The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies are one of five groups selected to represent Wisconsin in two national parades to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
The beloved southeastern Wisconsin dance group will perform in Philadelphia on July 3 before heading to Washington D.C. to participate in the National Independence Day Parade on July 4. Executive Director Jean Knutson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she received an email from the parade organizers last year in June.
Knutson said the group expressed excitement at the opportunity.
“This is a big thing. At our age, we all lived through the 200th. Now being able to live through this 50 years later,” Knutson said. “We’re actually participating and performing where our nation got started.”
The Dancing Grannies will perform in their custom made, red white and blue uniforms in both parades. The group will march alongside four other Wisconsin groups in Philadelphia.
The Dancing Grannies perform in 30 parades a year, mainly in Wisconsin and some in other parts of the Midwest. Notably, the group has performed at Lambeau Field, marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago and at Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Knutson said organizing this performance is bigger, requiring all 52 performers and volunteers to help in planning.
“We are very proud to represent the state of Wisconsin, just showing locals that in the second part of life, you can get out there and still spread joy, have awesome friendships and go out to see things,” she said.
In 2021, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies lost three performers and one volunteer while performing at the Waukesha Christmas Parade. They were among the six people who died and more than 60 injured when a man drove his vehicle through the procession.
“Those members were the backbone of our group,” Knutson said.
In this year’s celebration, Knutson said the group is honoring those members they lost by “moving forward and channeling their motto, “No matter what, keep dancing.”
“I’m sure they’re above and constantly watching over us,” Knutson said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee’s Dancing Grannies to perform in D.C. for 250th, July 4th parade
Reporting by Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Shane Colpoys, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
