
“We chose to celebrate in this way for a couple reasons,” Director/Owner Jennifer San Miguel said. “One is that we really care about the health of our dancers’ parents!” She expressed wanting to bring awareness to men’s health topics, and open up conversations about physical and mental health of important men in her dancers’ lives. “Getting exercise and spending time with loved ones are excellent ways to take care of ourselves,” she said.
The other reason is that parental involvement and attitudes toward extracurricular activities has an impact on how long their child continues the activity. Children of parents who take an interest in their activities are more likely to stay in the activity longer and with more enthusiasm than a child whose parents don’t show an interest.
Teachers saw this first hand throughout this week. One dancer was taken by surprise when her dad walked in the door to the studio. She jumped into his arms and was excited to show him exactly where to sit, how to stand, and how to hold his arms to walk like a dancer. “It was the most important thing I could do today,” dad remarked at the end of class.
Dads joined many styles of dance—ballet, tap, ballroom, and hip hop, to name just a few. One adult dancer even brought her dad to hip hop. Assistant Director Bethany Meyferth watched how having dads around helped even her most reserved dancers enjoy teaching their dads about dance class.
“I could hear dancers echoing reminders I give them…point your toes, spot when you’re turning, make sure you’re in your dance bubbles!” Meyferth said. Dads gained a new appreciation for what their children are doing every week. After participating in his daughter’s stretching routine, one dad said, “I haven’t stretched like that in YEARS!”
“We appreciate dads every day, week, month, and year in all the various ways they show up and support our dancers,” Meyferth reiterated.
In February, MoveNation will be celebrating moms and bringing awareness to heart health. Moms will have an opportunity to join dance classes the week of February 23-March 1, 2025.