ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the author's discussion that why Mormons do so well in dance-based reality TV competitions by examining how embodied play is institutionally controlled. Theories of play focus on the way in which the body can be imagined in a number of new ways for a variety of purposes. For Mormons, a primary purpose of God's plan for all humankind to come to earth is to receive a body. Bodies are therefore divine gifts and stepping-stones to divinity. One does not need a degree in statistics to determine that so many nationally recognized popular dancers from a studio in a small town in Utah are wildly disproportionate. While not all of the successful commercial dancers from Utah are Mormon, it seems clear Mormon religious and cultural attitudes toward dance have created an atmosphere that allows the advanced training necessary for success on the commercial stage.
