When Beyonce sings and dances to a song called Single Ladies it’s age appropriate and sends a message loud and clear that tells grown women if you’re not getting what you want out of a relationship, than move on.
When seven year old girls slap on satin and lace hooker outfits and dance to Single Ladies,
it takes on a whole new meaning.
“Up in the club, we just broke up
I’m doing my own little thing
you Decided to dip but now you wanna trip
Cuz another brother noticed me
I’m up on him, he up on me
dont pay him any attention
cuz i cried my tears, GAVE three good years
Ya can’t be mad at me”
Seven year old girls are not supposed to be gyrating and pelvic thrusting to songs about clubs and being up on anyone.
“Cuz if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it”
Seven year old girls are not supposed to be shimmying about rings or who should and should not be putting one on them.
“I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips
hold me tighter than my Dereon jeans
acting up, drink in my cup
I couldnt care less what you think
I need no permission, did I mention
Dont pay him any attention
Cuz you had your turn
But now you gonna learn
What it really feels like to miss me”
Seven year old girls are not supposed to be dressed provocatively while shaking their asses to songs about men “on their hips”, or tight jeans, or drinks, or making men miss them by moving on to other men.
“Don’t treat me to the things of this world
I’m not that kind of girl
Your love is what I prefer, what I deserve
Is a man that makes me, then takes me
And delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond
Pull me into your arms
Say I’m the one you WANT
If you don’t, you’ll be alone
And like a ghost I’ll be gone”
Seven year old girls are supposed to “prefer” Disneyland and Pet Pals and Toy Story…not a man that takes her “to infinity and beyond”…unless we’re talking about Buzz Light Year. And that’s where I draw the line.
This??
Totally inappropriate.
{ 118 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you. Inhave 2 daughters in dance (5 & 11) and if they ever danced like that, I’d pull them out. My 11 yr old saw thuds and she was shocked. She thought it was not right.
Dang iPhone keeps changing my words. Should be “I have” and “saw this”.
AGREED! This was wayyyy too much! We need to do better with our young people, starting TODAY!
I completely agree! We wonder why young ladies have no self-esteem anymore and dress so provocatively… parents are encouraging it at a young age. It disgusts me! We are a sex crazed society and I think the video you posted confirms that. We dress our innocent children up as hookers and pay money for them to prance around stage shakin’ what their mama gave em’. If it were me I would not have let my child participate in such an event.
WHO are the mothers that let their girls do that? What kind of values are they learning? Ugh.
Oy, I saw that the other night on AOL’s newsbar. I could. not. believe. it. As a former dancer and a former cheer coach, I was absolutely STUNNED that a teacher/parent/coach would consider the music and or moves appropriate for children!! What’s worse…the CROWD is going wild. This video is like a pedophile’s dream come true. If I caught my child’s dance teacher trying to teach a routine of that nature to my daughter, I’d remove her from the school immediately. Really…just…really…
I had heard about this and couldn’t believe it! But now that I’ve seen this video I am appalled! Who in their right mind could believe this is appropriate?? I would even hesitate to use this song for high school dance students much less 7 year olds! I took nine years of dance and my instructor would have be crucified!
I’m of the mindset–what the hell were the parents thinking letting their girls dance to the song and dress in the outfits.
Amen, sister! This is appalling!
Yikes. I don’t even think the dancing was all that racy – but the outfits and song choice were way too provocative for girls that age. Had they been in leotards and hammer pants, like I grew up dancing in, that would have seemed a lot less like an all nude review.
But then again, Vegas girls gotta start somewhere, Kat.
I feel so bad for these girls. They are obviously very talented, hard-working dancers, but someone make a very bad decision in letting them put together this performance.
I absolutely agree BUT I believe that part of it is that the parents do not see the sexuality in the dance. Parents don’t see that behavior in their children. Sex and their small child in the same context – it’s just not in their brains.
Remember, the song does make an appearance in a children’s movie (which I also thought was inappropriate) though the parents SHOULD have been more proactive in reviewing the lyrics.
