Brigham Young believed that the
fiddle and dancing were necessary for the recreation of his people and
encouraged dancing on both the trail west and once the pioneers settled in the
Salt Lake Valley, with him taking the lead in many of the dances. Nonetheless,
there was the round dance (the waltz) that so many leaders of the Church
struggled with. That was then. We’ve evolved so that at Church-sponsored dances
today, no one is asked to leave for waltzing, or if waltzing is permitted,
asked to leave for turning their partner more than twice during the dance (Oliver
R. Smith, ed., The Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith-1834-1906 [Provo:
Jesse N. Smith Family Assn., 1970], 259) The following tow journal entries from
Jesse Nathanial Smith, cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith, brings to light the
attitude of the late nineteenth century:
November 27, 1881: At Snowflake
[Arizona] I gave an account of my recent journey, also of the public teachings
of Pres. Taylor and party that I heard in Parowan. Spoke unto the evils of
dancing. Some did not realize that it was not a part of our religion, while
rest and recreation are necessary; believed that as a Church we had lost more
than we had gained by dancing, especially had the round dance been termed “the
dance of death.” Notwithstanding the partial permit of Pres. Taylor I felt to
use my influence against round dancing in this stake of Zion. (Ibid., 257-58)
The following from Jesse N. Smith’s
journal dated December 18, 1881:
At a meeting in Snowflake
[Arizona] I spoke on the subject of dancing. Reprehended the practice of
swinging around in a wanton manner and more times than the figure of the music
required. Musicians in the church who played for round dancing were accessory
thereto. Recommended parties to attend dancing schools and learn how to deport
themselves properly. Similar remarks were made by Bishops Hunt and Udall and Bro.
John A. West. (Ibid., 259)
. . . Bishop Edwin D. Woolley was
the one bishop in the Salt Lake City area dead set against round dances in his
ward. Simply put, there would be none on his watch. The close embrace of the
dancers was enough to work up his ire, but what really broke the camel’s back
was when the flute player of Olsen’s Quadrille Band, the only band in the Salt
Lake City area that could play beautifully the “Blue Danube Waltz,” showed up
to the dance drunk. Bishop Woolley kicked out the band and dismissed any future
round dances. To completely dissuade the youth from participating in this form
of dance, Edin Wooley refused to wax the dance floor, starting that he didn’t
want anyone falling and breaking their necks. This was the mid-1870s when the dance
floor was bare planks. To dance the round dance, the couples had to slide their
feet, and the bare wood planked floors didn’t cut it. They had to be waxed by
shaving dandles and rubbing into the floor.
It was about this time when
Brigham Young challenged all wads to contribute to the St. George Temple
building fund. Many of the proceeds from ward dances were being routed to this worthy
cause. Bishop Woolley, being of a competitive nature and not wanting to back
down from the challenge, met with an enterprising young man in his ward to
organize a dance. He explained to the young man his rules. Patiently waiting
for the bishop to go through the list of regulations from dance types, to bands
to waxed floors, the young man finally told the bishop he wouldn’t make much
money. Bishop Woolley couldn’t understand why. The young man told him that the
young people of Salt Lake City would never come to a dance with such set
restrictions. The following conversation then took place:
Bishop Woolley: “I want to
organize a party. You have more friends among people than anyone. I want you to
choose your committee and arrange the whole thing. Make a success of it. We
generally lead every other ward in everything we try to do. I want you to be
sure to beat them all.”
Young man: “I’ll do my best, but
you’ll have to agree to pay the loss if there is one.”
BW: (swallowing hard) “Loss?”
YM: “Yes, you can’t have the
party in our ward to make any money. The young people won’t come any more. In
other places they allow them to have three round dances, and you won’t have
any. I’d rather dance three round dances and throw all the rest away. You’ve
got to have three waltzes.”
BW: “All right. Take the three
waltzes.”
YM: “You won’t allow Olsen’s
Quadrille Band. They’re the only people who can play the ‘Blue Danube Waltz’
well. That draws a crowd. They have the finest cornetist in Salt Lake who will
give some cornet solos during the evening.
BW: (Sighing) “Take Olsen’s
Quadrille Band, take your three round dances, wax your floor!”
YM: “There’s something else. You
won’t allow a Gentile to come. I would like the United States Marshall and one
or two high-principled gentlemen to come and let them see how Mormon boys and
girls can behave themselves. There will be no rowdyism. This will be a crowd of
the finest kind of young people.”
BW: (Defeated) “Invite whom you
please.”
YM: “I’m going to charge $1.50
instead of $1.00.”
BW: “Oh, the people won’t pay
that!”
YM: “Yes they will, with Olsen’s
full Quadrille Band.” (Heber J. Grant, “Gospel Standards” [Salt Lake City: Improvement
Era Publication: 1943), 280-82)
The young man included Bishop
Woolley’s son to help head up the dance committee. Tickets of the finest quality
were made and then sent to business owners and leaders in the area along with
contacts also invited. The floor was waxed, posters set on the wall of the
General Authorities, and carpets placed in sitting areas.
The night of the dance arrived,
and with it Brigham Young and his family. Brigham Young paid ten dollars when
answered in the affirmative this dance was to benefit the St. George Temple.
During the evening, after the three round dances had played, a fourth waltz was
a square dance and danced within the area of the square. Brigham Young noted to
the dance organizer that they were waltzing. The dance organizer indicated that
they weren’t actually waltzing since in a waltz they dance all over the floor,
but rather this was a quadrille. Brigham Young laughed as he stated, “Oh, you
boys, you boys.”
The dance was a success. Bishop
Edin Woolley was happy to present Brigham Young was eighty dollars from the
profits of the dance, which happened to be far more than any other ward. Who
was the young man that organized the dance? None other than Heber J. Grant (Ibid.).
(Daniel Barker, Constant Yet Ever-Changing: A Historic Overview of Continued
Revelation [Springville, Utah: CFI, 2021], 46-49)
