Dads bond with daughters at dance

NOVI — The Novi Civic Center was the destination of choice last weekend for hundreds of father-daughter duos, who chose to attend one of the three sold-out daddy-daughter dances.

According to John Gillingham, recreation supervisor of youth programming and camps for the city of Novi, this is the first year that all three dance sections have been sold out, with 250 people attending each dance. 

Dads from all over the metropolitan Detroit area took some time out of their busy schedules for a chance to take their little ladies out on the town for some bonding time and to show them how a gentleman treats a lady. 

“I want her to know what it’s like to have respect and to be treated nice, so every year it’s kind of like our own day date — daddy-daughter date,” said Erik Aldrich, of Novi. 

Bernard Davis, of Waterford, said that he thinks many fathers don’t strive to bond with their daughters. He said he believes it is important for fathers to have a bond with their daughters and to show them how a man should treat them.

“I feel like daddies and daughters should have some type of bond. A lot of fathers don’t do anything with their daughters. They’re just kind of leaving them to the side. So, I figured just having that bond would make a difference, so that when they get older, they don’t have to depend on another man, and they know when certain things are supposed to happen, how they are supposed to happen, and stuff like that,” Davis said. “Some girls don’t have a father in their life, so when they get older, they have a hard time trying to process this whole (dating) thing.”

Davis said he has taken his daughter McKenly to a daddy-daughter dance for the last three years, as it is an opportunity to make memories together. 

“It’s just like we’re creating memories. That’s it,” he said. 

He said his favorite memories are just getting out on the dance floor and dancing with his daughter, and seeing her having fun.

McKenly, 7 1/2, of Novi, said that she really enjoys the music and that the best part is  “just dancing with him.”

Damon Pietraz, of Novi, said he has been taking his daughter to the dance every year since she could walk. He said she loves going and really looks forward to it. 

“Every year we’ve come, and she remembers it. She will likely take the old photos out and remind me that it’s coming up again,” said Pietraz. 

This year, as part of the dance experience for his 6-year-old daughter, Lydia, he gave her her first limousine ride. He said she asked for the limo and that they brought along four of her friends and their dads. He said at his daughter’s request, the limo ride featured a Spotify playlist of music chosen by his daughter and her friends. 

After the dance, he said he planned to take her out to dinner at Volare in Wixom.

“She wanted noodles, and you can’t really do Noodles & Co. in suits and dresses,” he said. 

Pietraz said the best part of the event is “just seeing her smile.”

“I’m just making memories with my little girl,” said Steven Pope of his reason for bringing his daughter to the dance for the last two years. 

Aldrich said he has been taking his daughter, Harper, 9, to the dance annually since she was 4. 

“It gives us bonding time outside of the house; usually, we go to lunch first and then come here to the dance, and it’s something we always look forward to,” he said.

Harper said that for her, the best part is just talking to her dad and dancing with him. 

“I have a lot of fun spending time with my dad and bonding with him,” she said. 

Harper said that she has learned a lot about her dad, and from her dad, by going to the daddy-daughter dances with him. 

“I learned that he loves me and that he is a terrible dancer,” Harper said. 

Harper is a member of the Novi Mini WildCats Pom Pom team and said that she might be able to teach her dad to dance better. 

Mike Hendricks, of Novi, said his wife encouraged him to take his toddler daughter to the dance, because she enjoys taking their sons to the mother-son game night.  

“She said, ‘Hey, it will be a great experience,’ and she loves doing dance parties at night, so we figured we would dedicate two hours with Dad for dancing,”  Hendricks said. 

“So, first experience: She’s 2 years old, but she’s loving it,” he said. 

Hendricks said he really enjoyed watching his daughter, Haisley, have her own space without her brothers around and being able to give her all his attention. 

““It took her a little bit of time to warm up, but once she did, she was out there doing everything she wants to do,” Hendricks said.

Frank D’Angelo, of Northville, said he decided to change things up a bit this year. He said he has been taking his two daughters to the dance together for the last three years. However, this year, as they are now older, he decided that each deserved her own special day. So, as the dance is offered at three different times over two days, he decided to take one on Friday night and one on Saturday afternoon. 

“It was fun having them both (together at the dance) when they were younger, and now that they’re older. I think it’s so good for them to have independent time together (with Dad),” D’Angelo said. “Because we’re all together as a family so much, and it’s really important to keep that relationship with each of them. So, make them each feel special for a day.”

He said that he feels his daughters enjoyed having the individually focused time with him.

Briar D’Angelo, 7 1/2, said that she enjoyed having time to hang out with just her dad, but she did miss having her sister there at the same time.

“We look forward to it. It is just a great chance to bond with your daughter, and spend some quality time, and it’s great to see how much they enjoy it too,” D’Angelo said. 

“I just like seeing everybody dance, and it’s wonderful going with my dad, and I like spending time with my dad, and he makes the world better,” Briar D’Angelo said, bringing tears to her dad’s eyes. “He’s just a wonderful dad. He does lots of things for me, and he is like the most specialest thing in the world to me. He means a lot to me.”