These girls are awesome dancers, I just attended a recital with HS Seniors who’d been dancing for a decade that couldn’t pull that off, It is a huge shame that the adults in their lives put them in this situation, where they are being not only sexualized but are at the center of a controversy about it instead of being applauded for their talent and hard work. I don’t think the parents sat down and said “Hey, let’s make our kids SEXY!” (and if they did then there’s a much larger problem here) but they really should have been able to look at the parts and seen that on the whole it was inappropriate. And now that this has happened – they need to own their mistake and be proactive instead of going with the *LAME* defense (not direct quote) “this is just how competitive dance is.”
Great comment! Fully agree with you on all of this and the girls really do have amazing dancing capabilities…just a shame their talent was used in such a manner.
Where were these girls parents? There was a questionable song chosen for my daughter’s ballet show last year & all of the parents had a fit. We pretty much refused to participate if new music was picked.
If this was my child’s dance studio and this was her routine at the dance recital…we’d be looking for a new dance studio….7 year olds should not wear thigh highs or gyrate to songs about clubs, a man on my hip, drink in my cup, etc. Now, I like Beyonce’s song – but there is something SO wrong about the choreography for these young girls and to this song. Is their instructor a former stripper? Their mothers ought to be embarrased they let this happen!
Oh nononononononononono.
I am going to go lock my baby in her room and not let her out until she’s 18 if this is what’s considered appropriate.
That’s just wrong on so many levels…
Where’s CPS when it’s needed?
These girls are phenomenal dancers and because of some SERIOUSLY bad decisions on their adults’ parts, they are getting negative attention instead of the positive reinforcement they deserve for being so talented and working so hard. Even Beyonce didn’t have as racy an outfit in her music video! I can understand wanting to do a popular song but do something that isn’t going to make your kids look like they belong on a pole. Completely ridiculous on the parents’ part. Stop living through your kids and just let them be kids!
I’m with you, totally inappropriate.
Well there go 5 strippers in the making. It’s disgusting, and so very sad.
Ok – where in the heck was the whole wide world when I saw the commercials for that chipmunks movie and said to everyone “Hey, wait a minute – this is NOT a song for a kiddie movie?!?!!?!?!?!?”
But nooooooooooooooooo….it takes 9 year old’s looking like hookers on stage in real life before anyone reacts.
We should have seen this coming from a mile away. Just sayin.
I never voiced it on my blog, but you are not alone in that! When the 1st one came out my kids were too little for it. When I heard the second one was coming out, I thought we might watch the 1st one since they were a little older – until I saw the commercial with that song. Don’t let Hollywood decide what’s appropriate for your kid. Even Disney isn’t necessarily a good influence… whether it’s running away to be married at 16 – to a stranger, or getting pregnant when 16. One is a Disney movie & one is IRL Disney actress, but not that different.
Where are the parents in all of this? My child would not be out on that stage dressed like that or dancing to that song. They just provided amazing eye candy for the pedophiles. Amazing.
That is so SAD to me. :( What message are we sending our young ladies out there?!
AMEN SISTER!!!! Sure they are fabulous dancers and turn like nobody’s business but if my daughter (who is a competitive dancer also) would have been on that stage I would have pulled her off and slapped the director of that studio stupid for thinking that was okay. XOXO
Uggg, and people wonder what is happening to kids these days. Those girls are amazing dancers and could have done a more subdued dance with MORE CLOTHING ON and done an absolute fabulous job. If they would have done it in a more tasteful way, then people would be talking about how good they dance instead of how inappropriate the dance is.
OMG I saw this a while ago. It is so upsetting. How on earth can a parent honestly not have a problem with this! The list of things that are wrong with it are endless. The outfits, the sexual dancing, the lyrics. It makes me sad that children are losing their innocence at such a young age. These parents really should be ashamed of themselves.
That is seriously messed up. And we wonder why our daughters have issues when they become teenagers.
Wow. They are freaking AWESOME little dancers! Was it age appropriate? Nope. Not in the least. But holy cow, those girls are fabulous! They don’t realize at that age what the song means, to them it is a great song to dance to and they are beyond good! I’m impressed! (And I am a parent of three daughters, who is not ashamed to think that those little girls will grow up to have great dance careers in which the props don’t include a pole.)
