A sweet moment between a dad and his 5-year-old daughter participating in a dance class together was captured in a video that has gone viral.
Benjamin Watkins of Houston, Texas posted a clip on Instagram featuring himself and his daughter Ava learning a routine while at a dance studio.
To date the video has accumulated almost 5 million views and the comment section is filled with reactions from viewers, admiring the daddy daughter moment.
Watkins told “Good Morning America” he hopes the attention gained from the video could help challenge stereotypes for other dads. He said the video was taken at an event at Ava’s dance studio to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
MORE: Father-daughter bathroom mirror dance routines go viral on TikTok“I think it is breaking the stigma as well [on] dads not being present or, you know, dads not being involved in their kids' lives and all that,” Watkins said. “So it is more than just a dance video.”
Describing his daughter Ava, Watkins said she is a “ball of energy” and “fiery.”
“She's really just a light,” he continued. “And I don't say that just because she's my kid, even if she wasn't, everybody sees it. Everybody says like, you know, ‘Ava is a star.’”
Watkins noted Ava is only in her first year as a student at the dance company.
“She's the youngest and the smallest, but the biggest as far as personality, you know what I mean? So I really see her going places,” he added.
From attending the dance class with his daughter, Watkins shared he learned how important it is to “be present for your kids.”
“That's the ultimate thing,” he said. “Be there for your kids and create those memories. Because, you know, tomorrow is not promised. We can be here and be gone, you know, the next day.”
Watkins continued, “It’s important to create those memories for them that they can hold on to and pass those down to their kids and so on and so forth."
