City Shuts Down Popular Dance Class Due to 'Moral Standards'

Newsweek

a day ago

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The city of Provo, Utah, late last month discontinued the Dirtylicious Dance Fitness program held at its recreation center, following a review that determined the class did not align with the city's standards, morals and values, according to the program's owners.
The decision came after a resident's complaint about the program's appropriateness prompted an internal evaluation of the class recordings and social media posts, program owners Erica Tanner and husband Matson Tanner told Newsweek in a phone interview Monday evening.
Dirtylicious Dance Fitness, which has been in business since 2019 and has about 60 trainers across the country, has operated for three years out of the Provo Recreation Center.
The Tanners say that they have continued to try to work with the city, only to be met with walls.
Newsweek has reached out to the city for comment via email on Monday.
Why It Matters
The cancellation has raised questions about inclusivity, city policy transparency and the judging of community standards within public facilities.
The removal of the class—a program described by its leader as "empowering," especially for women—sparked community debate over the boundaries of acceptable recreation and the process by which such decisions are made.
It also underscored the concern over religious influence on public programs, with Provo having a large population who follow The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, historically known as Mormons.
The city of Provo was founded by Mormon pioneers in the 1800s as the second-largest outpost of Mormons outside of Salt Lake City. As recently as 2019, 90 percent of the population was affiliated with the church, the Chicago Tribune reported. It is unclear if religion played a role in the city's moral code, but the beliefs of the faith promote modesty, particularly among women.
What To Know
Erica Tanner has lived in Provo since 2002 when she moved to the city with her family as a child. She taught similar dance classes before creating Dirtylicious Dance Fitness.
The goal is that participants learn a 30-second routine but the class uses several moves similar to those used in other dance fitness classes, like Zumba, the couple said.
The Tanners stressed the empowerment and positivity of their program, which had maintained four active classes at Provo's Recreation Center—when their instructors were told the classes were temporarily suspended on June 4, then canceled permanently on June 24.
"I was like, I live in Provo. This is really weird," Erica Tanner explained, saying she was surprised the city responded to the one complaint "so aggressively."
The couple says they met with city officials several times to ask why the class was an issue, if there were compromises to be made and what could be done to continue the program.
The Tanners told Newsweek that in the past, city statements had praised the program, and city employees even participated in the classes.
A stock photo of a dance fitness class in Amsterdam on July 3, 2018.
A stock photo of a dance fitness class in Amsterdam on July 3, 2018.
Getty
"In that meeting, we asked for you know, specifics, like, 'what, what morals? What are these standards? What are the policies, where are things that don't align? We're more than happy to adjust. We're more than happy to work with you guys, we want to keep collaborative in this,'" Erica Tanner explained.
Matson Tanner said they tried to understand what rules, if any, were violated, but were met with no real answers. "What's frustrating is that, you know, we came very collaborative, willing to adjust," he said. "They're citing the fact that they have policies or procedures and that we broke them, but then we learned ... they didn't even exist."
Erica Tanner said their efforts to obtain clarity about the standards involved were unsuccessful, noting that city officials did not offer concrete examples of what content or conduct was considered inappropriate.
While the city has not said the cancellation is related to religious beliefs prevalent in the community, the Tanners feel it could have had some impact on the decision.
"We do feel like they use that religion as a backing point for their, for their kind of thinking and their process of removing the class, which to us, ignores a significant portion of people who do not identify with the faith," Matson Tanner said.
The Tanners said they believe that a little more than half the city practices the Latter-day Saints faith, meaning that those beliefs do not represent the city as a whole.
"That does raise concern for me personally," Erica Tanner explained, saying she is worried the entire community is not being heard by the city.
Following the cancellation, members of the Provo community expressed dissatisfaction through reviews but felt they still weren't heard.
Now more than 200 people have signed a petition seeking reinstatement of the class, Matson Tanner said, adding that the community did this entirely on its own.
What People Are Saying
Erica Tanner also told Newsweek via phone: "The city in general deserves fairness, transparency and a rec center that reflects the diverse interests of all of Provo. Not just one religion."
What Happens Next
The Tanners told Newsweek they are still trying to hold more discussions with city officials, aiming to get their classes reinstated. Organizers and supporters of Dirtylicious Dance Fitness have asked for updated, transparent policy guidelines and further community input. At the moment, the city of Provo has not indicated any plans to reconsider or readdress the issue, and the classes remain canceled.