As season 34 of “Dancing With The Stars” (DWTS) comes to a close, viewers are taking notice of a striking pattern. A large number of the show’s professional dancers grew up in Utah and were raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormon faith. Some dancers who grew up in the faith include siblings Derek and Julianne Hough, Witney Carson, Jenna Johnson, Lindsay and Rylee Arnold and Brandon Armstrong. This prompts the question, why does one religious community produce so many strong dancers?
Utah’s well-known and highly competitive dance scene plays a large part. Many fans point to the overlap of Utah’s dominant religion, especially the traditional family values prized in Mormon culture, as explanations for this trend. Former DWTS Pro Lindsay Arnold told the “Hot Smart Rich” podcast, “The Mormon culture… is very much, like, we want our kids to be good kids… so I feel like a lot of parents put their kids in something and then push it hard.”
Brandon Armstrong, a former Mormon pro dancer, joked on the “Lightweights” podcast that one reason the youth in Utah gravitate towards dance is because “there’s nothing else to do.” He explained that activities in Utah are limited compared to other areas of the country, and structured extracurriculars become a cure for boredom.
LDS culture often emphasizes developing talents, such as dance. Early Mormon writings view dance as an acceptable and wholesome activity, a belief that explains why typically strict Mormon families encourage their children to participate in dance. While not every dancer in Utah is Mormon, and not every Mormon dancer is from Utah, the overlap is significant enough to create a recognizable pipeline.
At the center of Utah’s representation on DWTS is a single dance studio: Center Stage Performing Arts, located in Orem, Utah. Many of the show’s pros trained there, including the Houghs, the Arnolds, Johnson, Sosa and others. Center Stage is known for its highly disciplined and camera-ready dancers. The students become extremely versatile dancers after being cross-trained in numerous styles, which is especially desirable for a show such as DWTS.
Utah’s large dance infrastructure also contributes to this phenomenon. Competition dance is a large part of the state’s ecosystem, with students participating from incredibly young ages. The school system in Utah even offers flexible or online schooling options to allow young dancers more time in the studio. In contrast with other states, Utah does not require a student to spend a minimum amount of time in a course or complete a traditional period of instruction to finish a course. Utah’s school system believes in nontraditional learning environments and finding a unique teaching approach for each student. That flexibility, combined with challenging coaching, explains why so many pros join the show so young.
Since its early seasons, DWTS has featured many dancers with Utahn roots. Derek and Julianne Hough are DWTS pioneers, helping form the show’s identity. In season 21, Derek even became the most decorated pro dancer. Carson became a Mirrorball champion in her second season and Johnson is one of the most recent winners.
While many pros have shared various outlooks on their childhood in the Mormon church, they all agree on their love for dance. The majority of pros keep their view on faith private, but some have revealed what their current position in the church is. Julianne Hough has revealed that she is no longer practicing the Mormon faith and that she has had to work on not letting the LDS rules define her life. Lindsay Arnold, another DWTS pro, has announced that she is still a part of the Mormon church. Arnold has shared that her parents emphasized the importance of their religion, but still encouraged their daughters to have an identity outside of their faith.
The prevalence of Mormon dancers on DWTS reflects the reality that Utah is becoming a mass producer of professional ballroom dancers. This invites a wider discussion on what milestones can be reached when an individual’s community offers space to cultivate talent and emphasizes the importance of youth activities. The number of Mormon-raised dancers who have become ballroom professionals highlights how powerful a community’s values, resources and support systems can be in shaping young talent. Whether or not the pros remained connected to the LDS faith, their success points to a larger truth: when a community invests in its youth, extraordinary talent can emerge.