DITTO what Amanda said. I don’t know what was more shocking—-the 7 year old girls pulling those dance moves or the ADULTS going WILD over watching them. It is a pedophiles dream. And Mothers should think about that.
But instead, I’d bet they were just busy posting it to their Facebook and talking about how those girls are going to CLEAN UP high school. These are the mothers who get drunk at clubs with their underage daughters and wear their clothes.
Okay, I need to get off my Soapbox but I’m just disgusted by this.
Oh.my.goodness… You’d think some of the parents would have seen this during their practices! and put a stop to it or pulled their kid… I know I would have. And I didn’t realize some of the lyrics! At our Christmas dinner, we’re going to have to stop calling the teen & below girls table the “single ladies table”. Or the “Single ladies and Josh table”…
The saddest part is that these girls are YOUNG and GOOD. Now they are all over yahoo/aol/twitter/facebook for being “sluts.” I blame the parents and the dance choreographer. That’s just my personal opinion but they didn’t teach the dance to themselves and I’m sure they didn’t pick the costumes. It’s been a looong while but I danced for almost 10 years and never once did we just open a catalog and pick the costumes, we were always shown what we were going to wear, and these costumes are too much. Let’s cover these girls up, choose a more appropriate song, less girating and show off their talent, they almost all have mad skills in the pirouette business, let’s see some more dance and less sex!
Every decade has its little dancers dancing to inappropriate songs. In the ’90s it was little girls dancing to Aqua’s Barbie Girl, or some Spice Girls song. These videos show up every few years to remind us how society is sexualizing little girls. Like we need the reminder.
Holy Crap!! I cannot believe their mothers allowed this! Well actually sadly enough I can… this world… I am tellin ya! aackk!
This makes me sick to my stomach!!! I just blogged about it too…
OMG.. I’m speechless!
That doesn’t happen often!
As a former dancer and coach, I was not too surprised; I’ve witnessed worse. The adults involved certainly should have selected a more appropriate costume and everything should have been more age appropriate. My high school dancers may have been allowed to perform to sections of the song but they would never be dressed that provocatively.
However, as someone who has been involved in dance for 17 years, I’ve seen younger dancers in costumes that are just as racy as those and performing moves better suited for the pole. I have wondered on more than one occasion where the heck the parents were.
Holy hell. This is why I am so very happy to have a boy. And if I had a girl, there would be no way she’d be doing THAT at seven or 17!
Where are their parents?
I got about 12 seconds into that and had to stop watching it. And then I read comments saying that these girls were good dancers and watched a few more seconds. 32 seconds into it I just couldn’t watch anymore. Who in the hell lets their small child dance like that AND dress like that? Seriously. I don’t understand it. AT. ALL. What is wrong with parents who allow or encourage that? In this day and age you can not promote your child like that. I don’t care how much the parent says they are doing it for the child, it is all about their own attention and crave for fame. And selling their small child out for it doesn’t matter. We are supposed to be teaching and protecting our children and this is a prime example of what NOT to do. It’s terrible.
I agree!
To everyone who’s asking where the parents are: they’re in the audience, on their feet and applauding. Sorry, but that’s true.
There’s a certain type of parent that allows for this… traditionally known as the stage mom. (Think Dina Lohan, Lynn Spears, the mothers on Real Housewives of NJ.) They are the ones living vicariously through their young children, who hand them eyeliner and lipstick and bustiers at 5 years old, who are straightening curls with an hot iron and bleaching baby teeth and telling their little girls to get up on stage and make mommy proud. They get angry when titles aren’t won, when trophies aren’t brought home, when modeling contracts aren’t given. They push, they berate and the kids dance harder and harder, working like adults.
They are the ones responsible for this. It’s not even that they should know better… it’s almost a sickness that sets off a bizarre vicarious relationship in motion. These parents need help.
The truth is, these girls in this video are seriously talented. (I’d say it’s too bad they’re not in tutus and toe shoes doing ballet but that can be a whole other nightmare from hell. At least it’s not sexualized, though.) They could use their talents to get scholarships and into good colleges and dance schools. Instead, it’s this mess. So sad.
On the upside. They have learned a valuable skill for later. You know when they are pole dancing their way thru college.
But on the flip side? I was them.
