The much anticipated night, a Magical Evening, was one for the books. Dads and daughters of all ages tearing up the dance floor was enjoyable to participate in and witness.

Although the Father Daughter Dance is sometimes overlooked as just another high school dance, I am certain that I speak for the majority when I say it is one of the most beloved dances at Rosary. You may be thinking, what makes this dance so special? Dads usually don’t have the best endurance to dance. Yes, you are partially correct. However, many dads prove us wrong by mentally and physically preparing themselves for the highly competitive dance-off. With the knee brace in place and arms and legs stretched, they are ready to leave it all on the floor.

When Sydney Rosario ‘23 and her dad reminisced about the night, her dad simply yet profoundly said, “It was the best night of my life.” Forget getting married or holding his precious, perfect infant daughter for the first time, this dance, specifically the dance-off, was the highlight of his life. Every challenge he overcame and achievement he reached and 25 years of formal education led up to ridiculously dancing in a suit for five life-altering minutes. He has been training for this moment his entire life. They lost, by the way. But, that’s a minor detail.

The night started off simple. Raffle tickets were drawn, the dads and daughters enjoyed a nice dinner, and pictures were taken; however, that is not even the most exciting part. Once the clock hit 7:30 p.m., the moment finally came—the beginning of the dance-off.

It started off with the freshman. Because this was the freshmen’s very first father daughter dance, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. These freshmen don’t know how seriously the upperclassmen take the dance, but after experiencing their first one, let’s just say they definitely are preparing a little bit more for next year’s dance. Claiming victory from the class of 2026 was Gianna Sorenson ‘26. Gianna shares, “I was kind of nervous to dance in front of basically the whole school, but once you’re up there you kind of forget that everyone else is there. Of course my dad had to do the worm, but it was funny anyways.” 

Up next was the sophomores. The two finalists were Elizabeth Larson ‘25 and Alyssa McCreary ‘25. Although Elizabeth ended up winning in the end, Alyssa was very proud of her and her dad’s comeback from last year. Alyssa shares, “Last year was kind of traumatic. My dad tore his achilles mid-competition, immediately eliminating us. I kept dancing as I watched my dad slowly hopping off the dance floor, but hey, I was in the moment. I would like to say though, from my dad getting hurt to making the finals this year, it was for sure a comeback. Maybe next year I will win…we’ll see.” Alyssa truly embraced the spirit of father daughter. No matter what, you keep on dancing. 

Once the seniors hit the dance floor, the energy was insane. Since it was their last year, they left everything they had on that dance floor, including the dads. Shoes came off, hair was flipping, sweat was dripping—it was quite the scene. The three finalists were Emma Oskorus ‘23, Amber Lizardi ‘23, and Emma Vasquez ‘23. They battled till the very end.

At the end of the competition, Amber was announced the winner and she shared, “My dad and I were so happy we won, especially since it was my last year. I was outnumbered too because the Emma’s both brought their sisters who had graduated already; however, it was definitely a moment I will cherish with my dad. I am proud of him. I didn’t think he would have the endurance to pull through, but he proved me wrong.” 

As mentioned before, this is not just a normal high school dance. If anything, it is better. Creating these special, and hilarious, moments with your dad especially as a teenager is something you can cherish forever. It’ll be funny to look back at videos when you’re older hysterically laughing at the fact both you and your dad danced like that in front of a huge crowd of people. However, that is what makes father daughter one of the most beloved traditions here at Rosary.