LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Some Fourth of July celebrations in Milwaukee will include a touch of Las Vegas sparkle and shine this year.
The Vegas Golden Gals head eastward Tuesday to meet up with the dance group that inspired their group's creation. And it all started with an idea sparked by tragedy.
There’s nothing but joy in this Vegas Golden Gals practice. But the gleeful gathering of 55-plus dancers began back in 2021 after a terrible tragedy.
“They had someone drive through their Christmas parade in Waukesha and it actually killed three…four…three of their dancers and one of their volunteers, and injured many, many of their gals,” says Cindy Williams, one of the Golden Gals’ co-founders. Williams also serves as the group’s director of choreography and performance.
They got right back out there, even some of the girls who were injured as well. They use the term 'Granny Strong' and they walk that walk and talk that talk. So they're quite an inspiration.
And inspiration quickly turned into motivation.
"We reached out to them when we first started our group here in Las Vegas, just to get some general ideas," says Williams.
"So we gave her some tips and tricks and all that kind of stuff, and we kept in touch," says Jeannie Knutson, the President & Executive Director of the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies.
"One of the gals came here to visit one of her family members, so we brought her to practice, took her to lunch, so we've been great friends ever since really, so," shares Williams.
And now, the moment both squads have been waiting for. The Grannies and the Gals meet up for the first time to perform together.
"We're going to be doing three parades in Wisconsin, and then Summerfest, and parades are great because you get to see all types of people from all walks of life and they're right there on the corner just cheering you on and it's just a happy environment so I'm really looking forward to that," says Cynthia Boardwell, who's been with the squad for a year now.
The Grannies are also looking forward to performing with their dance squad little sisters.
We learned one of their songs, Viva Las Vegas, and they learned two of our songs.
And the practices continue in both cities as everyone prepares for these performances, and for those to come next.
"We're just super excited to get this collaboration going and you know, keep it going for years to come," says Knutsen.
"It's about friendship, and especially at this point in our lives, it's very important to have friends like this," says Williams.
The Dancing Grannies tell us they plan to visit Las Vegas for Veterans Day in 2026.
As for our own Golden Gals, they're three-time gold medalists in the senior Olympics, and they plan to go for their fourth this year.
If you're interested in seeing the Gals perform, booking a performance, or auditioning for the group, just head to their website to learn more.
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