Dancing gone wrong.

I don't know where you guys stand, but it is my opinion that little girls should stay little girls and dance like little girls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgyV_ooV9Wg

also, I posted something and immediately got a pm saying that I should be executed for terrorism....

Their parents are stupid. I wouldent let my daughter do that (if i had one). That is completley age innapropriate. They should stick to Ballet. Those outfits basically expose them. If an adult woman was wearing that, they would think something ealse of her, even if she's not. Im completely against that. I agree with you Aaron

I saw this on tv news and I know I'm old but this is so disgusting. I agree these are little girls their parents should be ashamed of themselves. I understand they were in the fromt row of the audience, UGH.

I didn't come up with the same response. I do think the costumes were inappropriate. But modern dance requires form-fitting clothing, so it seems to be that something like black tights & leotard would have showed off the dance moves equally well without being inappropriate, and had the kids been costumed appropriately I wouldn't have a problem with them doing this routine. Yes, the routine would be interpreted as suggestive in our culture, but the kids don't know that, and it is also complex, especially as a group routine, and there's lots of things little kids do that can be suggestive to a dirty-minded person over puberty but that the kid has no idea it's suggestive.

Edit: I was an amateur figure skater as a kid. A bad one. But little girls wear extremely formfitting costumes for competition in figure skating, just like older girls & adults, and it's not perverted at all, which I think is why with different costumes it would not bother me. The thing that got me about this video was the outfits.

wstphal said:

Yes, the routine would be interpreted as suggestive in our culture, but the kids don't know that, and it is also complex, especially as a group routine, and there's lots of things little kids do that can be suggestive to a dirty-minded person over puberty but that the kid has no idea it's suggestive.

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Exactly, the kids dont know it, thats why the parent/guardian has to tell them what people think these days and what them wearing that costume will cause people to think. Im pretty sure they are old enough to understand what is going on.

I don't think it's the clothes themself that is 'inappropriate'...but a combination of the clothes and the gyrating/booty shaking/chest-pushing-outing/club dancing and 8 and 9 year old girls....well, it's creepy. I feel bad for those girls.

WOW I am old when I think of modern dance I think of Martha Graham, Twyla... not little girls acting like Brittany Spears. There is no need for little girls to gyrate their hips immitating sex, sorry said I was old.

ps the costumes eeh, they wear bikinis at that age. I do think it added to the overly suggestive view.

The parents whole arguement on the thing is actually pretty frustrating. Their points are "Well, it's popular so it must be ok." And " It was done at a dance competition." Which makes no sense and doesn't defend anything. At all. Like, that's not even relevant, really.

There's another thread on another forum about this, arguments were made on both sides but after a while it became clear that that dance really isn't age-appropriate for those girls, whether they want to do it or not, and whether they know it's sexual on not. Which they do.

As a former dancer I have to say all my old costumes were skimpy even at that age. It was never about looking sexy it's was about being able to freely move and show your lines and posture for competition because your judged on that. In this sense that outfit is pretty standard in all forms of dance so I can't say I was shocked or offended.

The dancing itself was also entirely appropriate for a modern hip hop routine- suggestive to us adults sure, but not suggestive to a child or even suggestive for the form of dance they were displaying. If we take our dirty adult minds out of the scenario and look at pop and hip hop forms of dance which, are by far the most popular form of dance in the US there really was nothing out of line and I would agree this is being blown out of proportion. Professional dancers train from age 2 into their adulthood learning ALL forms of dance to be well rounded and sought after on Broadway, in movies, and other public arenas. I see what your saying believe me, but this was typical of the dance world not provocative.

They've been philosophizing about this on TV for the last two days.
Danielle and Betsy said it better than I could, but the "OK" side is describing it as a dance routine that the girls are exhibiting the mastery of. It is we adults who (cannot resist to) impose our values systems into the dance moves and their relationship to what has become all too commonplace in modern pop culture.

