Is competitive dance a scam?

[Anonymous]

They are teaching these girls to be cheerleaders, wear revealing clothes, and dance provocatively. And I am hemorrhaging money and having to spend weekends waiting around watching this trash. It makes me uncomfortable. If you don’t dance on the “team” you are an outsider at the studio.

But my DD loves dance and she is a natural. I am thinking of transitioning to a studio with ballet only (Vaganova method?) but wondering if these types of ballet studios breed eating disorders.

At my DD’s age (11) it seems that dance studio require a 1 yr commitment + minimum number of classes (2-4 days per week). Makes it difficult if you just want to do it recreationally.

[Anonymous]

This sounds more that you are uncomfortable with the drain on time, money, and provocative dance and costume.

For us, we now have to drive almost 45 minutes each way to go to an activity that meets the criteria we’re looking for. It’s worth it to us in order for DC to pursue the activity—the outlets closer to us do not work, for one reason or another. It sucks but maybe expand how far you’re willing to drive?

[Anonymous]

Well, I’m a former dancer, and my 12 yo DD was never one. It’s not a coincidence.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course it is. Did you honestly have no idea before signing your daughter up? Surely you can deduce this by just looking at the studio’s social media

[Anonymous]

I don’t think ballet schools breed eating disorders more or less than competitive studios.

[Anonymous]

Is there a different studio you can check out? My DD dances and I see some of what you’re talking about but our studio only has “modest” costimes, no stupid cheer faces, no shaking butts. The competitions they enter seem like minded, for the most part. But an all ballet school would be a good way to go, if your DD wants it. Mine wouldn’t. She really likes jazz, tap and lyrical and wouldn’t want to give that up.

[Anonymous]

It's no more a scam than anything else. If your daughter likes it and it's worth the money to you, then great. It sounds like you are looking for more of a recreational dance studio.

As someone who used to dance 3-4 days a week (and was also a cheerleader), the dance teachers/coaches and the other dancers are the biggest indicators of disordered eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I’m a former dancer, and my 12 yo DD was never one. It’s not a coincidence.

This is me too. It's not a scam, but nothing I was interested in doing with my kids.
The ballet schools are less "fun". It may be a hard sell for your daughter after the glitz and glam.

[Anonymous]

My DD loves it and I'm mostly ok with it, but I looked hard for a studio that I was comfortable with. I feel like our costumes and choreography are more modest than most (but might still be too much for some). If it ever started to transition into something I'm uncomfortable with, we'd leave. Luckily our studio owner is a mom, and that seems to guide most of her decisions.

[Anonymous]

All these activities (including travel soccer) are a scam if you are doing it for anything other than current enjoyment and building life skills. If you think there is some financial payoff or elite status at the end of this, then it is a total scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these activities (including travel soccer) are a scam if you are doing it for anything other than current enjoyment and building life skills. If you think there is some financial payoff or elite status at the end of this, then it is a total scam.

PP here. This is a great way to look at it. In comp dance, there are a lot of parents trying to make their kids famous by traveling the country to different conventions and trying to get huge Instagram followings. That's just way too much for my liking (and for what end goal?) so we don't approach it that way.

[Anonymous]

You are a judgy b about the outfits and cheerleaders are athletes. You could not do 1 150th of what a cheerleader can do. Very different from dance.

A lot of studios, the clothes and the dances have input from the dancers. I've seen a very fun tap scene done with overalls and neckerchiefs, with non-revealing moves. There's going to be a mix. And dance is about seeing the human body. Stop making it into something shameful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are a judgy b about the outfits and cheerleaders are athletes. You could not do 1 150th of what a cheerleader can do. Very different from dance.

A lot of studios, the clothes and the dances have input from the dancers. I've seen a very fun tap scene done with overalls and neckerchiefs, with non-revealing moves. There's going to be a mix. And dance is about seeing the human body. Stop making it into something shameful

[Anonymous]

If you love your studio please list it here.

[Anonymous]

It is no more of a scam than lots of things that parents do, particularly travel sports and the like