I feel like my daughters dance school is inappropriate

My dd is 14 and have only thought one dance was innapropriate. It was the Can Can and was abit sexualised. That was a couple of years ago but nothing like that since.
If anything now, my dd thinks some of the costumes are abit young for her!
They do wear makeup for shows but not fake tan or anything.

The way dance schools get extra money can bw cheeky l feel. Wear fancy dress for Halloween or Easter and pay. Pay for the awards evenings but also bring food and drink, pay £10 a costume for hire even though they bring out the costumes year after year.

All in all she absolutely loves it

What exam board does the school use OP?

DD went to a place like this when she was young, make up like pageant queens on six year olds. Fleecing the parents for costume hire, being in the shows (though drop off in car park is fee is ridiculous). Our final straw was paying for a scrunchy for an exam and then the teacher waiting by the door and plucking the scrunchies off the kids buns - apparently the £6.99 for the scrunchy was to hire it!!

We left and found a wonderful dance school where the children and their mental and physical health comes first. No make up, no slutty costumes, no fees beyond the cost of classes, no fee to be in the show, no fee for costume rental and the best teaching.

I am sure wherever you are there is an alternative school with a better ethos.

But I think you may be pushed to find a school studying jazz/modern that wouldn't do a routine like that to Chicago. I remember wearing suspenders and underwear in a production of Cabaret at 16 back in the 80s.

I think that is just the nature of modern dance. And 15/16 year olds would be deemed old enough and likely want to do those routines. I loved it and felt very sophisticated and not remotely groomed. I really don't think you can call this grooming even though it feels inappropriate (especially as the younger ones get to view it).

If I was you I would find a better school and maybe have your daughter study ballet, acro and contemporary rather than jazz/modern and that way she won't be learning moves or wearing costumes that offend you.

I doubt you will get anywhere reporting them to the exam boards because this is par for the course up and down the country as bad the school haven't broken any laws or done anything other schools aren't going.

Perhaps focus on your daughter. Get her to a better school and write a letter to the school explaining why you're pulling her out. Send a copy to the exam boards and at least it may be discussed. But you're looking to shut them down, it isn't going to happen.

Minipops.

Send an email raising your concerns

I agree it’s gross. Over sexualisation of minors. Pull your dd out and make a complaint- talk to other parents to see if they want to support you. Gather all evidence. My dd is 6 and I dread this sort of thing. I’m not a prude but Iv seen this stuff on sm and at my friends dd class and it’s so inappropriate.

Not all dance schools are like this and it's possible to pursue a dance career without doing commercial and commercial jazz until you reach professional training. These in IMP are the most sexualised dance styles.
The advanced levels of training audition on ballet and traditional jazz.

Dance moms series 7 is what PP is referring to. Although, those kids were 14 and 15 (as shouted by Ashleigh as she was walking off)

That is disgusting. Never heard of dance schools doing this but they are grooming children for the sex ‘industry’ by the sounds of it! How are any parents happy with this? Which region are you in ?

I've reported a few. It's still the Easter Holidays.....drunk adults or kids messing around.

Centre
Sorry, bad day; just very sick of creeping Americanisation of this country, including incprrect spelling of English words!

Once they get to 15/16 they'll probably be training them to audition for music videos and stuff, where the costumes and moves can seem, and are very sexualised.
I'd remove her from there. There must be other schools that are more musical theatre, ballet or whatever age appropriate orientated.
I guess in the defense of this school, the older ones could be given more free reign on the theme and dances they perform. But I don't think it sounds healthy, especially with the favouritism and money grabbing.

I remember when I took dance classes in the nineties (I was around 10) doing a dance to Madonna's Hanky Panky. We had red leotards on and kept smack our bums. We also had riding crops 🤦‍♀️ We also did steamy windows and private dancer by Tina Turner when we were around 12 oh and a full Monty style strip (down to bra and pants) to Donna Summers hot stuff when we were16..

Doesn't sound like much has changed.

I wouldn't let my children be sexualised this way now.

I’ve recently removed my daughter just before a show from a dance show. Whilst their outfits weren’t as sexualised the moves and make up were way beyond ok.
We went to a small Christmas show and my husband left as he felt so awkward seeing teens and preteens

Older parents do exist you know.

My parents were children (not teens yet) when Flash Dance was released. I'm in my late 20s with a baby of my own and I've watched Flash Dance. Seems like I'll be avoiding children's dance schools for my DD when she's older if most of them are like this.

Do the council know? I certainly wouldn’t be paying that.
I agree, some of the outfits, make up and styles of dance are not appropriate in some schools. But if you don’t get back up from other parents you’ll have to move her.

Do report then. Don't snipe by the sidelines.

I kind of get you op.

I quite liked some my daughter's shows in that the athleticism, co ordination and Grace were a pleasure to behold.

However girls and costumes are a touchy subject.

A lot of the leotard and figure hugging clothes in my opinion do show girls in a way that can be viewed as too sexual. In also saw a lot of girls with 'imperfect' i.e. normal body shape be very self conscious and it showed on their faces.

I might be shot down as a pride but is possible to have great dancing costumes without right leotards that but the buttocks and breasts. Often with the end of year shows there are many men in the audience (brothers and fafhers) and I can feel some of them aren't entirely comfortable with the displays.

Get her into Street and Contemporary, they tend to dance in trackies or combat trousers, definitely not sexual.

Which bit isn't clear?

This is literally a storyline from the TV shoe Dance Moms. Every detail is the same -costumes, chairs, ages of the kids, pulling her daughter out but also debating whether it should also be reported.

What do you mean?

When my Dd was about 7 she did a dance in a dance show to 'back door Santa' (look it up, the lyrics are awful)

Oh my fucking god. Those lyrics are unbelievable.

Tiny pops it was called🤮

Work on taking your daughter out, but the rest of it sounds like a complete overreaction. I was working full time just after my 16th birthday, pretty sure I was old enough to not want to be doing any sort of dancing I wasn't comfortable with - and your example doesn't sound that bad. I've been around shows for many years, it doesn't sound out of the ordinary to me.