When I sat down with Heather Cragun recently, owner of Weber Ballroom Dance, I had NO idea this was taught here in Ogden! Yeah, ballroom dancing is a thing! And it’s catching on like crazy with the youth. Although, adults are no strangers to it either!
Heather Cragun grew up in Rigby, Idaho, where she was surrounded by ballroom dancing her whole life. She began her ballroom dance journey in 7th grade when she first realized her desire and passion for dance.
At that time, there was only 1 ballroom team in Eastern Idaho. Now, it has grown into a massive program in Eastern Idaho where teams from Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming come together and compete.
In Heather’s words, “It’s truly incredible!”
Heather later attended BYU-Idaho where she received a scholarship allowing her the privilege to perform and tour with the Ricks College Ballroom Dance Company.
The love of ballroom dancing carried into Heather’s adulthood. When she married and moved to Ogden 15 years ago, there was nothing here in the way of ballroom dancing.
Heather had family members who weren’t too optimistic about the idea of a ballroom dance company thriving in the Ogden area.
Yet, she was very determined and says, “I was out to prove that, when you set your heart and mind on something, you’re unstoppable and can achieve your dreams!”
The result, five years later, was a large program of 5 teams and 75 students in Weber County.
When I asked Heather if there are enough interested boys she said, “Boys are a hot commodity! After educating the parents, they start to see the possibilities and see first-hand just how much fun it is and they absolutely love it!”
She relates a time when, after a junior high dance, one of her students came to her and said, “Every girl wanted to dance with me!”
After her 4th child was born five years ago, Heather realized she needed a break to be home with her family. In 2012-2015 she put her dance program on hold, but, with the choice of teaching 2 days a week, is now building an incredible program.
For the last four years, every February in Cache County, the Idaho Ballroom Academy, runs the Utah Classic competition. This year, Weber Ballroom Dance came out with flying colors taking home 2nd place!
Heather tells us, “Once the kids step foot on the dance floor that’s when the energy and excitement come out. It proves they have now done something incredibly hard and all their efforts and sacrifices are worth the reward!”
One of Heather’s ballroom students said, “At first you’re scared but then you want to do it again and again!”
Another student added, “I want to keep going with ballroom dancing because it prepares you for junior high.”
Speaking of her student’s abilities, Heather says, “Ballroom dance is a life-long skill that builds confidence and self-esteem while developing a skill they can use throughout their life but especially now in preparation for their junior high and high school dances.”
At the Utah Classic competition, the ballroom dancers are graded on music, costumes, technique ability, and choreography.
This year, the Weber Ballroom Dance team performed one dance, a Cha-Cha, to the song, ‘Can’t Stop This Feeling.’ The pre-teens ages 8-12 were those who performed. Likely, one of the most exciting facts is that two of Heather’s own kids helped take home 2nd place for their team.
Congratulations Weber Ballroom Dance!
Heather teaches youth ranging in ages from 8-18 years and adult classes too! Currently, she has 1 team and 40+ students, solely taught by her.
Heather teaches at Jenny’s Jazz Dance Studio in North Ogden. Her classes consist of pre-teen students (8-12 years) on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. and junior/high schoolers (13-18 years) on Fridays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Classes run from September through April. They are now gearing up for their end-of-year concert in May.
Contact Heather Cragun at: weberballroom@gmail.com for more information or registration for her 2018-2019 dance classes.
