The Magical Van’s Dance Hall

The Magical Van’s Dance Hall

Every weekend across Utah, dancers fill nightclubs twisting to the latest tunes. But did you know that one of the most extravagant and celebrated dance halls in the Beehive State was found in the remote town of Delta? Learn what all the fuss was about.

Sitting quietly above Main Street in the West Desert town of Delta is a dance hall that once  served as an impressive social center for the region’s rural residents. The unassuming exterior belied the grand, glittering interior of Van's Dance Hall, which opened in 1926. This dazzling hall attracted Millard County residents from all backgrounds to dance and celebrate, giving young and old alike a magical, eclectic space to take a break.

Built by Billy Van de Vanter, Van’s Dance Hall was the crown jewel of his impressive career. Van was a well-known character in Delta: he owned a menagerie of animals, constructed a race car, and invented a cooling system that predated air conditioning. His dance hall was no less extravagant. 

The hall boasted thousands of hand-cut mirrored glass tiles arranged in stunning decorative designs. A giant reflective ball hung above the dance floor, shining light across its 20,000 mirror pieces. Atop the mirror ball was a replica of the Salt Lake City Latter-day Saint Temple. Sculptures decorated the space, including a suspended miniature airplane toting a banner that read: “We Dance Next Saturday.” Dancers moved under glass stars and glittering lights -- cooled by Van’s very own air conditioning system.

The local newspaper reported that nearly 1,200 people attended Van’s opening celebrations. Unlike other dance halls, Van’s was not owned by the state or the LDS Church. Residents from all over the county flocked to the space and it earned a reputation for being lively and boisterous. Dancers could escape into the shimmering interior of the dance hall, and the fun-loving atmosphere made it a staple in the community. 

Van’s wasn’t just a beautiful dance club. The stage saw some of the best local musicians, featured puppet shows for families, and hosted charity dances for local causes. However, when the popularity of dance halls began to decline in the 1950s, Van’s was no exception. Today, Van's Dance Hall remains virtually unaltered from its heyday. But if you’re looking to tap your toes under the twinkling mosaic stars, you’ll have to wait until the building is brought up to code and reopened for dancing.

By Mikee Ferran for Utah Humanities © 2024

Image: Van’s Dance Hall, Delta, Utah, n.d. William Edward Van de Vanter opened his dance hall in 1926. The revolving globe in the center was made up of thousands of tiny mirrors.  An airplane revolved around it toting a banner that read “We dance next Sat.” The floor was made of melted 78-rpm phonograph records. The hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Courtesy of Great Basin Museum.
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See US Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Van’s Hall,” (Utah, 1995); Susan Lyman-Whitney, “Waltzing at Billy Van’s: Decades Ago Folks Flocked to Hall Over Delta Garage. Could it Swing Again?”Deseret News, Nov. 6, 1994; Tom Wharton, “Whatever Happened to Van’s Hall in Delta?”The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 6, 2015; “Sponsor Dance February 2 for Polio Funds,”Millard County Chronicle, Jan. 24, 1952; “Delta’s Newest Pleasure Palace Opens,”Millard County Chronicle, May 6, 1926.

The Beehive Archive is a production of Utah Humanities. Find sources and the whole collection of past episodes at www.utahhumanities.org/stories.

2024-10-07