Eric Andrews and his daughter Amaya, 8, attend their first father daughter dance at North Division High School in 2015. (File photo by Teran Powell)
The Daddy Daughter Dance at North Division High School, a 17-year-long tradition in which hundreds of fathers and daughters dance the night away together, has been canceled for the second year in a row.
Milwaukee Recreation, a department of MPS that organizes the dance, canceled the dance in November due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.
In previous years the dance has been held around Valentine’s Day and has been lauded as a memorable opportunity for fathers and daughters to bond. In previous years, the event has drawn over 1,000 dancers.
Milwaukee Recreation spokesperson Claire McHugh said that this year the risk outweighs the reward.
“It was determined that given our capacity limitations, we were unable to meet the demand for the event in a safe manner,” McHugh said. “This was a difficult decision given the popularity of the Daddy Daughter Dance.”
However, the back-to-back cancellations in 2021 and 2022 do not necessarily mean that the tradition is finished.
“We are already looking forward to 2023 and the return of this special evening for dads and daughters,” McHugh added.
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