WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies will march in two major national parades as one of five groups selected to represent Wisconsin for the country's 250th birthday.
The Dancing Grannies will participate in the July 3 parade in Philadelphia and the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebration. Organizers found and reached out to the Grannies. The women say they are still in shock over the selection.
"Unreal, unreal," Kathy Gladfelter said.
Watch: Dancing Grannies represent Wisconsin at nation's 250th birthday celebration:
"I'm about to explode, just the excitement and everything," Chris Gaspardo said.
In 2021, the Dancing Grannies suffered a tragedy during the Waukesha Christmas Parade. An attack on the parade killed a total of six people, five members of the Dancing Grannies. Despite the loss, they have continued to march in parades across the country, and the Waukesha Christmas Parade.
The Dancing Grannies are accustomed to performing in multiple parades every year — sometimes multiple parades in a single day. But the scale and pace of these national events presented a new challenge.
"I believe the Philadelphia parade is the largest in the country, I believe it is about two and a half miles," Gladfelter said.
The group has spent the last year preparing for the demands of the larger, faster parades.
"Put a metronome on their phone and get outside and start walking at 120 beats per minute," choreographer Christine Maiorano said.
The Dancing Grannies also just unveiled brand new costumes they will wear while marching. It includes the classic Dancing Grannies blue with a white skort and a red sequined visor.
"There are five groups from each state that are picked and we were one of them for the state of Wisconsin," Maiorano said.
"Why we are there in celebrating our country and representing Wisconsin and this wonderful group of ladies, I couldn't ask anything more to be with them. It is most amazing," Gaspardo said.
There will be a variety of ways to watch the Philadelphia parade live on July 3 including on Peacock and at the NBC station in Philadelphia’s YouTube page here.
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