Dancing Dads wow crowd at HHS basketball half-time performance

JEAN SEEGERS PHOTOS The Herald
The Hononegah’s Dancing Dads wowed the crowd with their half-time performance at the Feb.7, Hononegah/Guilford Basketball game. The 12 members have daughters on either the Varsity of JV Dance Team.

Dancing Dads wow crowd at HHS basketball half-time performance
By Jean Seegers
REPORTER
The lights came up as the sound of rock music filled the gymnasium at Hononegah High School, Friday evening, Feb. 8. Teens and parents cheered wildly as the Dancing Dads, 12 mostly middle-aged guys began their synchronized dance performance.
Not every father or step-father is willing to stand in the middle of a gymnasium full of teens and parents and put himself on display. The Dancing Dads are proud to do just that. They all have daughters who are on the competitive Hononegah JV or Varsity Dance Team. They dance in honor of their girls.
The Varsity Dance Team competed at the 7th annual Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) competition hosted by Hononegah, Feb. 2. To show their support, the Dancing Dads gave a special performance of their own. On the heels of their IDTA appearance, the dads danced again at half-time of the Hononegah/Guilford Boys Basketball game on Friday evening, Feb. 8.
Even though they only perform twice a year, a lot of hard work and dedication go into being a Dancing Dad. Scott Ege has been on the team for four year. Friday’s performance was the final performance for Ege as well as fellow dancers Rob Baxter and Eric Weber. All three dads have daughters graduating this year.
Every year there is new choreography, new music and costumes. Bill Cotes, who’s daughter Alyssa dances with the school’s dance team, choreographed the program this season.
“Monica Way, a teacher at Stephen Mack Middle School has been our coach for the past seven years, Ege said. “She is amazing! We couldn’t give this gift to our daughters without her.”
May said she tries to incorporate moves that the daughters do in their routines. “I like to include moves such as kick lines, jumps and shaking their butts.”
“I continue to coach the dads because I love how they admire their daughters and want to impress them.”
The music is mixed in November and an informal get-together is held in December. There are usually 10 to 15 dads interested in participating.
Ege said the number was down in 2017 and 2018. “We hosted a cook-out last fall to generate interest and encourage dads to participate. It worked.”
They are planning to host another cookout in the Fall and invite current as well as former Dancing Dads.
Any dad who has a daughter on the Hononegah JV or Varsity Dance Team is invited to participate.
“I have five boys,” a dad sitting in the half-time audience said. “If I had a girl, I would be right out there dancing with those guys.”
“The main thing the dads want to emphasize is that we dance out of love for our daughters. We’re just everyday guys with little or no dance background.” Ege said.
“It’s about them, not us.”
The 2019 Dancing Dads:
Rob Baxter, Eric Weber, Scott Ege, Bill Cotes, Cory Larson, Jeremy Falzone, Eric Nguyen, Jarod Matras, Matt Bertrand, David Kuner, Steve Smith and DuWayne Jones.