While I can understand the 'academics' of that point of view, I still feel a little weird about watching it. If I were a dad, especially of a daughter, it would be a struggle not to be very old-fashioned...no matter how cosmopolitan and free-thinking I would try to raise my daughter to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fDkArsFaQo&NR=1

No skimpy outfits here.
While I also understand this is the way kids are today, will it be four year olds next year. When is too young too young.
Even harder for me to believe is I'm taking the conservative view of this,:sidestep::sidestep:

Many moons ago I took years of dance, starting at age four. Just the other day I was unpacking some old boxes and there were all my dance costumes. Frills, ruffles, beads and jewels, and just as "skimpy" as the outfits these girls are wearing decades later. As a parent, I'm amazed at the talent of these young girls. As was mentioned above, the adults are projecting their views onto the children. At no point did any of my instructors say "put on these costumes because you'll look sexy or become sexual objects." Those little girls are wearing less provocative clothing than I see youngers on the streets wearing. Their tops are not padded to make them look more sexual, yet you can to go Walmart and find a million types of padded bras made for pre-pubescent girls, as well as underwear and shorts with messages written across the backside. THAT, I find much more inappropriate than these girls performing for their competition. I personally don't see a problem with this at all. I didn't perform as a child and then go on to become a lap dancer or stripper. Even the part of the vid showing the little girls talking to the camera...they look like little girls...not overly mature, precocious sex pots. JMHO.

Well, ever since yesterday, I've been thinking. Do you know what I think would be cool as fashizzle?

Get together "The Ladies Of CS.com" to get together and learn that routine to Beyonce's "Single Ladies".
'If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it...'
Costumes and moves...more like the original video itself.

Now THAT would be a hit.

I think that the video has been taken out of context. If you watch the music video for Beyonce's Single Ladies, you will notice that the routine that the girls do takes parts from the original video, and have been made into an original routine. I think that the girls are quite talented and we should remember that the dance was performed at a dance competition, and not intended for millions of people to see on the internet.

I'm sure the girls realized that the outfits did not cover their arms, bellies, or upper legs, but their hind ends are not exposed at all as the bottoms are shortsm and neither are their chests. The tops are not triangle bikini tops, they are wide bandeau type tops. The outfits are embellished, yes, but the idea that they are meant to make the girls look "sexy" is an adult idea, and an inappropriate one at that. The style of dance is similar to the style of dance that my high school's competitive dance team used when I was in high school. These girls are just getting a leg up on the competition for when they're older. I'm sure they are proficient in other areas of dance as well if they can do the dance they did in the video in question.

Dance styles change over time, and often times older individuals do not find these new styles to be appropriate, but ask yourself; did your parents think your styles of dancing when you were young, were always appropriate? What about your style of clothing, or choice of hairstyle? Did you listen to music that might not have been age appropriate when you were young? Most kids WANT to grow up really quickly, and they absolutely don't want to be treated like babies after a certain point.

The fact that these young girls are doing a "sexual dance" is an adult idea. I highly doubt that the girls associate their dance moves with sex, as I feel that it is very safe to assume that none of them have ever had that experience, or even kissed a boy for that matter. I think that people and the media have blown this way out of proportion. The girls did the dance in a competition, and to win you have to be good. The dance is a contemporary one, not some strange choreographer's attempt to sexualize young girls for the world to watch.

People always want somewhat questionable things like this to become some sort of scandal, and it's quite absurd really. So what if the girls can dance as well as older dancers? They have talent. It may not be the type of talent that some believe is age appropriate, or want their own children to have, but I bet they placed high in that dance competition. The upbringing of a child is the responsibility of the parent, other people should have little to no influence on this unless there is abuse or another serious issue. The girls in the video were having fun, not trying to attract members of the opposite sex.

No it's not, Lucky. That dance, done by anyone, is suggestive. We're not forcing our views on the girls or anything like that. The simple facts are that they're dancing suggestively. And what does it matter what the context is? If they're dancing suggestively they're dancing suggestively! No matter where they are or who they're dancing for.

If I wasn't being pressured to run out the door to work now I'd type more, I'll be back though! lol

It's the newer style of dance. Being 19 as well I would think that you would know that, however you may have more conservative views than I do. I'm saying the idea that the dance is sexually suggestive is an idea that adults have placed on the dance. The girls learned the moves, they don't know what they suggest.

luckycharm318 said:

I'm saying the idea that the dance is sexually suggestive is an idea that adults have placed on the dance. The girls learned the moves, they don't know what they suggest.

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So just because little girls are doing it, that makes it not suggestive?

Everyone is allowed their opinions, but I have to agree with Vicky in this case. Just because the girls are ignorant and don't know it's a suggestive dance doesn't mean it's not a suggestive dance.

Overall, I still find it creepy.

That’s just a little too “sexy” for a 9 year old girl.

What’s this in aid of? A Pedophile convention.:madeuce:

I would assume that all the age groups in the competition were expected to perform the same general styles of dances. The dance is suggestive yes, I agree, but it is a style of dance. That is my point. The video has been blown out of proportion.