At their age I performed a sexy little number to “Its raining men’ in nearly identical outfits. Oh except we wore heals. That was 20 years ago.
The dance competition circuit has not changed much at all. And is no worse than it always as been for young girls. Except now we have You Tube.
And for the record? I would never ever ever let a daughter of mine do the dance thing. So unhealthy on many many levels. Even though I went on to dance professionally.
Oh my word – that is horrible!
Damn, as many people have said, this isn’t that shocking, competitive dancing can get way out of hand and people lose their perspective when they get sucked in.
But how freaking crazy. And how freaking sad. Because the girls ARE amazing dancers. You can see the huge talent! If you peer past the sluttiness.
Little kids sing songs about sex they don’t understand. They will be exposed. But that doesn’t mean we should push them to embody such songs. I mean, 7-year-olds should not know how to shimmy, or that thrusting their hips is a dance move. Period. That does nothing to add to the talent of the dance, it just makes it inappropriate!
Geeze. I am so disturbed, even though I’m not surprised…*sigh*
I just wanted to say that… yes it was a bad choice of music/outfit…. those little girls…(remember.. they are little girls here) are FABULOUS dancers… and I really cant believe how many people are saying things about the girls…. calling them sluts… saying they are gonna grow up to be strippers… sheesh…. lets give them to about 16 or 17 before we start judging and throwing stone ya ‘all……
At this stage of the game… you should be chucking your big ole rocks at the parents/coaches who let them put together such a suggestive routine…. they obviously are lacking a proper role model.
Sadly.. it IS how it is for most now a days….
Ok… Oh my god… I cannot believe this! What are parents thinking allowing their little girls to do that kind of thing? You would have thought they’d have learned something from Jon Benet Ramsey’s death – you can’t dress ‘em up like hookers and parade them around AND keep them safe… not gonna happen. These parents are just asking for trouble. Totally beyond inappropriate!
*sigh*
Holy smokes.
Saw the headlines but didn’t read up because I had NO CLUE it was this bad. But I guess when the mainstream media thinks its newsworthy, then it must be beyond appropriate.
I blushed watching 10 seconds of this – I am disgusted that parents think this is okay… or at least the parents of these girls. SHAME.
Ugh, I need to go scrub my brain.
gotta confess I didn’t watch the video because the pics were enough so am willing to go with the consensus these girls may be triffic dancers but in those costumes? And that song? Somebody somewhere wasn’t watching this thing properly from a long time back.
Is it bad that I’m a little torn on this one? I mean, I DO see some of the dance moves as “provocative” and I don’t agree with them.
However, I think the song does most of the damage here. If they had chosen a different song, I think they would be looked at A LOT differently for the way they’re moving.
I would agree it’s on the “little too much” side of things, but I hope these girls aren’t criticized too harshly for it. It’s not really their fault and they’re most definitely talented!
I think I threw up a little in my mouth … what parents let this happen?
great post and thanks for sharing the vid. i tuned into the view this morning and i think the ladies were talking about this vid and it got heated. i missed the first part so i had no clue what they were referring to. i think the girls are amazing dancers, but certain “moves” of that dance routine are wrong. wrong. wrong. i like the song, but not for a 7 y.o. recital, and the costumes are totally inappropriate. i’m sure a few of the girls, their parents, and the dance instructor will make the daytime talk show circuit soon. take care, mama k.
I’ll be the first to admit that I let my kids listen to ALL types of music. I’m just not strict about that. BUT – they are NOT allowed to watch MTV and if I ever caught my almost seven year old dancing like this, I would be PISSED. I know she won’t and doesn’t, but if I did see this I would be beside myself. WTF is wrong with these parents??????
I am glad that CNN felt it was too sexy, appalled that the parents of the girls didn’t see a problem with it.
The girls just wanted to be like the chipmunks, (shame on disney for making the song a “kids” song) but bigger shame on the parents and dance teachers. I was at a dance competition on Saturday and there was a team that did this same song. They had modest costumes and kept the dance moves clean – but it was still not age appropriate. It was the dance instructor and the parents that went with the costumes – put the girls in the costumes similar to the chipmunks and their technique would have been what people noticed.
