Teen's solo dance to honor late dad at quinceañera leaves family in tears. Then they realized she wasn't alone

There are some special milestones in a person's life that they hope to celebrate with loved ones. Julianna Trejo (@julianna_tr3j0) and her father once shared the dream of a father-daughter dance on her quinceanera or 15th birthday. But when the event was organized at La Bella Event Center in Oklahoma in September 2024, her father wasn't there to see Julianna all dressed up in a gorgeous off-shoulder gown sewn with gold motifs and mirrorlike embellishments.

J R Torres Photography (@jrtorresphotography), who filmed the scene, posted a touching TikTok video of Julianna performing a solo dance, despite the grief of her father's loss, that was visible on her face. Although Julianna, a model, celebrated her fifteenth birthday in September 2023, her quinceanera was organized a year later. At the venue, the walls were papered with childhood photographs of Julianna with her dad. Amid these photographs gazing at her from all directions, she held a portrait of her father in her hands, clasped close to her heart, and slowly waltzed to Kany Garcia’s song “Confieso.” A throng of photographers snapped pictures of her and recorded the memorable moment, but sadly, her father wasn’t there to witness the heartwarming episode.

When Julianna couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore, her friends joined the dance to embrace and hug her in this vulnerable moment. Back on the table, a child in a cream-colored suit approached Julianna and hugged her. Guests sitting in their chairs took out their handkerchiefs and plopped table napkins to wipe the tears that trickled down from their eyes spontaneously as Julianna danced out her special moment, overwhelmed with emotion that filled her face. There was not a dry eye in the room. In the end, two other girls joined Julianna on the floor and the three danced together in a circle.

“I felt this; my daughter lost her daddy at 3 months old,” @ksaucedo82 commented on the video. @mommaluvsdisney said, “Watching the entire room cry shows how special he was. I like to think our loved ones are always with us.” @joyprincessomogi said she’d do the same on her wedding day, “On my wedding day, am going to hold my mum's frame too. We have always planned that wedding day together now she is gone.”

For Julianna, the loss of her father was too much to bear. He loved her unconditionally, as she expressed in an Instagram post. “It breaks me that you’re no longer here, here to hug me when I’m lonely, or here to laugh with me when I feel low, or here to bring a smile to my face. it pains me not being able to feel your touch at least one more time.” Jolted by grief among other emotions, she added, “I was so loved by you Dad, and I loved you unconditionally. you will be within my soul forever,” and ended by telling her late dad, “I’ll love you forever.”

You can follow JR Torres Photography on TikTok for more touching video shoots like this!