There's a difference between dancing and shaking your chest or doing pelvic thrusts although I know those are fairly common dance moves that ones sees on mtv or even high school dance teams. I am sort of prudish, and I thought maybe it was just me but at my older kids HS talent show last year I saw that this does not have to be the norm. At this show, there were kids from two different studios represented. One group was the one that was to perform at our ele. school. Their modern dance routine had the stripper moves. No complaints from me, this was a HS and these were HS kids. Next group was from another dance academy and they did their moves to a current song without one chest shake or pelvic thrust. Both groups had the same positive audience reaction. So why would a parent choose to have their child dance like Brittany Spears or Christina Agulara (sp?) if there is an alternative? Getting awards doesn't cut if for me if it means my child thinks that provocative dancing is okay. but, that's just my opinion.
Just a message of support. That a dance group can encourage young girls to act like somethign they are not is censurable in itself. Parents must be proactive about participating and knowing more about these extra-curricular activities. It is unfortunate that the media reinforces the dance-troupes viewpoint not yours, but then again the media panders to its advertising dollar, not common sense or decency.
I see your point PTO Crazy, but I can see Kathie's point about the dance SOME kids are doing (taught or not by the instructors, they learn it somewhere). It's the dance instructor here we are disappointed in not the idea of dancers.
Nothing is more cute than a little girl tapping her little heart out to "Good Ship Lollipop" or a group line dancing to "Boot scoot'n Boogy" it's the songs and lyrics of creative people that have their place anywherelese BUT a school event OR young students dance class. I love a good Prince CD BUT wouldn't dream (or approve) of my daughter performing to many of his songs. See? (okay maybe Batdance...but that's it!)
Kathie, I have to agree with you about being selective of what dances are done, but I can see both sides of the fence here. My daughter has been (DANCING) since she was three. I believe that the dance instructor's from our studio are very selective of the music they chose, and what dances perform and where. Dancing is an art, it is not teaching children how to be strippers or how to do stripper moves. If you are looking at these dancer's like this maybe you should look a little closer. Our group has preformed at Walt Disney World the Citrus Bowl, and the Macy's Parade. I'm not meaning to "tar and feather" anyone, would just like you to open your eyes to what is really there. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Oh, I know why parents have their kids there. Because they aren't doing the stripper moves right away, it's more the older girls. We live in a small town (2 stop lights) and it's the only dance studio. Very convienent location and probably easy to form a car-pool. I can see if your child is elementary school age and wants to dance you might not want to drive 15 to 20 minutes more for another studio, especially if you have younger kids, etc. But the parents of 6th graders and older don't have as much an excuse in my opinion. Then it's just a case of closing your eyes or lowering your standards....