I could not believe the parents were blaming those that have watched the video for making it “sexy” and for putting “labels” on it and that the parents were defending their decision to allow their 8-9 year olds to dress the way they did. One mom said, “those are dance costumes – that’s all – dance costumes have lace and rhinestones” oh my goodness. I loved that CNN pointed out the Beyonce and her dancers had MORE clothes on than these little girls. SHAME SHAME SHAME on the parents. These girls are dedicated, talented and beautiful.
Let’s hope next year at the WoD competition they do a number with clothes on and age appropriate lyrics for them to be singing along with.
Oh…I have no words.
Wrong! Just wrong!
What I don’t understand is why the adults involved in this ‘performance” don’t seem to think it’s wrong.
i saw a clip of the parents on GMA, and they defended it up and down, saying it was all taken “out of context”–as if children wearing those costumes and dancing like that would be appropriate in ANY context.
i don’t think anyone here is (or should be) calling the girls sluts: pointing out that they are dressed like prostitots is not the same thing. dressing little girls like that teaches them that value (and applause) comes not from hard work and talent but from being sexy and revealing your body–NOT the message we want them to live out as teens and young women.
it saddens me, but i hope it is a springboard for discussing heallthy sexuality and body image with girls–and hopefully beginning to change the kind of culture that says being sexy is the only way to be a woman of value.
I don’t even need to watch the routine to find it inappropriate. Those costumes are inappropriate. They could have danced to “When You Wish Upon A Star” and it would be inappropriate in those outfits. What the hell are people thinking?????
Oh, I’m so with you on this one. I wrote about this on Friday. It is appalling, and I can’t believe that the parents think it is ok.
My daughter used to do dance competitions, but we quite because – sadly, this type of thing is all too common.
How could you feel as a dance instructor that this is appropriate? How could you feel as a parent that you could let your daughter dress like this? How could you feel as a parent that they could DANCE like little strippers?
I realize that morals and values in families have gone very much downhill especially in recent years, but are you kidding me? Put some pink princess tutus on those girls and let them dance to Girls Just Want to Have Fun (I was going to say Hannah Montana but we all know she’s trying to be just like those little girls playing dress up pole dancer)
OK…so I totally agree that this is inappropriate, but DAMN! Those girls can DANCE!!! I’ve gotta give them some credit! I only *wish* I could dance like that!
I took dance as a little girl, and we danced to Little Mermaid songs and Swedish Rhapsody. What has happened? I can’t believe the parents were okay with this. There is no way I would let my daughter.
These girls are great dancers, but I do believe that is not a song for a 7 yr. old to dance too. I’m sure the parents didn’t think it would create such a big ordeal either. I don’t have kids, but I would not allow my child to dance so provactively and show midriff like that. I did ballet and jazz when I was that age, we danced to fun songs and had a great time; without showing midriff. I don’t think there is anything wrong with dancing at that age, you can do it classy!
What the?! Are you kidding me???!!
Okay, first of all, I have to say they did a good job but NO, NO, NO!!!! NOT APPROPRIATE. ONE. BIT!!!!!! I’m sorry but I would totally FREAK if I saw my child gyrating and dressed like that!!!! Their parent’s “okaying” this is just sending these little girls a message that this is “ok” and um…NO IT’S NOT!! I would hate to see how these young girls are acting in 10 yrs. The parent’s had better pay very close attention otherwise they’re gonna find their daughter completely out of control. BUT….since they think THIS is okay, who know what they’ll think is okay when these girls are 17yrs. *shaking my head* THIS is what is wrong with society, among other things!!!
Costumes…inappropriate….
Song…plays on the radio…have you LISTENED to ANY of the songs that play on the radio these days??? Lady Gaga? Rhianna…and I quote ” I like the way you pull my hair, I like the way you touch me there, if I don’t feel it, I ain’t faking no more”…
The inappropriate-ness is EVERYWhere…our kids are doomed!
That is so disturbing on SO many levels. Several years ago when my daughter cheered another squad had their girls dressed in “French Maid” outfits that practially was a bra size tube top and barely bikini bottoms with lace on the butt and these girls were about 13 . . . just old enough to be so inappropriate. I couldn’t believe the parents let them out on stage like that.
uuuummm, “Ewww” is all I can say!
