No wonder they call it "Happy Valley."

Want proof? Just switch on the TV tonight.

"Dancing With the Stars," the quick-stepping ABC reality show that went from obscurity to a summertime sensation, is back for a second season of foxtrotting. And this time, three of the 10 professional ballroom dancers are from Utah.

Returning dancers Ashly Delgrosso, formerly of Highland, and Louis van Amstel of Orem are being joined by Draper dancer Andrea Hale in helping B-grade celebrities dance their way to the top of the hit show, which drew 15 to 20 million viewers weekly when it premiered in June.

The show begins its second season tonight with a two-hour premiere at 7 on KTVX Channel 4. A second "results" show airs Friday nights at 7,

In the series, professional dancers are partnered with celebrities to perform such dances as the waltz and fox trot before three judges every Thursday night. The judges' scores are combined with callers' votes and online votes, and a team is eliminated in the "results" show the next night.

The abundance of Utah dancers on the show is a visible sign that Utah County has become a national center for the art of ballroom dancing, something van Amstel attributes to a Mormon culture that promotes music and dancing.

"Parents, for one, think it keeps the kids off the streets and that it's a way to find your soulmate," he said this week while practicing with his dance partner, actress and "Soap Talk" host Lisa Rinna.

It's also because Brigham Young University and rival Utah Valley State College in Orem - both of which have ballroom dancing teams - have developed nationally recognized programs that include degrees in ballroom dancing.

"A lot of it has to do with the influence of the BYU dance program," Hale said. "It has such a big history that has built up over a long time."

When the show's producers were setting up the series in America, professional dancers on the original British version of "Dancing With the Stars" told them about van Amstel, who then put them in touch with Delgrosso and Hale. Utah dancer Rick Robinson has been mentioned as a possibility for the show's third season.

The 26-year-old Hale, an instructor at the Center Stage dance studio in Orem as well at Utah Valley State College, will dance with ESPN personality Kenny Mayne.

Other celebrities slated for the show include Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal ("Paper Moon"), actress Tia Carrere ("True Lies"), TV journalist Giselle Fernandez, actor George Hamilton ("Godfather III"), former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice, former 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey (Nick's brother), and Word Wrestling Entertainment diva Stacy Keibler.

But it's professional dancer Delgrosso who may have the most difficult time with her partner, hip-hop producer and singer Master P, who was a last-minute replacement when his son, rapper Romeo, bowed out.

"I can't lie about that. I am worried. But I also have a lot of faith," Delgrosso said about her partner missing most practices two weeks before the show's live premiere. "A lot of [other dancers] started before Thanksgiving, and they're done with their first piece and on to their second and possibly third piece. I'm not even halfway with the cha cha [the show's first dance] yet."

After the two met, Delgrosso said she practiced only once with the music performer, who has been busy producing music and making a film.

"It has been an adventure for me and a learning experience," she said with a laugh. "It's teaching me patience. It's teaching me that I can't really force someone to practice if they don't want to."

When the show appeared for a limited run in the summer, it became the most-watched series on television, even besting an NBA finals game.

In the end, 22.4 million viewers watched soap star Kelly Monaco beat "Seinfeld" actor John O'Hurley in the finale last July.