7-year-olds & Single Ladies: Appropriate?

[AdminAssistant]

If you think those dance costumes are skimpy I hope you avoid the beach. Swimsuits are skimpier and some little girls don't even wear tops.

I'm saying this one more time and then I give up. *ahem* It is not the amount of skin exposed. It's that THEY ARE WEARING LINGERIE. They are dressed up like cute little hooker Lolitas. There's a huge difference between a bathing suit and lace adorned bra and panties.

[Red Panda]

What exactly in the fundamental difference in amount of sexiness you find in the outfit?

[Rebel]

There's a huge difference between a bathing suit and lace adorned bra and panties.

Really?
Have you looked in the girls-wear section in shops these days?
And some 'normal' shops do sell lingerie style underwear for girls, I wouldn't be too surprised if that's where the costumes were bought.

I'm not the biggest fan of the costumes, but these were never meant to be seen outside of the concert hall. People beyond the girls family, friends, and other dancers in the school were not meant to have seen them.

I'm leaning more towards blaming whomever released the video to the public. Even if their intentions were good (which I highly doubt), they're responsible for all the controversy created.

[Parrothead]

I look at this, and I look at the kids doing it and all I see is kids having fun dancing to a song they like, doing something similar to the original. I see nothing sexual in either dance.

[jedimaster91]

They aren't wearing lingerie, they are wearing a dance costume. Costumes designed to look good while allowing for a wide array of movements and ventilation.

A costume doesn't have to be skimpy to allow movement. I was a ballet dancer from the time I was 5 until my second year of college (minus a couple years I played soccer). I've worn and seen others wear everything from classic length tutus, to business suits (that was a fun piece), unitards, soldier jackets and hats, dance dresses, and my favorite was a belly top and harem pants (Arabian for Nutcracker). In fact, the tutu bodices were the costumes I had the most trouble moving in. Since I was the shorty of the company, I always had the shortest bodice despite being long-waisted, and I was always worried about a wardrobe malfuction if I leaned back too far. The costume that was by far the easiest to move in was a simple camisole leotard with an attached calf-length skirt.

The last time I checked somebody is a slut based on behavior, not based on how they dress

Kids that age don't always know the difference between pretend and real life. By 8 or 9 they're starting to understand the difference, but I still don't think the dance was appropriate.

The only reason somebody would be uncomfortable watching that routine is if they find the children sexual. In that case its their issue as to why they find children who are not particpating in a sexual act sexual. Obviously the majority of people don't think children are a sexual object and shouldn't have to worry about offending those who do

I find that extremely offensive. The dance performance aside, I HATE seeing kids dressed in booty shorts, hooker boots, and tube tops. It's not appropriate. Does that mean I find childeren to be sexual objects? Absolutely not, and I'm disgusted by your implication that I'm a perv because I'm uncomfortable seeing kids dressed like hookers.

Had I been one of those parents, I would have pulled my daughter out of the dance school. Period.

These dancers didn't go out of their community which is made up of mature people who don't think children are sexual.

That's a dangerous assumption. Sometimes the people within the "community" are pervs. One year my dance school brought in a Nutcracker Prince since we didn't have a male dancer at a high enough level to do it. The guy was a creep. He hung out backstage trying to spy on girls making quick changes. Mind you, most of us were under 18. Generally with my old dance school, people leave when they graduate highschool. There are very few who stay beyond that, so the bulk of the school is made up of underage girls. That guy was an adult with a professional company. Don't assume that one of the parents of the girls didn't bring a "friend" who's a closet peadophile.

[Amanita]

I find that extremely offensive. The dance performance aside, I HATE seeing kids dressed in booty shorts, hooker boots, and tube tops. It's not appropriate. Does that mean I find children to be sexual objects? Absolutely not, and I'm disgusted by your implication that I'm a perv because I'm uncomfortable seeing kids dressed like hookers.

Had I been one of those parents, I would have pulled my daughter out of the dance school. Period.

Jedimaster, you said it so well! The pervs aren't the ones who are complaining about seeing kids dressed like little adults. Odds are, the pervs are loving it.
Count me in as another who's very offended by the implication that I'm some sort of pervert because I don't want to see kids dressed in clothes that would probably be considered risque on an adult.

Whatever happened to the boundaries between adults and kids? The idea that some clothing and activities which are fine for adults may not be fine for kids?
Kids should NOT be sexualized, which is why I find the idea of kids wearing mini versions of adult lingerie to be in poor taste. If it's "hot and sexy" on an adult, kids shouldn't be wearing it.

[phantasy]

I feel very offended by this video. Mostly because I'm really jealous at their ability to dance like that...

But even of they danced horribly or something, I'm still really offended by it. The clothing reminds me of sexy lingerie (I'm also offended by those little baby bikinis for 5 year olds...) and I think they could have toned down the choreography a little, it would still show their amazing talent.