Yikes. This is one reason I am thankful for all my boys.
Wow…I just wrote a post to publish tomorrow about this very subject. It’s almost scary…
I am horrified…I would have boycottedthe song first, then the outfits (FOR SURE!) and then the dance studio that allowed that. Young girls should not be taught that such behavior (even if it is ‘just a dance’) is acceptable!
there is NOOOO way in HELL I would let my daughter dress in anything remotely close to the “costume” they look like strippers-plain and simple and the parents should be ashamed for letting their daughter be dressed like that and the dance teacher should be ashamed for picking out that “costume”. this is setting a completely WRONG example for those little girls they should never think their body is something that can get them somewhere, unless the parents want them to use their bodies to get knocked up at 16!
SHAME on them!
I saw this on The View this morning. I was appalled! Who would teach a dance routine like that to little girls and who are the parents that allowed their girls to do it? And who is the pervert that put the video on YouTube? Very frightening. Makes me grateful I have all boys!
Awful, awful, awful!! I completely agree with everything you said. It freaks me out to even put Delia in dance here, as it is all very competitive and too risque for my taste. Yikes.
Those outfits are horrendous. That’s not something I would wear on stage as an adult because it’s too racy. I may as well go work at a strip club if that’s what I’m going to wear.
How can so many parents be oblivious at the SAME TIME?
OH. MY. GOD. This is absolutely nutso! Who approved this routine? The parents HAD to know…right? I find it hard to believe that not ONE of the THOSE moms or dads thought this was okay. These girls are very talented dancers to be only 7-8 years old…but this is wrong on sooooo many levels.
Reminds me of the toddlers and tiaras where the mom bought a cop ‘costume’ complete with handcuffs for her 3 year old to preform with. Parents need to be parents.
I am at a loss for words. Where are their fathers? My husband would have lost his mind!
Shame on the girls parents and the dance teacher! I agree with you… it is wrong!
My daughter is invovled in dance and our region is still modest and unsexual in dancing for girls. But many regions are not this way (we can see it at the competitions). Who thinks that GIRLS (not women) being sexy is a good thing? It’s completely out of place and totally unnecessary to be a good dancer and a good performer. Sexualizing children is ALWAYS a bad thing.
That is bad, bad, bad!!! I don’t even want my daughters wearing stuff where their belly hangs out. Who wants creepy old pervs looking at their daughters and getting “ideas”!?
I think I just have a really different opinion than a lot of other people that have seen this. My daughter is in dance and I do not see the routines until recital and I don’t see the costumes until after they are ordered. I have zero input into the dances or what she wears. None of her cosutmes are like this, but she isn’t in Hip Hop, she is in ballet and tap.
I think that the teachers that choregraphed this routine and the person that posted the video and the parents that cheered on their daughter saw exactly what it was, cute little seven year old that dance really well. I bet it never entered their minds that this had sexual overtones. It is everyone else that has seen that has put those labels on it.
I think it was a hip hop routine with pretty standard hip hop moves to a really popular song from a popular kid’s movie. I think it is really sad when people’s minds automatically jump to something else.
Just my opinion.
I think the lyrics speak for themselves. We don’t need to let our minds jump there, it’s spelled (or sung) out for us. Being from a popular kids’ movie shouldn’t make it alright – and I can only speak for myself but if I showed up to a performance having not seen the costumes or the routine before hand and saw this? I would have been mortified.
I can’t even watch the video, the photo is horrify enough. It’s sad, totally inappropriate and disgusting.
If these little girls are dancing, acting, and being exposed to this now…what is going to be happening when they are 16?
I just have to sadly wonder.
Megan
http://reddirtandcrazy.blogspot.com/
I saw this on the news the other night and was so angry! What kind of parents and teachers think this is ok? I was going to blog about it but I was too darn mad and would have not been able to control what came out of my fingers as they flew across the keyboard and slammed on submit!! Your post was great. You are 100% right it is TOTALLY inappropriate.
Wow. I’m still in shock about what I just saw, which makes me so very glad I don’t watch the news at all.
I have a 2 year old girl and even though a part of me was marveling at what fantastic dancers these 7 yr olds are, the mom in me was screaming “are you CRAZY?”
