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Dirtylicious Dance Fitness class members pose for a photo at the Provo Recreation Center in August 2024.

Courtesy Erica Tanner

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A Dirtylicious Dance Fitness class is shown in this photo from 2022.

Courtesy Erica Tanner

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People participate in a Dirtylicious Dance Fitness class at the Provo Recreation Center in August 2022.

Courtesy Erica Tanner

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Dirtylicious Dance Fitness instructors are pictured during a June 2023 photoshoot in Lehi.

Courtesy Erica Tanner

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Dirtylicious Dance Fitness members are shown in a photoshoot from October 2022.

Courtesy Erica Tanner

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The Provo Recreation Center and a popular dance and fitness class that had been offered at the facility for three years have parted ways — but many aren’t happy about it.

Last month, Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes were temporarily canceled at the rec center after someone allegedly lodged a complaint to management about the nature of the class, according to co-founder and CEO of the program Erica Tanner.

“The classes were temporarily canceled, and the instructors and the people there were pretty devastated,” Tanner told the Daily Herald.

She, along with her husband and co-founder, sought for answers as to why the classes were being pulled and tried to work toward a resolution to have them reinstated.

Despite conversations with city officials and Provo rec center leadership, Tanner said it became clear that the possibility of having classes return to the rec center were bleak.

“Then on June 23, we were emailed by the Provo Rec Center and leadership saying that they’ve decided to move in a different direction that aligns with their current goals and programming,” she said.

According to Tanner, the facility opted to cancel Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes permanently, citing that it doesn’t align with their “moral standards,” and the classes supposedly being too inappropriate for the facility.

The issue underscores the challenge that government-operated entities — such as a rec center — face while trying to accommodate its patrons and various programs within the facility.

Fundamentally, the rec center has the responsibility of deciding what programs it will run.

“As with other fitness formats offered at our facility, the instructors are City employees, and the selection and continuation of classes remain at the discretion of Recreation Center management,” Provo City told the Daily Herald in a statement.

It also acknowledged the challenge of having differing points of view with regard to the appropriateness of content at the facility, saying in the statement: “Provo’s Recreation Center is a family-friendly tax funded facility. We take resident feedback seriously and actively follow up to ensure community voices play a meaningful role in shaping our services.”

The city said there were some concerns expressed about some of the ways the class was being run: “Fitness classes at the Recreation Center are open to individuals 14 and older, we recognize the need to protect minors, particularly when video recording and online posting was occurring.”

Tanner, however, said minors do not attend the class. She admits that instructors did film inside the rec center and said they all made sure to get permission from individuals appearing in the content before publishing.

The statement goes on to allege that Dirtylicious used the facility’s logo for marketing efforts without obtaining approval.

Tanner disputed those claims, stating the logo was approved by the rec center’s fitness manager each time it was used.

“If there was any issue with the logo being used or misused, we were not informed or warned about prior to the cancellation. Furthermore, if we had been informed, we would have corrected it and there would be no justification for the cancellation,” she said.

Since there was never any formal or informal contractual agreement with the Dirtylicious Dance Fitness program, according to the city, cancelling the class was just one of many program decisions it has to make.

But the bottom line was that the cancellation was very disappointing for the program instructors and participants — and they hope they might be able to get their class back on the schedule.

What is Dirtylicious Dancing?

Though Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes involve shaking and shimmying to upbeat music, the classes focus on helping people discover their confidence while improving their physical and mental well-being, according to Tanner. She launched the company in 2019, after teaching the course for more than a decade.

Tanner, a Provo native and graduate of Brigham Young University, said they began offering classes at the Provo Recreation Center three years ago, growing from one weekly class to four during that time period. Classes are also in a handful of states across the country.

“The instructors there and the community there were vibrant,” she said.

Tanner says the classes had gained popularity and were attended by mostly women and a few men who could come to dance in a safe and inclusive environment.

Dirtylicious workout classes instruct dancers to learn a 30-second routine. They use several moves similar to those used in other dance fitness classes like Zumba.

Tanner said the program is ideal for experienced dancers and beginners.

According to Tanner, competition is not the goal of Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes; the focus is helping people feel more comfortable in their bodies.

“A woman who might not be comfortable walking into a gym to go lift or to even go and do something super high impact or intense would feel comfortable walking into our class and being like, ‘OK. I can do this,'” Tanner explained.

Community members speak out

The aftermath of the cancellation of Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes at the Provo Recreation Center has resulted in hundreds of people speaking out on the issue.

A change.org petition in support of having the classes brought back to the facility has amassed more than 1,400 signatures regarding the matter.

Many people in support of the class or participants of the program expressed their displeasure with the rec center’s decision, with hopes that their voices can inspire the city to reconsider.

Melinda Madsen, a Provo resident, said she’s disappointed that the rec center 86’d the Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes without reportedly taking into account the opinions from citizens who faithfully attend them.

Madsen said dancing had always been a way to express herself and cope with life’s challenges. She had been going to the Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes at the rec center since January 2024 and they provided her with a boost of self-confidence in a space where she didn’t feel judged.

“I felt as if my lifeline was being taken away with me,” she told the Daily Herald. “This class was the only thing that I did just for me. As a mother of two young boys, I am often taking care of their needs and wants before mine, taking care of the house, taking care of my husband, etc… I needed this outlet to find myself again outside of being a mom or a wife.”

Madsen feels that the rec center’s decision seems unjust and unfair.

“I do feel that this is more than just morals and standards,” she said.

Ivory Schlaegel, who lives and attended Dirtylicious classes in Vernal, said the issue spans further than a simple class cancellation, and she sees it’s an attack on empowerment and female-owned businesses.

“I think this cancellation ultimately sends a deeply unsettling message that women’s freedom of expression, the right to safe space or empowerment and even the viability of women-led businesses can be devalued by the singular, unexamined discomfort of another,” she said.

Opportunities for compromise?

At this point, Dirtylicious Dancing making a comeback at the rec center doesn’t seem likely, but Tanner said she’s not done fighting for it.

She feels that the classes are being singled out, as she claims that other classes at the facility reportedly have similar dance movements, lighting and music.

“It almost feels like a double standard or that we are being pulled out or attacked…for things that other fitness programs at the Provo rec center have and do too,” she said.

Ultimately, Tanner wants to maintain good relationships with Provo and the recreation center while advocating for open dialogue and transparency.

“We clearly communicated our willingness to enforce any new guidelines or policies with our instructors, even if other fitness instructors at the facility did not make similar changes. Despite these sincere efforts to collaborate and align with their stated goals, they have ignored all of our efforts to work with them,” she stated.

In the meantime, other Dirtylicious Dance Fitness classes can be found across Utah Valley including in Orem, Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork.

For specific locations and class times, visit dirtyliciousdancefitness.com.