MILWAUKEE (NewsNation) — In November of 2021, the joy of a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was shattered when a man drove through the revelers, scattering bodies in his wake.

In all, five people were killed and more than 60 injured by the SUV, allegedly driven by a man many at first thought was a terrorist but who turned out to be fleeing from a domestic violence incident. Three of those who died were members of the Dancing Grannies group, and another was an assistant.

Now, the Grannies dance troupe are about to return to the public eye, preparing dances for the Milwaukee St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Their original mission was to show that as people age, they don’t have to fade into the background. Now, they’re showing how communities can heal after tragedy.

NewsNation’s Sloane Glass interviewed several members of the Dancing Grannies during a break in rehearsal for their upcoming show. She asked dancer Jeanie Knutson what it would be like taking to a parade route again.

“It’s probably going to be a day of emotions for us,” Knutson said. “But, we’re going to be showing everybody that we are coming back and moving forward.”

Dancer Jan Kwiatkowski added, “This is dark and heavy. But we can’t let something like that beat us. And I think that’s an important statement to show the world.”

A stalwart on the Wisconsin parade scene since 1984, the Dancing Grannies had always fulfilled their original mission of showing a vibrant way to age. Now, through tragedy and recovery, they’re showing themselves as leaders of resilience and resolve.

Kwiatkowski said, “It’s kind of like this role was almost thrust on us this way. And we could turn our backs on that, or we could embrace that. And we’ve just chosen to embrace it.”

Enrollment for the Dancing Grannies is now so high that there’s a growing waitlist. The group has received invitations from some of the biggest celebrations in the country, including Mardi Gras and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But the biggest effect has been the strength that they’ve found through their sisterhood. Member Laura Thien told Sloane, “We are building a bigger and better than ever (group), we feel that’s what the gals that we lost … we feel that’s what they would have wanted us to do.”

The Dancing Grannies will be performing two songs this weekend at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Milwaukee, both choreographed by one of the members they lost in the Christmas parade tragedy.