Personally, I find classic ballet to require more talent than this type of dancing. This is just a pedofiles' dream.

[AdminAssistant]

Personally, I find classic ballet to require more talent than this type of dancing. This is just a pedofiles' dream.

Classic ballet requires a lot more training, discipline, and rigor than hip-hop or jazz. Jazz and hip-hop are very loose and expressive forms of dance, while ballet has a very strict form.

I dunno...some of their spins and kicks were awesome, but when I watched it the second time I saw a lot of jerkiness, nerves, and dizziness (takes a lot of practice to spin that much in a routine and spot correctly every time).

[Red Panda]

Kids that age don't always know the difference between pretend and real life. By 8 or 9 they're starting to understand the difference, but I still don't think the dance was appropriate.

Unless the kid has some sort of mental problem an 8 year old definitly can tell the differance between reality and fantasy. Even if she can't what if the differance between pretend and real life in this situation? They aren't pretending to be sluts. They are dancing. Kids at that age have very little idea about sex so they wouldn't even know what pretending to be a slut would entail if they wanted to be one.

I find that extremely offensive. The dance performance aside, I HATE seeing kids dressed in booty shorts, hooker boots, and tube tops. It's not appropriate. Does that mean I find childeren to be sexual objects? Absolutely not, and I'm disgusted by your implication that I'm a perv because I'm uncomfortable seeing kids dressed like hookers.

Had I been one of those parents, I would have pulled my daughter out of the dance school. Period.

What offends you about it? Why is it bad for a kid to wear shorts if they are comfortable and apropriate for the weather? You are sexualizing them by thinking "That's an outfit that is something a person who wants to look sexy would wear" when the kid is simply thinking "These clothes are fun and comfortable."

When I see a kid I don't take the time to determind how a similiar outfit would look on an adult and how sexy it would look on them. I think thats more wrong then the kid dressing however they want.

That's a dangerous assumption. Sometimes the people within the "community" are pervs. One year my dance school brought in a Nutcracker Prince since we didn't have a male dancer at a high enough level to do it. The guy was a creep. He hung out backstage trying to spy on girls making quick changes. Mind you, most of us were under 18. Generally with my old dance school, people leave when they graduate highschool. There are very few who stay beyond that, so the bulk of the school is made up of underage girls. That guy was an adult with a professional company. Don't assume that one of the parents of the girls didn't bring a "friend" who's a closet peadophile.

What a good point. In order to protect our children from these pervs we should keep them out of clubs and groups, since we don't know who might be a perve or not, should home school them, teachers could be pervs, only let them outside with a male adult to protect them from pervs, and keep them completly covered from head to toe so pervs can't see any part of their body.

Jedimaster, you said it so well! The pervs aren't the ones who are complaining about seeing kids dressed like little adults. Odds are, the pervs are loving it.
Count me in as another who's very offended by the implication that I'm some sort of pervert because I don't want to see kids dressed in clothes that would probably be considered risque on an adult.

I think the problem is that the video is making people address a part of themselves they don't like and don't want to admit exists. It would be easier for them if no reminder of that part was ever presented to them.

Whatever happened to the boundaries between adults and kids? The idea that some clothing and activities which are fine for adults may not be fine for kids?
Kids should NOT be sexualized, which is why I find the idea of kids wearing mini versions of adult lingerie to be in poor taste. If it's "hot and sexy" on an adult, kids shouldn't be wearing it.

The kids were not sexualized I didn't see them taking part in sexual activity. Were they kissing? Groping? Giving lap dances? No. They were dancing.

And anything can be hot and sexy on an adult. Jeans and a tank top can be hot and sexy, swimsuits can be hot and sexy. I think your judgement of what kids can wear is completly arbitrary and subjective.

[KnitShoni]

What I find offensive is that I'm being told there's something wrong with me because I have an issue with 8-9 year olds looking hookerish and having it "justified" because they're dancing on stage. Strippers dance on a stage, too, in similar outfits.

[jedimaster91]

They aren't pretending to be sluts. They are dancing. Kids at that age have very little idea about sex so they wouldn't even know what pretending to be a slut would entail if they wanted to be one.

Because it teaches them this is the way adults want them to behave. And if a kid doesn't know about sex by 8 or 9, their parents waited too long.

What offends you about it? Why is it bad for a kid to wear shorts if they are comfortable and apropriate for the weather? You are sexualizing them by thinking "That's an outfit that is something a person who wants to look sexy would wear" when the kid is simply thinking "These clothes are fun and comfortable."

No, I'm not. The kids don't know any better, but the parents should. And it's a parent's job to set those boundaries. For the record, I have no problem with comfortable clothing. You're stuck on the idea that comfortable = showing skin. It's not. I'm perfectly comfy in capris and a t-shirt, even when the weather is obnoxiously hot and humid.

