Facebook Marc Daniels
Marc Daniels, a father of three from Bermuda, has earned the nickname “daderina” and is being widely praised throughout the world as an example of a great dad after he cured his little daughter’s stage fright during a ballerina recital by taking to the stage to dance ballet himself.
Heavily muscled, and not exactly obvious ballerina material, Daniels took his little girl’s hand and bravely performed what approximated ballet moves during the much applauded performance. The father’s obvious love for his kid and courageous maneuver sent the video viral; it’s been viewed more than 15 million times after being posted by the show Right This Minute.
Who is Marc Daniels, the father who gamely danced ballet with his daughter?
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Video Shows Daniels Dancing on Stage With His Daughter While Clutching a Baby
In the video, Daniels’ daughter, wearing a tutu, freezes up after taking the stage in a line of other child ballerinas. Enter Marc Daniels to the rescue. He walked on stage, clutching an infant, and took his daughter’s hand.
Whether it was pointed toe or other ballet maneuvers, Marc Daniels completed the dance, and his daughter seemed to grow more confident with her father alongside. His bright shoes, shorts, and baseball cap completed the “daderina” look.
According to Daniels, he was trying to build his daughter’s confidence. “I walked on holding Suri and stood next to her, trying to help build her confidence – I told her I loved her and that she’s an amazing dancer,” he said.
He added, according to The Independent, “I asked if she wanted to dance with daddy and she nodded, so I thought I’d join in.”
The Royal Gazette reports that “Che Barker, husband of In Motion owner Lizz Pimentel, alerted him to the onstage crisis.” Daniels told the news site, “I was holding my youngest daughter, Suri, while my wife was downstairs helping backstage. Suddenly, Che Barker came running up and said my daughter, Isabella, was having a little breakdown. She was crying and calling for Daddy. I went downstairs to see her, but they were just about to go on stage so there was not a lot of time to comfort her.”
2. Daniels Is a Lawyer in Bermuda
Marc Daniels
Daniels is from Bermuda, which is where the video was taken.
According to The Sun, the recital took place at the Hamilton, Bermuda City Hall. Daniels is a barrister in that town.
A 2016 article in the Royal Gazette identified Daniels as “a criminal lawyer” who “is now head of litigation at Marc Geoffrey Barristers & Attorneys Ltd.” The article was about him being involved in a “legal row” with a politician. He also recently created a company linked to a top London law firm with the goal of cutting legal defense costs for people in Bermuda.
Marc Daniels attended the College of Law in London and is a managing director at his law firm, according to his LinkedIn page. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Western Ontario. He was previously a senator in the Progressive Labour Party in Bermuda.
3. Daniels & His Wife Have Three Children
Daniels is a father of three. According to Inside Edition, the daughter who froze up during the ballet recital is named Bella, and she is only 2-years-old. The couple also has a 4-year-old daughter named Giada. His wife, Kim, wrote on Facebook, “It’s so amazing to watch this go viral… our girls will forever cherish this moment ? Marc Daniels.”
The infant whom Daniels was holding in his arms on stage is named Suri. Daniels told The Independent that he had practiced ballet with his daughter before at home. “I’ve practised with them at home on many occasions so it wasn’t unfamiliar to me,” he said, according to The Sun. “At home she’s always dancing, but on Tuesday that energy was clearly lacking – she simply wasn’t having any of it.”
4. Daniels Believed Bella Needed ‘Hugs From Her Daddy’
Marc Daniels later explained his thoughts about going on stage. Bella was very emotional and needed hugs from her daddy,” he said, according to The Independent. “Despite having a tantrum, I can tell she wanted to stay on stage and I didn’t want to discourage her before the big performance by making her be the only one to come off.”
According to the Sun, he labeled his dancing moves “instinctive” and said he really didn’t think much as he was doing it. “Before having the girls I don’t think I’d ever attempted any ballet moves before, but now everyone in Bermuda knows me for my toe-pointing – maybe it’s never too late to become a ballerina,” he joked, according to The Sun.
5. Daniels Has Been Asked Back for Another Performance
Daniels’ display of fatherly love (if not dancing abilities) moved so many people that he’s been asked back to do it again.
“Marc has been invited back by In Motion School of Dance to perform alongside the girls again, on June 9,” The Sun reports.