Daddy Ballet Classes

• Are dance dads the new dance mums?! New study finds almost 3 in 4 (73%) of UK dads want to be more involved in their children’s activities but face barriers

• Lacking confidence, being distracted by social media and family budgets are some of the reasons why dads are not getting involved in their children’s activities

• Olympic Medallist Greg Rutherford swaps long jumping for an Arabesque as he and his daughter, Daphne, encourage the nation to spend more time together

• David Lloyd Clubs is encouraging family bonding time with new ‘Daddy Ballet’ classes kicking off as kids head back to school

UK, 20th September 2024: David Lloyd Clubs, Europe’s leading health, fitness and wellness group has today announced the launch of Daddy Ballet classes after research revealed that almost three quarters (73%) of dads want to be more involved in their kids’ day to day life.

Dads feel they are not spending enough time with their children, with research finding that during a normal week a typical dad spends, on average, just 6 hours of quality time with their child. When it comes to getting involved in extracurricular activities, 6 in 10 (63%) dads will take their children to activities or classes either weekly or daily, but only a third (36%) will often take part in the activities with their children.

Sadly, for one in five dads, the amount of time they are spending with their children has dropped over the last year. It seems the increase in flexi-working post pandemic isn’t benefitting everyone, as almost half (47%) of dads still feel there is not enough time in the day. Working late (36%), the family budget being too stretched (27%) and being distracted by their social media on their phone (20%) are some of the main factors stopping dads spending more time with their child.

It also seems that dads can still be unsure about how to best get involved in their kids activities with 18% of fathers citing a lack confidence when participating in activities they didn’t learn as a child themselves.

Despite this, dad’s do understand the benefits of taking part in their kids activities, with nine in 10 (89%) agreeing that spending time doing activities with their children helps improve mental and physical wellbeing for both themselves their kids. They found that the best things about taking their children to classes were watching them learn new skills (52%), seeing their excitement (48%) and seeing a sense of accomplishment (35%).

As ballet had its main character moment this summer – thanks to it being a fun low-impact workout that is great for fitness, boosting cardio, strength and flexibility, co-ordination – David Lloyd Clubs is merging the world of plié with parents and introducing ‘Daddy Ballet’ classes.

Giving fathers the chance to put on their ballet pumps and master the pirouette, fouetté, and penché – and spend time with their kids in the process – the classes are the perfect bonding moment.

David Lloyd Clubs understands that dads want to spend more time getting involved in their kids’ activities and bonding with them from a young age, but sometimes they don’t understand what activities and classes are out there for them to do this – and daddy ballet classes are just one of the ways to do this. As well as family-friendly swimming and racquets facilities, there are a range of new Signature REBELS group exercise classes for children aged 8+ to do with their mums and dads, as well as supervised 8+ gym sessions.

Enlisting Olympian Medallist Greg Rutherford and his daughter to prove that it doesn’t matter if you’re already a pirouette pro or have two left feet, the classes provide an important space to make memories together.

Olympic gold medallist and TV presenter, Greg Rutherford, said: “I’m no stranger to dancing but having the chance to get involved with my daughter by my side has been really special. There’s no quality time like it – neither of us are experts and we can learn together. For me, it’s important to take a genuine interest in my kids’ hobbies and David Lloyd Clubs allow this to happen with its Daddy Ballet classes. I encourage dads up and down the country to join me in dusting off the dancing shoes!”

Martin Evans, Chief Commercial Officer at David Lloyd Clubs, said: “There is a real appetite amongst dads to be more involved in their kids’ day-to-day at activities at a younger age. But there are still barriers in the way to stop them doing this and a lack of information of how they can get more involved. Having time to bond with one another during activities is so important, especially once the kids are back at school, and something we prioritise at David Lloyd Clubs.

Ballet is not something which you typically associate dads doing with their kids, but we want to show them the playful nature of what’s possible, launching these light-hearted fun classes for dads and kids to enjoy. The classes were originally inspired by heartwarming viral videos of dads dancing with their kids, and we saw this as an exciting opportunity to add this to our programme of family activities. We want to make sure parents and children are getting active together in a positive and energetic environment. Daddy Ballet classes do just that, and we can’t wait to give them a ‘twirl’!”

Daddy Ballet Classes at David Lloyd Clubs will be trialled from October. To follow the class at home, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4jO_j0UJA&feature=youtu.be

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To help encourage families to spend time together in a fun and healthy way David Lloyd Clubs also recently launched ‘REBELS’ a family-friendly adaptation of the Clubs’ exclusive range of Signature group exercise classes for parents and children aged between eight and fourteen to work out together– a first in the industry.

The new REBELS programme includes four classes for the whole family to enjoy including:

• REBELS BLAZE: Boutique-style HIIT (high-intensity interval training) in a dedicated hi-tech studio. Each class features a series of short bursts of activity to get the heart pumping, combining mixed martial arts with cardio and strength training.

• REBELS BATTLEBOX: The ultimate bootcamp-style outdoor workout for families. Work as a team using speed, agility and balance in an action-packed workout.

• REBELS IGN1TE: Kick, punch and jump your way through this totally inspiring martial-arts inspired HIIT workout. Get ready to IGN1TE your endorphins.

• REBELS SPIRIT: Re-energise your SPIRIT in this fun-filled journey. Fusing yoga, Pilates and meditation it’s a great way for families to become not only strong and flexible, but also more focused and calm.

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For further information contact the David Lloyd team at One Green Bean at [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

• The study was undertaken polling 400 respondents with children aged 3-8 years during September 2024

About David Lloyd Leisure Group

David Lloyd Leisure helps members to live life better with a focus on physical and mental wellbeing and a sense of belonging. We are Europe’s leading premium health and wellness group operating 133 clubs – 104 clubs in the UK and a further 29 clubs across mainland Europe, comprising three brands David Lloyd Clubs, Harbour Clubs and David Lloyd Meridian Spa and Fitness in Germany.

David Lloyd Clubs’ premium facilities are unparalleled. We continually innovate to offer the best products and services for families and individuals in welcoming surroundings including state-of-the-art gyms, heated indoor and outdoor pools, well-equipped group exercise studios, luxurious spas, kids club facilities and crèches. We also have the broadest range of racquet sports including tennis, padel, pickleball and badminton. Our Clubrooms offer a place to spend time with friends and family or enjoy a bite to eat. Our clubs also feature large and inviting spaces to work, relax and socialise.

Our 750,000+ members and over 11,500 team members make a positive impact on the communities and environment in which we operate. We pride ourselves in employing the best experts in the industry, including health and wellness specialists, group exercise instructors and PTs, as well as racquets coaches and swim coaches.