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Dance and flag team mark ninth year in Northridge parade

Virginia Burroughs, Dayton resident and former Dayton City Schools teacher, writes a weekly Hereabouts column for the Dayton Neighbors section.

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By Virginia Burroughs, Staff Writer 12:02 PM Thursday, October 8, 2009

Ann Didier, director of Danz-Station, a dance and flag team, looks forward each year to her group’s participation in the Northridge Homecoming Community Parade.

“We participate in about seven parades a year, including the Mum Festival in Tipp City, the Pork Fest in Eaton and the Lewisburg Derby Days, but we like the Northridge parade because it’s like coming home,” she said.

Actually, it is home to most of the 11 girls who are members of the group, as well as Didier and her daughter, Nichole, both graduates of Northridge and Danz-Station’s coaches.

“My daughter joined during the group’s second year and that’s how I got involved,” said Didier. “I took it over three years ago when one of the founders moved.”

They practice at Murlin Heights Church of Christ on North Dixie in the winter, and Van Atta Park in the summer.

Dancers and coaches all volunteer, and have fundraisers for uniforms and competitions. In addition to parades, they enter about seven competitions each year. For the past three years, they’ve been national champions at the Cheer and Dance Expo and state champions at Ameridance.

“We all enjoy the Northridge parade, because it’s a hometown thing,” Didier said.

This year’s parade, on Oct. 18, will mark Danz-Station’s ninth year of participation in the event.

The 43rd annual parade will start at 2 p.m. at Morrison Elementary School on Arthur Avenue off North Dixie and travel south on North Dixie to Timberlane, then into Northridge High School’s parking lot.

“The Northridge marching band leads off each year; this year’s theme is To Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Our Director of Fine Arts, Ken Hoffmann, is the Parade Grand Marshal,” said Margie Lairson, longtime parade organizer and emcee.

The American Legion follows, displaying the colors, and there are usually 50-70 entries.

“Most of our schools are represented, and each class from the high school has a float,” Lairson said. “Community organizations include neighborhood watch groups, Scout troops, the township fire and sheriff’s departments, the Harrison Twp. Seniors Club, Kiwanis and Optimists. And, every year a man from a veterans’ group rides a huge red boxcar that the kids love.”

Lairson said she is excited two Red Hat groups are participating this year, and two local businesses — Holiday Inn on Wagoner Ford Road and Dairy Queen — have added their names to the list for the first time.

“There are also several churches and politicians that participate, and our Hall of Fame inductees are included,” she said.

The parade lasts almost two hours and floats can be viewed in the high school parking lot afterward.

It’s not too late to enter the parade. According to Lairson, “Floats, bands, walking units, horses, tractors or any other vehicle within reason will be permitted to enter. It’s free, but entries require a parade entry form and rules.”

Contact Lairson at (937) 277-7488 to register.

Contact this reporter at (937) 276-4441 or vburroughs@woh.rr.com.

HEREABOUTS virginia burroughs

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