It has become obvious to anyone who has been even casually observing the Mormon church that they are fully committed to going wherever the popular winds drive them in order to keep their public image appealing.
You have to realize to keep the church going they have to keep to groups happy. The TBM's inside the church and the general public. The church has to walk a tightrope. Basically the church cautiously changes just enough to avoid too much public criticism while trying to keep it's membership from calling the leadership heratics.
"To host the coveted showcase, which it has every year since at least 1997, BYU was required to lift its ban keeping same-sex couples from competing this spring. For the private school, that was a major concession. The change goes against its strict Honor Code forbidding gay relationships, as well as “all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings.” Even in its own classes, BYU — one of the most renowned schools in the country for ballroom dance — doesn’t allow two men to dance together for practice."
Wait. If this is such a highly coveted event, why has BYU hosted it for 24 years in a row? Somebody is kidding themselves.
IMHO, ballroom dance has become a ridiculous caricature that should have been allowed to die a dignified death around 1962. The amount of cultural overlap these days between a drag revue and a ballroom dance competition is almost comical. Ballroom is Eagle Forum approved heterosexual drag.
I'm guessing that you haven't seen recent competitions. Many different kinds of music are used nowadays. And "ballroom" is a broad category that often includes the Latin side as well. Utah happens to be a center for ballroom and Latin dance.
Exactly what I had in mind when I said "caricature". Utah is the center for Latin and ballroom dance because most of the rest of the world has moved on. Nobody else wants the job.
Ballroom these days is a Las Vegasized version of 1950s sexism. It is popular with Mormons because they are doing their level best to freeze Mormon culture at about 1955. They think it's cool.
Rick Perry and Sean Spicer are not the cool kids on the block. Sorry.
Again, I'm going to disagree. Julianne Hough has made a terrific career from her beginnings in ballroom/Latin. Her brother Derek has a well. There are also plenty of others who have cashed in. Utah is a center (mainly due to the famed Center Stage,) but so are other places such as eastern Europe and Great Britain.
As for sexism, I don't get it. Ballroom is just a dance style. It's no different than ballet, or jazz, or contemporary, or any number of different dance styles. The best ballroom dancers are quite versatile and can do almost anything. Derek, for instance, is considered to be a gifted choreographer. He has worked on London's West End.
You mark my words, Mr. Sonny Delight, if mormon ghawd keeps this up, the next thing you know, people will be agitating for same-sex marriage, and then where will we be?
Thank ghawd mormons have always been sure of who wears the kilts in the family!
...Although it is a stone-cold fact that I have great legs and would look simply marvelous in a miniskirt...
"To host the coveted showcase, which it has every year since at least 1997, BYU was required to lift its ban keeping same-sex couples from competing this spring."
Costumes? Do they judge on what is worn? or makeup? A guy can wear a gown and look hot. Ooo, I saw this all Leather sleeveless party dress last year. Wow!
At the other end of the spectrum, worthiness interviews are required to go to ward dances.
As a non LDS 50 years ago I won't have been able to go to those functions and won't been able to meet the girls I dated the rest of the time I was in Star Valley.