11-07-2025
Provo bans Dirtylicious dance class from rec center over "moral standards," founder says
Provo officials have drummed the "Dirtylicious" dance class out of a local rec center, saying the flamboyant fitness routines don't align with the city's " standards."
Why it matters: The Utah-founded dance course is becoming a national brand, with classes from Hawaiʻi to Florida and local sessions multiplying across the state.
At the Provo Rec Center, instructors grew the classes from one to four sessions in three years as lessons filled up.
Driving the news: Rec center administrators told the Dirtylicious founders last month that future classes were cancelled, FOX 13 reported.
In an email, the city wrote that it "decided to move in a different direction that aligns with our current goals in programming."
"But we were told before that email, behind closed doors, that Dirtylicious didn't meet … certain moral standards," founder Erica Tanner told FOX 13.
The intrigue: Tanner told KSL the city began investigating the groups' moves after a man complained to the rec center.
What they're saying:"What started out as a really good fitness-focused class gradually became more content, which involved adult-natured moves and content," rec center manager Cathy Smits told FOX 13.
The latest: Students have taken to social media to complain about the cancellation, saying the class gave them confidence and a community.
Between the lines: The collision of dance and morals evokes the 1984 film "Footloose" — which was filmed in Utah County.
