Courtesy Dane Dances
Dane Dances is known for attracting an enthusiastic and diverse crowd to the Monona Terrace rooftop.
The Aug. 7 kickoff to Dane Dances, a popular community dance event on the rooftop of Monona Terrace, was canceled due to a shortage of available Madison police officers, confirms city spokesman Dylan Brogan.
“MPD staffs events all the time,” Brogan tells Isthmus, “but they were unable to fulfill this request due to ongoing protests happening around the city.”
The event is the latest event to be cancelled in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz on July 22.
Organizers first announced the cancellation Aug. 6 in a news release: “Due to staffing constraints, we were unable to secure the necessary security coverage required to host an event of this size,” wrote Al Cooper, president of Dane Dances, a nonprofit.
Monona Terrace Community and Public Relations Manager Kristen Durst tells Isthmus in an email that “Our standard safety protocol is we require metal detectors and security at all large events.”
The long-running late summer event is one of the more diverse gatherings in Madison.
As one person commented on Facebook. “This is such a huge disappointment. Dane Dances is one of the few truly multicultural events in Madison.”
The concerts on Aug. 14, 21 and 28 appear to be still on the schedule, though Cooper could not be reached for comment or confirmation.
Earlier in the week the city cancelled Ride the Drive, scheduled for Aug. 9. “While the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets is now open, we believe holding Ride the Drive would continue to disrupt the neighborhood and businesses,” wrote parks superintendent Eric Knepp.
