Anonymous wrote:It's not about athletics as much as it's about coordination and remembering moves. I'm a dancer (30s now so it's mostly ballroom dancing) and it's a real skill that not everyone can do. Uses my left brain mostly even though people think it's the opposite. I'm a STEM engineer.

Well, it also takes coordination and memory to work a stripper pole. Doesnt change the fact that these children look likenstripoers in training. I bet a lot of strippers have formal dance training.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a suburbs thing? I've seen them on Certifikid etc., but don't know anyone personally here in DC who has their kids doing it. My 7yo's friends do jazz, tap, ballet, etc.

Actually I’m in NoVa and was wondering the same. I’ve never heard of these types of studios around here. Are you in the DMV op?

There are 2-3 studios in NoVa that have grown tremendously in just the last five years. My daughter loves it and in my opinion routines and costumes for the younger ages have been generally appropriate, but I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the routines of the older age groups so we are seriously considering pulling her out which is going to be really hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a suburbs thing? I've seen them on Certifikid etc., but don't know anyone personally here in DC who has their kids doing it. My 7yo's friends do jazz, tap, ballet, etc.

Actually I’m in NoVa and was wondering the same. I’ve never heard of these types of studios around here. Are you in the DMV op?

Nope, don’t deluded yourself. It’s almost every studio. Unless you are affiliated with a university or major dance company, it’s pretty likely at least one of your teachers is a ho. I have an MFA in dance and would never, ever allow my children (either gender) to take dance at a studio. And yes, I earned that snobbery.

And this is why my daughter doesn’t do studio dance. I love the phrase “stripper training!” It’s SPOT ON!

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a suburbs thing? I've seen them on Certifikid etc., but don't know anyone personally here in DC who has their kids doing it. My 7yo's friends do jazz, tap, ballet, etc.

Actually I’m in NoVa and was wondering the same. I’ve never heard of these types of studios around here. Are you in the DMV op?

I think this is a suburbs thing? I've seen them on Certifikid etc., but don't know anyone personally here in DC who has their kids doing it. My 7yo's friends do jazz, tap, ballet, etc.

Who said stripping wasn't a useful skill?

It's not about athletics as much as it's about coordination and remembering moves. I'm a dancer (30s now so it's mostly ballroom dancing) and it's a real skill that not everyone can do. Uses my left brain mostly even though people think it's the opposite. I'm a STEM engineer.

I'm a mom to a boy, but my friends have their daughters in these different dance competitions and post videos and photos on FB and I just cannot handle it. For me, it's definitely fodder for abusers. If I had a girl she wouldn't be in dance. So many things wrong about the makeup, the clothing, the moves....I'm posting here because I have zero courage saying this to anyone I know.

Anonymous wrote:Just chiming in to say that I’ve had to approve routines for middle school talent shows. Fifth and sixth grade girls have wanted to do dances routines from their outside-of-school studios. We’ve had to turn some down because of past uncomfortable experiences with costumes or dance moves (hip thrusts, body waves, etc.) that just didn’t look right coming from an 11 year-old, particularly when paired with pop music with sexual, if not explicit, themes. There are lots of great jazz and hip-hop dance moves and incredible choreography for dancers of all ages. It is unfortunate that so many girls in our region are learning routines that feel a bit icky.

I think this post gets to an important point that may be lost on some parents posting above to tell OP to "lighten up," the dancers are just kids having kid fun, etc.

This post shows that outside competitive dance circles, the routines don't always wow people and don't showcase dance skills because they distract with moves and music that are inappropriate. Dance parents wil say that's only because people outside those circles don't "get it," don't understand the artistry etc. But if a parent found out a routine was too adult for school, why wouldn't that parent question if the studio and the competitions were promoting an ickily adult image for young dancers?

Just chiming in to say that I’ve had to approve routines for middle school talent shows. Fifth and sixth grade girls have wanted to do dances routines from their outside-of-school studios. We’ve had to turn some down because of past uncomfortable experiences with costumes or dance moves (hip thrusts, body waves, etc.) that just didn’t look right coming from an 11 year-old, particularly when paired with pop music with sexual, if not explicit, themes. There are lots of great jazz and hip-hop dance moves and incredible choreography for dancers of all ages. It is unfortunate that so many girls in our region are learning routines that feel a bit icky.

Totally agree with OP. It's gross and these girls are magnets for a pedo . They are also getting the message about using their bodies as boy bait.

Competition dance is focused on flashy and trucks. If she really likes dance, switch her to a conservatory school.

I got turned off by this whole dance kids thing when one of R. Kelly’s victims said, on “Surviving R. Kelly” that “Dance moms” was his favorite show. It crawled under my skin and I never looked at it the same way again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. I don't have daughters but I have a son who is a competitive gymnast at gym with multiple dance and cheer teams. That means I have been to several dance and cheer competitions.

You know what I see? Dance and cheer is, hands down, the most diverse youth sport I've ever seen. They have more racial, body type, location, and socioeconomic diversity than any other sport my kids have ever done or that I have ever seen. The families are really nice, welcoming, and generally positive. The kids seem to be having a ball.

Yes there is a lot of sparkle and glitter and makeup. But these kids are having fun, in a positive environment.

Lighten up.

Totally disagree with you. I see the OP's concerns and distaste as real. The fact that you wouldn't have problem with your 8 or 10 year hip thrusting, ass slapping, and gyrating her way through a performance in a revealing outfits with tons of make up on is fine. The fact that someone else sees it as too much, too soon, and not healthy for girls's emotional and social development does not mean they need to - Lighten up. Perhaps you need to be a bit more responsible adult. See how that works??

Most studios do not do this.

Just the trashy ones, or the studios that cannot score well on technique and artistry.