Somer Ahone closing the show with an incredibly athletic solo.

Ten Years of Strength and Sensuality at The Salt Mine

Community

As you find yourself downtown, you discover a door on the side of an inconspicuous, dark brick building. Red velvet ropes beckon you inside. Swinging the door open, you step into a space brimming with vibrant energy — empowering yet nurturing. Two gentle and giddy hosts greet you, bubbling with excitement as they tell you you’re just in time. Tables adorned with horns and snacks line the cozy industrial space, made warm with intentional décor and the undeniable sense of community filling the room. At the center, three captivating women stand tall in modern ABBA-inspired outfits — Katie Peterson, Ann Crowther and Mel Heins, the three partners of The Salt Mine. Mirrors and poles frame the scene as they welcome us to the tenth anniversary of The Salt Mine. Katie Petersen, one of the original creators of The Salt Mine, explains how this is more than an anniversary party; it is a celebratory thank you to the community who has seen them through two locations, a pandemic and ten years of ups and downs. This space was one of the first of its kind in Salt Lake and perseveres still, to this day, as a fluid third space to empower all who enter. 

As the night goes on, an assortment of performers take the stage. Between floor work, stories told on poles and flying in the air in both hoops and silks, each performer has one thing in common: their passion for keeping this community alive. People of all shapes and backgrounds wow us with their impressive skills, all of which were once polished in this very space. With many performers being students-turned-teachers, it served as inspiration, showing the audience that they, too, can learn to trust their body. One particularly moving performance by a national champion dancer tells the story of how we, as humans, often choose the familiar over liberation, even when it weighs us down. She drags a boulder tied to a rope, demonstrating how high she can soar when she lets go — climbing, spinning, and defying gravity in an awe-inspiring feat. But her story ends unexpectedly as she returns to the weight, leaving the audience stunned. Why go back to what holds her down? The performance holds a mirror to us, highlighting the importance of spaces like The Salt Mine, where liberation is celebrated, and strength — both internal and external — is cultivated. 

Mel Heins, an additional founder of The Salt Mine, shares a story close to home for many as she also took the stage. Hein is now changed into her new costume of a messy bun, robe, and slippers, accessorized with a laundry basket and a tired face. Scattered laundry bottles and gum wrappers serve as her props as she reenacts a scene familiar to many: a life consumed by cleaning up messes and feeling unappreciated. But as “Woman” by Kesha builds, her character transforms —  she realizes that she’s not just tired of this reality of hers, of always cleaning up and never being appreciated, but she’s done. She sheds her monotony — and her sweatpants — and steps into her power with bold, defiant polework. She frees herself of these threads and uses the pole to express her newfound freedom. Here, she shows that sensuality can never be taken nor tamed, and it is within all of us. It’s just a matter of getting sick and tired enough until you remember that you’re, in the words of Kesha, “a mother-fucking woman.”

The Salt Mine’s importance has never been greater. In a world where safe spaces for unapologetic existence feel increasingly radical, the need for places like this grows. This community reminds us to dare. Dare to take up space. Dare to exist in your body. Dare to be welcomed with open arms at The Salt Mine. To The Salt Mine, and to another ten years!

Learn more and sign up for classes at The Salt Mine on their website, thesaltmineslc.com, and follow The Salt Mine on Instagram at @thesaltmineslc.


Photos by Hayley Stoddard // @stoddard.photography

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