I had a curfew at 21. ‘Nuff said.
My husband told me about this. I didn’t see it, but man…that is just totally sick and wrong! Let’s make our daughters look and act like skanky hoes! Just saying.
Wow. So inappropriate. These are obviously talented girls, and I’m sure they could have shown their skills in a much more age appropriate manner.
err…what were their parents thinking?!! I am speechless seeing this… oh gosh…
When I first heard about this, it really made me sick. 12 year old girls dancing like that would have been inappropriate. 7 year old girls dancing like this is just disturbing. I don’t get the disconnect with the parents seeing no harm in this. I’m not a prude, but come on!! It was the song, the dance moves, the sexy gyrations, the revealing costumes, all of it! So wrong! It makes me sad that this is the world we live in. When I was 9, we sang “You Light Up My Life” by Debbie Boone and halfway through rehearsals, the PTA decided it was inappropriate for us to sing as it had some lyrics that were – in their opinion – risque. In retrospect, they were incredibly harmless and innocent (“you fill my nights with song” and “it can’t be wrong, when it feels so right”), especially when I see stuff like this. Shame on those parents. But wow, those girls are incredibly talented!
Ya, I toally agree with you there. My daughter is 11 and I think I would pull her right on out of that dance group!
I actually had to blog about this today myself … these girls can DANCE dang it – their talent is completely undermined by the ick factor of this whole thing. sad. sad. sad.
This song and video was garbage when Beyonce did it for this exact reason. Kids look up to her (why I’m not sure). She should, as well as others, be more responsible with what they are putting out there. It’s all garbage!
Wow…those girls are 7? So sad. That’s definitely NOT how 7 year olds should be dancing, or dressed, imo.
My stomach turned when I first saw this and the parents interview – sickening.
At my daughter’s baton recital this weekend an 8 year old girl performed a routine to Britney Spears’ song about Threesomes.
I was so horrified by my daughter’s dance recital outfit that I asked her teacher if they were going to give out stripper poles rather than trophies and we’re NOT going to back to that dance school.
My favorite was the 4th grade girl that dressed up in heels and a strapless dress for the Christmas recital at school while she sang, “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Right. Isn’t that song basically about a guy trying to get a girl buzzed so he could make out with her? Totally appropriate.
I’m wondering why the parents of those girls weren’t arrested for child porn for posting it on the web? or for letting them dance in front of an audience–looks like exploitation of children to me.
One day last week my 5 year old came home singing a bit of this song. I wondered WHY in the WORLD she or any of her friends would possibly be interested in the song Single Ladies.
Last week I had to RSVP for a birthday party and when the answering machine message played I was serenated by my daughter’s friend singing I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas. I couldn’t believe that the mother thought that song was anywhere near appropriate for her daughter to be singing.
Then I discovered the answer: The Squeakquil
Why couldn’t the makers of the Chipmunk movies have made it a little easier for us parents and picked songs that would be appropriate for the children who adore those characters?
Just like Amy mentioned, the girls dancing in that video to Single Ladies probably just wanted to be like the Chipettes. But those ‘costumes’? Some adult should have just said ‘No’!
That is GROSS. I can’t understand parents who would do that to their kids. I got upset because the kids in my son’s 2nd grade class started singing it on the playground, but that’s a bit different than the kiddy-porn those parents were going for. Ew! Just because it’s a catchy tune doesn’t make it okay for your kids. On a same note my son came home telling me he had to practice for a routine for field day. I looked up the song on iTunes and found it came from an album that was marked “explicit.” What?
When I was 9, my mom made me sit out of the Little League Cheerleading competition because she (and dad) saw the dance moves as stripper moves. I remember she yanked me out of practice when we all had our hands on our hips grinding down clear to the ground and back up–and I was humiliated. All my friends (and their moms) stared at us and I felt Amish. That was the end of my cheerleading career!
Sadly, this is the way a lot of dance and cheerleading stuff is. I remember seeing friend’s jazz dance costumes that were skimpier than my little girl bikini. I remember my best friend had body issues at 7 because her little baby fat tummy puffed out below her ridiculous tube top costume.
