Imagine five young girls in red and black crop tops, tiny bedazzled shorts, knee-high stockings and black boots. Next picture them dancing to Beyonce’s hit, “Single Ladies.” Throw in a few high kicks, gyrating hips and pelvic thrusts. Add it all up, and it makes for a viral video with two million plus hits and a lot of controversy.
The performance was part of the World of Dance competition in Pomona, Calif., in April and the dancers are seven, eight and nine years old. They won the national competition, but also took on titles like “hot tots” and others we won’t put in print as the performance amassed viewers on YouTube and other sites.
Psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw called the costumes and the dance moves "sexually provocative," in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. He said that if there were a way to track all the pedophiles who watched the video it would have been like Grand Central Station. McGraw also wondered how the parents could have allowed their daughters to participate in such a sexy, grownup number.
The parents don’t understand all the fuss. Melissa Presch said the routine and costumes were "completely normal" for the World of Dance event, the largest urban dance competition in the country. Presch told Good Morning America, "The costumes are designed for movement, unrestricted movement and to show body lines.” Corey Miller, a father of one of the girls, added “Our best interest is for the kids. Just know that the kids are doing something that they completely love to do. They compete in dance competitions ... in front of family and friends."
Dance competition representative Larry Peters said the controversy was blown out of proportion. "There has been a great deal of controversy regarding this performance, and it has been taken out of context," Peters told PopEater.com. “"All the dance troupes do so many different dances, it is a very personal choreography and expression for every troupe and individual. These girls were amazing that day," Peters said, adding, "They were two minutes of an eight hour performance event."
What do you think? Please view the video and read the articles on page two and then come back to comment. Does the dance represent today’s standards for young girls or is it too provocative? What would you do if you had a young daughter who made such a video? Do you agree with those who say the people who are upset by the video are “out of touch” and need to get in line with today’s new standards?
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dc6u92boyw
Media coverage:
http://www.nj.com/parenting/amber_watsontardiff/index.ssf/2010/05/parents_of_young_single_ladies.html
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/14/mcgraw-girls-dancing-to-beyonce-inappropriate/
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/05/14/2010-05-14_little_girls_provocative_dance_routine_to_single_ladies_sparks_fears_of_growing_.html
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/05/15/all-the-single-children-why-youtube-sex-appeal-and-children-never-mix/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sax-sex/201005/underage-girls-dancing-onstage-in-lingerie
http://www.popeater.com/2010/05/14/single-ladies-little-girls/
About the author: Pat Elliott is a journalist and blogger who has written about health issues for more than 20 years. She is also a cancer survivor who coaches people on how to manage their transition and take control of their new future.