From the parties Joseph Smith hosted in his Nauvoo home in the 1840s to the brilliant exhibitions performed at last July's Pioneer Sesquicentennial Spectacular, dancing has pervaded Latter-day Saint culture in this dispensation.
At Winter Quarters in 1847, when Brigham Young and the Pioneers were preparing to cross the plains to the Salt Lake Valley, President Young received the revelation known as the Word and Will of the Lord. Recorded today as Section 136 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it became their constitution and guide in making the trek.In the revelation, the Lord voiced His approval of dancing when done in the appropriate spirit: "If thou art merry, praise the Lord . . . with dancing and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving." (Verse 28.) That contrasted with the teachings of some Christian denominations of the day, which condemned dance and other forms of recreation. But the meaning in the revelation was clear: dancing, when done with an attitude of reverence and wholesome intent, lifts the soul and glorifies God.
"Go and enjoy yourselves in the dance, and let God be in all your thoughts in this as in all other things, and He will bless you," President Young told a Salt Lake Tabernacle congregation on Dec. 27, 1857.
Pioneers gathering to the Salt Lake Valley took such counsel to heart, to say the least. Remembering life on the trail, Louisa Palmer recounted, "After supper, [and preceding a prayer meeting,] there was usually a dance; the fiddle music was furnished by the teamsters." And Mary Leatham, another young pioneer, refused to miss the dancing at nightly encampments, even though it meant she would be tired the next day. (Cited in Carol Cornwall Madsen, Journey to Zion, Voices from the Mormon Trail, pp. 323, 330.)
Though not deemed an appropriate part of formal worship, dancing has ever after been an essential element of LDS culture. The melding of a cosmopolitan and constantly growing membership has fostered a rich tradition comprising diverse forms of folk and social dancing.
All-Church dance festivals, held from 1922 to 1973, were staged in Salt Lake City, and attracted nationwide attention with their colorful exhibitions spotlighting various cultures.
A generation ago, ward and stake "Gold and Green Balls" were held annually. These best-dress gatherings, which appealed to young and old, were sponsored by the Mutual Improvement Associations and took their name from the official colors of those Church auxiliaries, forerunners to today's Young Men and Young Women organizations.
In more recent years, with growth of the Church resulting in more decentralization of its activities, dancing continues in the LDS culture, though adapted more to individual locales and circumstances.
For example, the Kearns Utah West Stake for the past several years has put on an annual Valentine's dance for its members 16 years of age and older, always with live music.
"It has been enjoyable and well-received," said Mark Hintze, stake high councilor and activities chairman. "It gets the members of the stake together in a non-Sunday setting for a casual and fun activity."
The stake has utilized various methods to foster involvement, including dance instruction and mixers such as western line dancing and the Bunny Hop. This year, it joined with the neighboring Kearns Utah Western Hills Stake for a combined dance, complete with floor show.
"It's been wonderful and is certainly something we will continue," Brother Hintze said.
As the Church has observed landmark anniversaries, dancing has been integral to the celebration, affording the opportunity to link past and present in a tradition that transcends the ages.
Thus, in 1996, there was a re-enactment of the ball that occurred in Kanesville, Iowa, 150 years previously, prior to the departure of the Mormon Battalion soldiers. And at the Pioneer Sesquicentennial Spectacular last July 24-25, hundreds of BYU alumni and student performers staged dances from four nations simultaneously in the BYU stadium.
Not only did the performance symbolize the spread of the gospel throughout the earth, it showcased an art form by which the Saints in all ages have expressed joy and given praise and thanks to God.
