What started as a daddy/daughter dance has metamorphosed into the widely popular Butterfly Ball.
“Over the years, it morphed into the Butterfly Ball,” says Gary Marks, Enrichment Coordinator for Canton Leisure Services, who puts on the event. “We had some boys who wanted to come with their mom or dad. So, we just made it open to everybody. It’s become quite a tradition in Canton. Many of the same couples have been doing it for years.”
Gary has attended with his daughter, Mesa Bonello, since she was 2. Mesa, who recently got married, recalls, “I would say, realistically, the earliest memories I have of it are dancing with my dad to 'Walk Like an Egyptian.' We just did it for my wedding because we’ve been dancing to it for so many years. Since it was one of my earliest memories, I made sure that at my wedding, that’s what we were dancing to.”
“I have been enjoying watching it grow and transform. Being able to go from attending with my dad to working it together has been really cool. I got to see both sides of it and see what goes into it,” says Mesa. “The past 10 years Dad has been in charge of it has been fun to see what we can add to it after being a part of it as attendees for 12 years before that.”
The Butterfly Ball has grown to include three and a half dances over two days. This year, it will be held on February 7 and 8, 2025.
“We do it Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, a sensory-friendly version Saturday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, a full dance Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and again Saturday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM,” explains Gary. “The Saturday afternoon is usually attended by the younger crowd: it’s a lot of dads that are still holding the kids. In the evening, it’s more of the 6- to 12-year-olds. It’s a lot of fun; there’s a balloon drop at the end of the night that everybody loves.”
Asked about the low sensory dance, Gary said, “Over the last few years, we’ve had some requests from the younger crowd to tone things down a bit because there are families that would like their kids to participate, but the loud music, low lights and flashing strobes are kind of a stressor for those kids. So, we have this short dance for them. We leave the lights up and the music down—none of the big, rocking kind of stuff. There are no flashing lights that might be over-stimulating for those kids. The DJ might play a game instead of a Cupid Shuffle kind of dance.”
Other than the inclusion of the sensory-friendly version, the Butterfly Ball hasn’t changed much. They added a Butterly Boutique where you can buy some goodies at the event. There are snacks, a professional photographer, a selfie station and the much-anticipated balloon drop.
“We suspend a large net from the ceiling in which we have up to about 400 balloons,” said Gary. “At the end of the night, the DJ does a countdown. We have somebody pull the string out of the bottom of the net, and they all float down. It’s the most exciting thing for these little girls. Everybody has to walk out with as many as their arms can carry!”
“The Butterfly Ball is a good way for people to see their community,” adds Mesa. “It’s a lot of fun to see the girls growing up every single year that we’ve done this and to make sure they’re still enjoying it. There are two or three girls who are now 17 or 18 years old that are still coming to this. So, it’s fun to be able to be on the back end of this to make sure that the girls are still having fun doing this with their dads.”
To get tickets for this year’s Butterfly Ball, visit the Canton Leisure Services website and search for “butterfly ball.” “It’s a big thing,” says Gary, “so you'd better get your tickets quick because they sell out very quickly.”
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