Dance Enhances Cedar City (column for Iron County Today)

July 12, 2026

Dance Enhances Cedar City

by Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President

Dancing traditions in Cedar have evolved to eight community studios plus school and university programs. The Paiutes celebrate spring with the Bear Dance, that has deep historical roots. The annual Pow Wow celebrates the restoration of tribal status. The amazing colors of the regalia and the sounds of the drum circles are powerful.

Pioneers danced with fiddlers and later local bands. As children, we learned square dancing in school, but I don’t know if that is still happening. The Rubik’s Cube Youth Square Dancers participate in local parades and community events.

Today’s dancers use recorded music, although occasionally a live pianist or other musicians are incorporated.

Why does this community have so many dance options? Several influential teachers created an atmosphere of collaboration and taught a variety of styles.

When I was a child we had ballet classes available. I remember going to dance concerts with my mother at the college. LaVeve Whetten started teaching around 1939 and taught modern dance, tap, and folk dance for 41 years. I remember the colorful costumes of her folk dancers at community events. She was the original choreographer for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. One of her most famous students was Joan Woodbury who founded the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.

The American Folk Ballet arrived in 1982 and there was great appreciation for their dance concerts, which celebrated the American West. They performed in Logan during the summers and had a California base in the winter. Gerald Sherratt arranged for them to move operations to Cedar City. Burch Mann directed the group, and many influential teachers emerged from the company. Both of our children had a chance to have dance classes and performances under the direction of San Christopher, Burch's daughter. Some of the other teachers included Gwen Grimes, Lise Mills, Kay Anderson, Chris Mills, and Shauna Mendini. Their efforts helped develop the current dance teachers and companies.

The American Folk Ballet tour to Russia in 1990 was a resounding success. The Los Angeles Times reported on repeat performances in California where "the ensemble of 16 dancers and two vocal soloists recreated a program that wowed Leningrad (St. Petersburg) during their two week Soviet tour." Our neighbor Mary Anker was part of the support team, and she said the reception the dancers received was electric. We loved their summer performances, and periodically the SUU Dance Department restages the dances.

John Mead moved to Cedar City recently and is developing a professional dance company. They have already had several performances, including dancing with the Orchestra of Southern Utah for Copland’s Rodeo Suite. More performances are scheduled for this season.

Country line dancing is popular and the Big Iron Country Swing Dance has dances at the Venue on Main Street that are especially popular with the SUU students.

Teachers are now offering clogging, salsa, ballroom, and hip hop as well as modern dance and ballet. We are lucky to have so many dancers enhancing our arts community.