42 Days Until Trek - Dancing on the Trail

Do you like to dance? Why or why not? Dancing was a big part of trail life, especially at Winter Quarters, as it will be on Trek. You would think that at the end of a long day of walking, the last thing pioneers would want to do is be on their feet some more. But after chores were done, pioneers liked to have some fun that included dancing. I hope you feel connected to the pioneers when you kick up your heels on Trek.

“In February 1847, Brigham Young urged those who were well enough at Winter Quarters to ‘dance all night … I want you to sing and dance and forget your troubles. … Let’s have some music and all of you dance … dance all night if you desire to, for there is no harm in it.’ The dance chased away the blues where [Latter-day Saints] camped in the fall of 1846 and the winter of 1846-47. Dancing was probably the number one diversion during that time.”

Selection from Stanley B. and Violet T. Kimball's 2011 book, Villages on Wheels: A Social History of the Gathering to Zion.