The Fire Within Keeps on Burning
by Melanie Bridge

International athletes and visitors celebrated the fire within Friday night at the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Almost hidden in the swirl of dancers was Cleona Morgan, whose own fire within keeps her going after 75 years.

Cleona Morgan, a Salt Lake City resident, was chosen to participate in the American West Suite part of the Ceremonies. She was the second oldest member of the 5,000 member cast.

With tears in her eyes and a voice full of emotion, Cleona Morgan describes her experience in a simple cliché, "It was a once in a lifetime experience."

Her experience began last year when she wrote to the Salt Lake Olympic Committee on behalf of the tap dance class she teaches to a group of senior citizens. She told SLOC that she thought the Olympics should include some older people and not just the children.

SLOC responded by sending the group a tryout notice. Morgan tried out with both her group and the tap class that she herself takes.

In the end SLOC chose a 91-year-old man and an 81-year-old woman from the senior's tap group and Morgan and her instructor were chosen from her tap class. When the man dropped out because the activity was too strenuous, Morgan was left as the second oldest member of the cast.

The road to the Opening Ceremonies was not a smooth path for Cleona Morgan. It was more like the rocky hills the pioneers had climbed hundreds of years before.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the first orientation and practice was held, but Cleona Morgan couldn't attend. She was stuck in England with broken ribs, unable to fly home.

Her son Nathan, a South Jordan resident, said, "She is so tough, after breaking her ribs the first thing she worried about was not being able to participate."

Cleona Morgan only missed the first two practices due to her rib injury, but them came her fight with the cold.

The indoor practices weren't so bad, Cleona Morgan said. But in January the cast was moved outside for three day a week practices from 1 pm to 10 pm.

"Those in charge were very nice to us, and we had tents with heating we could wait in when we weren't dancing and food to eat, but oh it was cold," Cleona Morgan said.

It was so cold, in fact, that on February 4 Cleona Morgan was very sick with bronchitis, and she could hardly talk.

Grandson Travis Morgan, who is staying with her during the Olympic Games, said he was afraid she wouldn't be able to participate.

Cleona Morgan got a blessing and believes that the Lord blessed her to recover so quickly. She also went to the doctor to get some antibiotics.

Her doctor at first refused to prescribe them, because he doesn't like to overmedicate people, Nathan Morgan said. Only after she insisted did he prescribe them, but not before asking her if she was allergic to any medication.

"She didn't know," Nathan Morgan said. "She's never really taken antibiotics in her life; she's that resilient."

Cleona Morgan's resiliency came through for her Friday night when she entered the stadium's southwest corner and danced the Virginia Reel.

The cane she carried into Rice Eccles stadium was only a prop because this mother and grandmother can hoedown with the best of them.

"I was kind-of burned out by the time the performance came along, but by the time we got in there the excitement was up," she said.

For her, the entire time spent on the Opening Ceremonies was filled with excitement. Cleona Morgan, who also serves as a hostess at the Conference Center, likes to meet people and in her dancing group she got to know 9-year-old Alexander, whom she will remember forever.

"She's done a lot of amazing things in her life and this is just one more to add to it," Nathan Morgan said.

Her list of amazing things include publishing a children's book, being involved in Promised Valley Playhouse musicals, winning a contest for the best bicentennial play in 1976, and going on a proselyting mission with her husband to Hartford, Conn.

While she is very involved in all parts of life, dancing is her great love. In high school she would go to all the dances after the football games.

"I was in my element; I loved to dance," Cleona Morgan said.

She began taking tap when she was a child from summer recreation classes in Provo, while her mother was in summer school at BYU.

She didn't really show a great interest however until about 13 years ago when she discovered the senior citizen's class that she now teaches. Except for the time spent on her mission and taking care of her husband who died seven years ago, Cleona Morgan has been very involved with her class.

At Christmas time they put on up to three programs a week. This year, with the Olympics and the programs, she admitted it got to be a little much.

For all the cold, injuries, illness and craziness in her life, Cleona Morgan said that every minute of her time spent on the Opening Ceremonies was worth it.

"I've always watched the Olympics and rooted for the USA, but these are more special because they're in Salt Lake and I just had to be a part of them," Cleona Morgan said.

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