CLINTONVILLE, Ohio — Sometimes the crying of an infant seems endless.
That's why one Ohio dance studio owner, after becoming a parent, realized dancing and music can be soothing for little ones. His newest dance class, Baby Dance Club, benefits not only the babies but the new parents, too.
What You Need To Know
- Flux Flow Dance Center provides Baby Dance Club, which is a chance to bond with your infant and create a community of other parents
- Russell Lepley, the co-owner of the studio, got the idea when he was rocking his baby in his kitchen
- During the class, nearly no babies fuss, which Lepley said proves that dancing can help soothe your baby
- Baby Dance Club is offered multiple times a week at their Clintonville studio as well as virtually
It’s a typical Wednesday afternoon at Flux Flow Dance Center as parents and babies walk through the door.
Co-Owner and Co-Founder Russell Lepley is a new parent himself and found that rocking and dancing with his 4-month-old son seemed to do the trick when he’s fussy.
“I was noticing things that I was doing in my kitchen and being like, how can I divide this up so that it becomes something that’s teachable," Lepley said.
Now, he provides that instruction with Baby Dance Club to new parents in the neighborhood. After sharing it on social media, getting millions of views, he has people all across the world joining virtually.
“There are 66 people who are joining online," he said. "We’ve been having people join online for like Germany, Chile, India- all over the world, it’s wild.”
The 30-minute class is a way for parents to not only bond with their baby but also create a community of people going through that newborn phase at the same time.
“Having a community of people and babies that are around the same age is so helpful," said Flux Flow client Stacie Sells. "And it just makes you feel good inside, too!”
What you might notice during class is that not a peep is made from any of the babies, and most of them are sleeping by the end or smiling the entire way through.
“She just loves movement," said Kelley Ashford, another Baby Dance Club attendee. "She is here for it every time that we come.”
For Lepley, he makes sure to create an environment that everyone is comfortable in.
“I love moving with people, in general," Lepley said. "So there’s something really special about facilitating this for people trying to create special relationships with their babies.”
While the moves seem simple, Lepley is certain that this time with your baby can make a real impact
“You see it with these babies because you turn on music and you move to it and their energy shifts," he said. "If they’re crying or if they’re fussing. So I am convinced that everyone can connect to dance.”
The Baby Dance Club is offered multiple times a week, and you can join either in person or virtually.