[Shaun]

Youtube video

that is incredible

[Ammi]

..I watched until around 30 seconds, I don't know, I find it really disturbing to see a 10 year old girl dancing is such an adult way...

[Drew.]

i agree with Ammi, it felt a bit odd watching that.. shes got some talent though

[Shaun]

idk, it's only sexualised if you view it as such. most of the moves made aren't suggestive. the songs are clean, too. she's insanely talented.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Shaun

idk, it's only sexualised if you view it as such. most of the moves made aren't suggestive. the songs are clean, too. she's insanely talented.

...I went back to view the whole vid as I realised my feelings were on instinct earlier, as you know I work with children and I think that I have a 'thing' about the type of parents who have their daughters act/dress in a grown up way in things like beauty pageants etc..anyway, I realised I wasn't viewing the vid and her dancing objectively and also I guess that if parents don't support a talent like hers, then that would be letting her down terribly....so yeah, now that I've viewed it and stopped over-thinking things..her dancing is incredible...I can't imagine how brilliant she will be in a few years and maybe when she will make dancing her career...

[Shaun]

Yeah... I can see why people may think it's inappropriate but I think that's because the media is so dominated by male businessmen getting women to be sexy and seductive. Music videos: dominated by barely-clothed women. Advertising: same. Modeling: same. So the whole suggestion of sex and entertainment have become entwined, and I think dance is probably the most obvious victim of that because it's very physical and flexible.

But to look at the kid in the video and think "inappropriate" is kinda just... letting the idea that she's sexualised take place, or criticising the girl for being a slut or whatever (when, more than likely, she has no idea what sex is). I don't see it as such. (I'm not saying you do I just saw a lot of comments about it somewhere on Tumblr and found it interesting how women are so often shamed for what they wear or how they act, when it's a male gaze that's associating it with sex in the first place.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Yeah... I can see why people may think it's inappropriate but I think that's because the media is so dominated by male businessmen getting women to be sexy and seductive. Music videos: dominated by barely-clothed women. Advertising: same. Modeling: same. So the whole suggestion of sex and entertainment have become entwined, and I think dance is probably the most obvious victim of that because it's very physical and flexible.

But to look at the kid in the video and think "inappropriate" is kinda just... letting the idea that she's sexualised take place, or criticising the girl for being a slut or whatever (when, more than likely, she has no idea what sex is). I don't see it as such. (I'm not saying you do I just saw a lot of comments about it somewhere on Tumblr and found it interesting how women are so often shamed for what they wear or how they act, when it's a male gaze that's associating it with sex in the first place.

..yeah ok, I'm suitably chastised for my judgement and very rightly so..don't go on lol...you're right, I'm wrong..she's a great talent and something that should be encouraged...EXCELLENT THREAD SHAUN.....LOL....

[Shaun]

just putting you in your place

[Ammi]

..yeah, the day the child turns on the parent..I fed you, I clothed you, I suffered great pain for you, I made you what you are..without me, you'd be nothing...and you repaid me by growing up more intelligent than me, how could this have happened......

[Z]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Yeah... I can see why people may think it's inappropriate but I think that's because the media is so dominated by male businessmen getting women to be sexy and seductive. Music videos: dominated by barely-clothed women. Advertising: same. Modeling: same. So the whole suggestion of sex and entertainment have become entwined, and I think dance is probably the most obvious victim of that because it's very physical and flexible.

But to look at the kid in the video and think "inappropriate" is kinda just... letting the idea that she's sexualised take place, or criticising the girl for being a slut or whatever (when, more than likely, she has no idea what sex is). I don't see it as such. (I'm not saying you do I just saw a lot of comments about it somewhere on Tumblr and found it interesting how women are so often shamed for what they wear or how they act, when it's a male gaze that's associating it with sex in the first place.

Your points are all completely valid but then I would also point out that this girl has learned these moves from all of those overtly sexualised areas of entertainment, because that's what she's grown up watching. I'm assuming she was taught these moves by a teacher, so it may not have directly been learned from the media, but either way, someone (an adult) taught her these moves. I think that's immoral, to be honest. The two songs used in that clip are a drag act's song (that's not a dig at Christina Aguilera) and a drag act's song (that's a dig at Christina Aguilera), both are almost comical representations of female sexuality ("clock the hair/bag/shoes/whatever" (she's 10 years old!)) or 'what it means to be a woman' (Bobblehead talking about girls being stupid.)

Again, it's not that the little girl herself is actively thinking of expressing herself in the same way, but she has undoubtedly been influenced by them more than the average child at such a young age. Right now, to her, that's just what dancing is, but when she hits puberty she'll become aware of the link between dancing and seduction and will express herself in that way as she gets older... but it's worrying that at an age when she doesn't know what sex is, she's dancing in a way that the likes of the Pussycat Dolls (originally a burlesque act) would dance. So I wholeheartedly disagree that it's the media making me think that it's inappropriate - it is inappropriate, not because the media have made me think it is, but because it is inappropriate and the media have perpetuated this to the point where people are okay with children dancing like that. You know what I was doing when I was 10 years old? Playing Pokémon and football and tennis and video games. To me, seeing a video like this, is a complete shock, and isn't a normal childhood...

That can of worms aside, she is a very good dancer and I agree with Ammi that it would be a shame if her parents hadn't let her go to dance classes and develop her talent... but I just think on every level it's completely wrong for a little girl to be dressed like that or to be dancing like that, and no amount of talent or media influence can change my opinion, and I'm sure one that many others share, that it's uncomfortable to watch a little girl dance like a mature adult woman.

[Z]

And I also don't think this has anything to do with the slut shaming debate and everything to do with taking a childhood away from a child. If this was a little boy dressed up like a miniature Chippendale, I think it would still be every bit as inappropriate as I think this video is. She's not wearing very much clothing, she's shaking her ass, whipping her hair, thrusting her crotch........... it's very wrong I think. If she was doing ballet dancing and she displayed this level of talent, applied to a different style of dance (and obviously in different clothes), there wouldn't be so much as a hint of inappropriateness. The difference here is that this style of dancing is very much a sexualised sphere of performance art. For adult women, very little clothing and moves like the ones that little girl is performing are staples of seductive dancing. That's the point of that style. Ballet isn't meant to be seductive, it's meant to be graceful and elegant. There are lots of different styles of dancing that aren't sexualised. Tap, Scottish Highland, ballroom, line etc etc... versus styles that are sexualised, such as lap, belly, salsa, and then this type of street (I guess?) dancing... Children aren't sexual beings, or at least they shouldn't be, and I think this video displays a line that has been crossed. :/

[GypsyGoth]

It does seem like a rather grownup dance routine for such a young girl.

[Z]

I didn't mean to write so much on the matter LOL just, like Ammi, having worked with young kids before, it really unsettles me to see something like that. I picture the 10 year old kids I worked with and it just makes me uncomfortable when I think about the fact the girl in the video is the same age.