Parents have to check out their kid’s dance studios. If Mom sees a move that concerns her, she should talk to the dance instructor–and the other moms! Money talks…and yanking your kid out is $ out of the studio’s pocket.
I don’t know how parents could possibly be okay with that. My mom would have murdered me if I had dressed that way or danced that way even when I was 17. Little girls shouldn’t dance or dress that way. It’s so wholly inappropriate. I can’t believe their parents ever thought this was okay.
Get out of my head! Because you just said everything *I* would have said.
Soooooo inappropriate. So scary. So sick that their Moms agreed to this.
(I’m going to go buy my girls some VERY long skirts. And maybe some burkas.)
Yeah…what you said!
Those little girls are certainly talented, but whoever thought those costumes or that choreography was ok for them needs to find a new job.
I’m absolutely stunned. I know I wouldn’t be all right with either of my daughters participating in such a routine, and my eldest is 13! What were the adults, who were involved in this, thinking!
Seems to me that the period that is defined as “childhood” is becoming shorter and shorter with each passing year. They’re supposed to be kids, not “little adults”.
Wow. Are you kidding me? I hadn’t heard about this, and honestly it scares me to death. I have two boys and I worry all the time about their future wives and pray they some parents out there are teaching their daughters the importance of values, standards and self-respect… like I said, this scares me! So messed up on so many levels!
Is anyone else reminded of the horribly inappropriate Christmas costumes/performance in Mean Girls? And they were in high school!!
There is no doubt these little girls can dance, but the content and dance moves are so beyond! I mean, did you see the girl lipsyncing the words??? How does she even know them? If I were a parent I would be happy to sit through another Nutcracker ballet routine than see my little girl doing this sexually-charged performance. And for it now to be on the Internet?! I would not my little girl dancing and dressed like that on the Internet where anyone could see. Shameful!
I don’t understand what makes people think this is a good idea.
The video doesn’t work anymore, but just that picture makes me wanna puke. It really scares me that I have a three year old daughter and she’s only going to be getting older…
I agree – highly inappropriate. Princess Nagger is 7 and I would never dream of having her dance like that – or dress like that. I’m still trying to find the pause button, not the fast-forward button!
Just getting around to reading your post on this. SO well written, Mama. Those lyrics are something else. It’s OK when my 3-yo dances because she likes the sound of the music, but when a 7-yo is dancing in that kind of attire, and singing the words and moving the way they did, uhm, yeah, not havin’ it.
Agreed! Cant believe anyone would think that was appropriate. And I am pretty liberal :)
Have to admit those girls have mad dance skills talent but it’s shocking to see the grinding and all the moves, not to mention the costume they are wearing. Mad mad world!
The one three of the girls did to “My Boyfriend’s Back” is HORRIFYING. A lot more gyrating and booty shaking.
I want to thank you all for making this video and these girls something they are not. Anyone who looks at these girls as anything more than talented dancers and hard workers is just plain ridiculous. These girls don’t understand what you are saying about them. You are tring to push your ideas and limitations on them and that is not fair. Have you really looked at the outfits? This is what i see, shorts with a lace accent, sportbra/tank top, knee hi socks and shoes. How is this sexually provocative? Have any of you looked at kids in public schools recently? I’ll tell you they wear less than that and its accepted. Let us not judge these kids. They worked hard and nailed it!!!!!!!!!
Hi, I just found this, I hope you don’t mind but I linked it with a post I did about my daughter wanting to dance..have a greta day
Peta
so this article is basically saying that they would prefer the little kids to sing about buzz light year wearing little hooker outfits instead of beyonce???? how perverted
they’re sooooo talented and i wish them the best of luck.
I totally agree with you. These girls are very talented. And if you have ever been to a dance competition you would see the majority of dances just like this. This is what happens when you put this kind of dancing on tv and in music videos. Children/Teens see this and this is the style of dance they want to do. And as the instructor you have to keep up with the latest style to teach to the kids or you will go out of business fast. I went to a dance competition last year and there was a costume that was a pink bra top and a pink skirt. And on the bra top there were little pink bows right where their nipples would be…but guess what… they got best costume and they were on 5 year olds. These girls will go far! Keep doing what your doing girls!!