Dancing With the Stars alum Lindsay Arnold is shedding new light on the “intense” dance culture in Utah.
During a recent appearance on the “Hot Smart Rich” podcast, Arnold, 31, was asked why so many recognizable ballroom dancers — especially those who go pro on DWTS — have connections to Utah and the Mormon lifestyle.
“I feel like in Utah, it’s very common, parents definitely want their kids to be doing an activity,” she explained. “That’s just something that is very prominent. Like, you put your kid in something and you really put them all in.”
In her own experience, Arnold noted that her parents “loved pushing” her and her siblings in their passion areas “because it kept us out of trouble” after school. (Lindsay’s younger sister Rylee Arnold followed in her footsteps as a DWTS pro.)
“The Mormon culture is very much, like, we want our kids to be good kids and to not get into trouble and to not explore different things that could lead them in troubled areas,” she continued. “So I feel like a lot of parents put their kids in something and then push it hard.”
Another factor? “The dance culture in Utah is just very intense, in the best way,” Lindsay added. “I also think there’s been so many of us [from Utah] that have kind of paved the way that these dancers and parents see what’s possible, and so they’re more willing to put [in] money, time. Because dance is a full-on investment.”
Lindsay made her television debut on So You Think You Can Dance season 9 in 2012, joining DWTS one year later as one of the franchise’s youngest pros. She won a mirrorball trophy in 2017 with season 25 partner Jordan Fisher. Lindsay last appeared on the show during season 30 in 2021. (Rylee, meanwhile, competed on DWTS for the first time in 2023.)
The phenomenon of Mormons in ballroom dance has fascinated fans — and Us — as more DWTS pros highlight their hometown connections. When season 33 was underway last fall, there were eight dancers from Utah at both the pro and troupe level, including Jenna Johnson, Witney Carson and Ezra Sosa.
“Literally all from the same studio is INSANE,” Ezra commented on a TikTok video shared by sister Stephani Sosa in September 2024.
According to fellow pro Brandon Armstrong, there’s a simple answer as to why ballroom dance attracts so many young Mormons in Utah.
“There’s nothing else to do,” he teased on the “Lightweights” podcast in October 2024. “What else do you do? You talk about our biggest cities, like Salt Lake, ain’t nothing there. … You play sports, go to school, date super young — these guys get married when they’re 19, 20 years old — and then you dance.”
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