When I see a kid I don't take the time to determind how a similiar outfit would look on an adult and how sexy it would look on them. I think thats more wrong then the kid dressing however they want.

Most little kids would love to run around naked all the time. Doesn't mean parents should let them.

What a good point. In order to protect our children from these pervs we should keep them out of clubs and groups, since we don't know who might be a perve or not, should home school them, teachers could be pervs, only let them outside with a male adult to protect them from pervs, and keep them completly covered from head to toe so pervs can't see any part of their body.

Again, not what I said, and I'm a bit concerned you're so blaise about it. Your previous post said that the girls' "community" was made up of "mature adults who don't sexualize children." The point I was trying to make is that may not be the case. You really never know with some people and knowing the risk is what being an adult is about. The kids don't know any better, but the adults do and should be setting a better example.

And anything can be hot and sexy on an adult. Jeans and a tank top can be hot and sexy, swimsuits can be hot and sexy. I think your judgement of what kids can wear is completly arbitrary and subjective.

Sure. But there's a difference between jeans and a tank top and lingerie (although with some tank tops, it's not a huge difference). Kids don't need to be wearing anything resembling lingerie out for the public to see. Neither do adults for that matter, but they're adults and that's their business.

[Rebel]

I think the problem is that the video is making people address a part of themselves they don't like and don't want to admit exists. It would be easier for them if no reminder of that part was ever presented to them.

That's a bad Panda!

Look, I have no big problem with how the girls were dressed or how they were dancing, but I can see why some people might. When I looked at the video all I saw were very talented dancers recreating the Beyonce video feel. Other people here saw it and saw the sexualization of young girls. It's all subjective.
Just because people see it as being a too sexy video for the girls of that age doesn't mean they're doing it because they are subconsciously attracted to them, that's actually a very immature accusation to make.

Now, being that I've stated my position, I can also agree that the costumes are borderline racy. They could have done without the extra details (the little hearts, the lace, etc) on the costumes and still have them looking decent. I saw them as comfy clothing for the dance moves they have to do, but I can also see how they are seen as controversial.

Many costumes these days for dancers of any age can be seen as being too old for the girls age. Many of mine were.

My only argument was why are more people not angry at the person that released the video tape in the first place. In it's original private context, viewed by family, friends, and fellow dancers, there wasn't much of a problem. Now viewed by people not connected to the dancers in any way, a lot of controversy is coming out. The person had to know this would happen. In a way, they've sexualized these girls to the world. That's the person I blame for it all.

[Red Panda]

Because it teaches them this is the way adults want them to behave. And if a kid doesn't know about sex by 8 or 9, their parents waited too long.

It is teaching them that when in a dance recital they should wear dance costumes and dance. Unless they live in the town from Footloose they should be fine with that lesson.

No, I'm not. The kids don't know any better, but the parents should. And it's a parent's job to set those boundaries. For the record, I have no problem with comfortable clothing. You're stuck on the idea that comfortable = showing skin. It's not. I'm perfectly comfy in capris and a t-shirt, even when the weather is obnoxiously hot and humid.

My point is that people should wear what they find comfortable, not what other people think they should wear no matter what the amount of skin is.

Most little kids would love to run around naked all the time. Doesn't mean parents should let them.

No reason to not let them in the right context.

Again, not what I said, and I'm a bit concerned you're so blaise about it. Your previous post said that the girls' "community" was made up of "mature adults who don't sexualize children." The point I was trying to make is that may not be the case. You really never know with some people and knowing the risk is what being an adult is about. The kids don't know any better, but the adults do and should be setting a better example.

You can't protect kids from the evil pedophiles that apparently lurk everywhere all the time. The attitude has gotten so bad that kids aren't allowed to be kids. When I was young I ran through out the neighborhood playing, now kids can't do that because parents assume every adult is a pedophile when that is not only not true but most pedophiles aren't molesters. You can either keep the kid in a bubble for their whole lives or you can let them have fun and keep your fingers crossed that while they are performing a dance routine the pedophiles won't storm the stage and rape them

Sure. But there's a difference between jeans and a tank top and lingerie (although with some tank tops, it's not a huge difference). Kids don't need to be wearing anything resembling lingerie out for the public to see. Neither do adults for that matter, but they're adults and that's their business.

Its a good thing the kids in the video were not in public in lingeriea but at a dance recital in a dance costume.

Just because people see it as being a too sexy video for the girls of that age doesn't mean they're doing it because they are subconsciously attracted to them, that's actually a very immature accusation to make.

I don't think so. People interptet things based on how they see them. If somebody sexualizes plumbers and these girls were dressed like plumbers and dancing then they would think it was sexy.

Its not even that they think the girls themselves are sexy its just that their prudish attitudes attribute seeing skin as being sexy when skin alone is in no way any more sexual then not wearing a hat.