Dance Hall Rock

Even on the hardest road, the pioneers found nights to dance. Through the winter of 1879 and 1880, the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition camped near here while its men labored ahead to blast a wagon road down to the Colorado. This dome of slickrock, with its smooth floor, sheltering wall, and fine natural echo, became their ballroom. To fiddle music they danced squares and reels and waltzes, and for a few hours the cold and the toil fell away. The road they built was so brutal it was used for a single year, then abandoned. The dancing floor remains.

What the plaque says

Gathering in celebration, members of the Hole-in-the-Rock Expedition found the smooth floor, sheltering alcove, and natural acoustics of this beautiful sandstone amphitheater perfect for fiddle music and dancing. From mid-November to early January of 1880, these special occasions provided pioneers welcome relief from their labors. Called to establish a settlement near the San Juan River by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), the pioneers decided to reach their destination by building a "short-cut" from Escalante to San Juan. Though completed, this difficult route was only used for one year before being abandoned. Do You Hear the Fiddle Music Dancing was one of the most important recreational activities for pioneers in the West. They danced squares, waltres, mazurkas, schottishes, polkas, and Virginia Reels. An observer at the time stated, "In every Mormon train there are usually some musicians, for they seem to be very fond of song and dance, and as soon as the camp work is done the younger element gather in groups and 'trip the light fantastic toe' with as much vim as if they had not had a twenty mile march that day." A Matter of Music Unlike many of their nineteenth century contemporaries, early Mormons embraced musci as a means not only to express their religious devotion, but to cement congregational ties. With uncommon zeal, Mormons dedicated valuable time and resources to musical pursuits, encouraging members to participate in choirs, choral groups, bands, orchestras, ensembles, musical theater, operettas, dancing, composing, and more. Eventually, Mormons developed their own musical style. For these people, music was more than just an amusement; it was spiritually integral to their everday lives.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Hole-in-the-Rock Arch — 10 mi
• Hole-in-the-Rock Crossing — 13 mi