Dads, daughters share royal event at Boardman Park

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

The 13th annual Father-Daughter Princess Dance was a love fest of major proportions, with fathers and daughters dancing and hugging and laughing and singing to each other.

For Miranda Russell of Boardman and her dad, John, it was their seventh date at the Father-Daughter Princess Dance. They obviously had a great time, but it was also bittersweet — it was their last Princess Dance.

Miranda, 12, the daughter of John and Kimberly and sister of Colin, is aging out of the dance, which is for girls 5-12.

“I wish we could do it again,” said the Boardman Center Middle Schooler.

On Thursday, the Russells were among 60 daughter-and-dad couples who attended the first of four Father-Daughter Princess Dances this weekend at Boardman Park’s Lariccia Family Community Center.

Like Thursday’s semi-formal event, the Princess Dances today, Saturday, and Sunday, Valentine’s Day, are sold out and no tickets will be available at the door, said Karen McCallum, event coordinator.

It has become so popular that next year it will probably be extended to two weekends, she said.

Serenity Arcuri, 12, a student at Boardman Center Middle School, the daughter of William and Shawntae , is also aging out of the dance.

But the Arcuris have three younger daughters that William said will keep him coming to the Princess Dance for many years to come.

“It’s a nice night to have a night alone with your daughter. Nowadays, that’s not always easy,” William said.

“I get a chance to dance with my dad. He’s a good guy, and not a bad dancer,” Serenity said with a laugh.

“It’s a nice community-based event that brings fathers and daughters together,” said Russell.

Arabella Malie, 11, the daughter of Mike and Holly Malie, who has attended Princess Dances since she was in kindergarten, said it’s a “good way to bond with my dad.”

“The Princess Dance is a chance to spend time with Arabella while she still wants to spend time with me,” said Mike.

The highlight of the evening was the surprise presentation of roses by the dads to their daughters.

The fathers were separated from their daughters to get their roses, and the veteran girls, who knew what was coming, began jumping up and down chanting “Dad, Dad, Dad” until the whole room joined in.

The rose ceremony ended with the fathers serenading their daughters with “My Girl” and the girls sang “Let It Go” to their fathers.