Hi all-

Good stuff going on! I told you that I would let you know when movieguide published my article re: DA:NCE. Take a peek! And yes, readers presented me with some thoughtful responses to my article. Look below to read a few of them:

Jadon · My mom watches Dance Moms and Bring It and those shows and the inappropriate costumes and choreography that the girls wear and do plus the fakeness and staged unhealthy conflict makes me feel uncomfortable. This is the direction dance for young girls is going and it kinda upsets me, especially since the shows just influence people further. I remember when I was taking dance classes in 2009 when I was 12 and our practice and recital wear were not skimpy two piece numbers and our choreography even in jazz and tap was appropriate. Our instructors and the owner of the studio was great. What’s happening now, at least on TV, is a sad sign of the times.

 Mary Margaret Bawden ·Jadon, thank you for your insights. There really are 2 kinds of dance opportunities for children in our culture. One offers healthy dance options loaded with plenty of age-appropriate creativity and joy! The other one promotes an unhealthy perspective because it hyper-sexualizes children with adult costumes, choreography and music. Sometimes this environment also bleeds into promoting competitive conflicts in front of children.

There are many outstanding dance educators around the country! I hope you seek out those instructors intentionally and/or educate friends to do the same.

Lisa  ·My kids started out dancing fortunately with a Christian instructor who made sure she kept the choreography appropriate. However some of the groups we watched at dance competitions was shocking! Certainly not something I ever wanted the kids to copy. Thanks for the resource ~ terrific!

 

Mary Margaret Bawden ·

I’m glad to hear of the dance studio your children attend! I hope that when you see ‘shocking’ dances at competitions, you take the time to discuss this issue with your kids. Educated, caring adults use these situations to bring awareness to children so that they can make healthy future choices.

 

Lisa Koska ·They ended up going into Theatre. So far Children’s theatre doesn’t have the same issues with immodesty. They still learn dance routines but it’s more Broadway style or they end up as an object or animal. It’s kind of ironic they would only act sexy if cast as a prostitute or loose woman. Some of the verbal lines can be more of a concern however.

 

Shelley Sanchez Edwards ·I, too, have a B.A. in Dance from UC Riverside. I definitely agree with the inappropriate movements that are taught to many youngsters today. I have been both a dance teacher and elementary teacher. I enjoy introducing elementary children to dance to music that is appropriate for their age. I remember seeing The Christian dance group Magnificat perform at Harvest Church in Riverside and being swept away to the beauty of their movements as they praised our LORD.

And “Singin in the Rain” is one of my absolute favorites!��

 

Mary Margaret Bawden ·

Nice to hear from you Shelley! I’m curious-when did you graduate from UCR? I’m so glad to hear that you are a dance educator! It’s wonderful to see children introduced to movement and watch the joy, thinking skills and creativity. And yes, I’ve seen Ballet Magnificat. They are wonderful!!!!

Anne Granito Crowe “Singin in the Rain” is my favorite movie! I never get tired of seeing it! Why does Hollywood have to make a mockery of healthy, fun and clean dance! We are missing so much in this country by going down hill with our morals! I am so tired of seeing this kind of behavior no matter where you turn, today. Children need to be protected, not thrown to an immoral lifestyle! Will we ever go back to a cleaner, more safe society????

 

Mary Margaret Bawden ·

‘Singin in the Rain’ is obviously one of my favority movies too. It is so much fun….when I was little, I splashed in the rain to imitate Gene Kelly! On another note. I think that the challenge in dance(as with so many issues) is to educate the culture to make healthy, age-appropriate choices!