Annual South Salt Lake City dance gives dads and daughters date night

South Salt Lake’s Daddy/Daughter Dance has been a community tradition for more than a decade. This year’s event will be held on Feb. 3 in the auxiliary gym at the Granite High campus from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The dance has been held at the Columbus Center in the past, but Recreation Director Troy Bennett said the decision was made to move it to a larger venue.

“This dance has been growing in popularity over the years and it has outgrown the Columbus Center,” he said. “Having a large space like the Granite Campus will allow us to do more than we’ve been able to do in the past.”

While much of the event will remain the same, the new venue prompted some changes that Bennett said will make the evening even more enjoyable for dads and their daughters. A stage will be set up for a live band to play from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Rythmaires will be playing swing music and jazz for the first half of the evening. A DJ will bring a more modern feel to the music from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Bennett said the decision to have a live band and DJ was in response to feedback the recreation department received from many of the girls who attended the dance last year. The live band was fun, but most of the children preferred a DJ playing modern music.

Another change to this year’s event is the age limit. In the past, the dance has been limited to girls 12 years old and younger. The decision was made to change it to girls 18 and younger. Bennett said many families with girls that had been attending the dance for years were disappointed that because they turned 12, they couldn’t attend anymore.

“We had a lot of feedback from families who wanted to continue the tradition,” he said. “One reason we are able to do that is because of the change to Granite.”

Ballroom Utah will be on hand that night to offer free dance classes for dads and daughters. They will be holding classes in the old dance studio. Pictures and games will also be available for a small fee, throughout the course of the night.

This year, South Salt Lake Recreation will also be holding the annual Mother/Son Fiesta in May. Bennett said this event has typically had a smaller turnout but he hopes that by getting the word out early, residents will make plans to attend.

For more information about the Daddy/Daughter dance and other events happening through South Salt Lake, visit the city website.