Dance Costume Debate

[Yzerbear19]

There has been some debate in my family since we were shown what my niece's dance costumes would be. My niece is nearly 4 years old. This is her second year in dance. This year she will be doing two routines - a ballet one and then an acro/tumbling routine.

For the ballet routine they will be lady bugs and this is the costume:

The debate is over the costume for the acro/tumbling routine. The song is the Hilary Duff version "Tiki Tiki Room" from the Disneymania CD. *Here is the costume causing the debate:

My sister, Mom, and I all don't really have a problem with it. Though it doesn't make me think of the Tiki Room. I would have thought something that looked more like a bird would have fit the theme better. The controversial costume seems to fit "Yellow polka dot bikini" better than Tiki.

Something like this is more along the lines of what I think of when I think of the Tiki Room:

But both of my brothers think it's inappropriate for 4 year-olds. My niece has worn a bikini to swim in. The costume was picked by the owner of the studio and I know she has a vision in mind for the show, which wasn't shared with us. We were only shown the costumes for her groups and not told the overall theme of the show, though I think I have an idea. I told my brother who is Juno's daddy that we could probably ask if it would be OK to have some nude, flesh material sewn on so that it becomes a 1 piece.

This past week I talked to the teacher about my brother's concerns because he had to work and she did say it wouldn't have been her choice. She is going to talk with the owner about a solution that might help ease some of my brother's concerns. She said that she wouldn't have picked a two piece for a tumbling routine and especially not for their age group. I'm hoping that some kind of solution can be reached.

So do you think the 2 piece costume below is inappropriate for 4 year-olds?

 

[Saimaeve]

I don't find anything inappropriate about it. It's nothing scandalous.

I think adults make more out of this than there is and that puts a lot of confusion on children and lead them to feel shame in their bodies.

It's cute. Im not a big fan of the bow because I've had a daughter in dance at that age and her entire class kept having their bows fall off or misplaced. Bows were a disaster.

 

[lauradis]

I'm not fond of painting little girls faces.

Its fine, but the blue eye shadow is creepy.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I don't see anything wrong with it in terms of the way it looks. The ruffles and the pink trim on the bottoms provide a lot more coverage than a regular bikini would. I do think it might be impractical for an acro routine with such young kids. They might find themselves pulling down the top and making adjustments during the routine if the costume pulls up or feels uncomfortable. It might be good to add the flesh colored material in the middle just for comfort and to keep the top in place.

 

[Saimaeve]

I'm not fond of painting little girls faces.

Its fine, but the blue eye shadow is creepy.

It shows up on stage better. Without heavier make up you wouldn't be able to really see them under stage lights.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Dance mom of 10 years here. I don't see anything wrong with it. I think it is cute. It doesn't remind me of tiki room but I'm sure the studio owner has some vision in her head. For the age I would lighten the makeup a tad but you still need it a little heavy to see under the lights.

 

[aaarcher86]

You're family would keel over at my 7 year olds jazz outfit lmao.

The tiki costume definitely isn't unusual. The tumbling outfit from last year we had was a two piece. Nothing scandalous but showed more belly than this.

 

[Nancy]

Long time dance mom with the totes full of costumes to show for it LOL.

I don't see anything wrong with it..but not liking the bow but who knows if they will actually wear that part of it.

I don't see how it fits the Tiki Room but costumes didn't always make sense to me until I saw them on stage.

I would worry too much about the costumes and it being an acro routine. At that age it's not like they are doing back flips and aerials, it's pretty simple stuff with dance moves thrown in from what I remember.

ETA: that yellow costume with the feathers is familiar to me...my kids never wore it but I sure have seen it used a number of times.

 

[jdb in AZ]

My niece's belly showed a lot more too. She looked like a little tart.

 

[aaarcher86]

My niece's belly showed a lot more too. She looked like a little tart.

Did it show more than a bikini? I assume she's not walking around the mall window shopping? Hell, the Jasmine costume from the BBB shows a decent amount if belly.

 

[DonaldnDaisy5]

My DD 4, 3 year old ballet class (last year) had the exact same costume but for itty bitty yellow poka dot bikini dance. It was cute. They are little girls for Pete's sake! I think I'd have more of issue with older girls with curves with a bare belly then little girls. It makes me cringe to think about the body image ideas an issues we put in little girls heads.

That being said I had to prepare DH and the in-laws for the bare belly!

 

[aaarcher86]

My DD 4, 3 year old ballet class (last year) had the exact same costume but for itty bitty yellow poka dot bikini dance. It was cute. They are little girls for Pete's sake! I think I'd have more of issue with older girls with curves with a bare belly then little girls. It makes me cringe to think about the body image ideas an issues we put in little girls heads. That being said I had to prepare DH and the in-laws for the bare belly!

I sent a picture to my husband of the jazz costume this year. His response -

"When do we get the rest of it?" Lmao

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Long time dance mom with the totes full of costumes to show for it LOL.

I don't see anything wrong with it..but not liking the bow but who knows if they will actually wear that part of it.

I don't see how it fits the Tiki Room but costumes didn't always make sense to me until I saw them on stage.

I would worry too much about the costumes and it being an acro routine. At that age it's not like they are doing back flips and aerials, it's pretty simple stuff with dance moves thrown in from what I remember.

ETA: that yellow costume with the feathers is familiar to me...my kids never wore it but I sure have seen it used a number of times.

Yellow Feather Costumer owner. My daughter wore it many years ago and maybe the teacher finds it dated. It has to be 12-15 years old. Actually she wore the feather cap for a Halloween costume this year. LOL.

Nothing wrong with the costume at all. Very cute and dance isn't about always being "the Tiki bird". She may be taking the dance somewhere else.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

Dance mom here too and I don't think it's inappropriate. It's cute! I do agree that it doesn't fit the tiki room song...but the teacher/director has their own vision. We unfortunately have had some costumes over the years that we haven't liked.

My DD had a jazz costume 2 years ago (5yrs old) that was a 2 piece...or so it seemed. It had a tankini top covered in sequins and booty shorts with sequined ruffles on the butt. Their song was Kids Bop version of Katy Perry's California Girls.

When the costumes came in they had the sheer material between the top and bottom making it a one piece, it wasn't shown like that in the catalog. The one piece works out better for little ones IMO, this way they're not constantly yanking something up and down and nothing gets out of place. So it may appear 2 pieces but may in actuality be 1 piece.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Former dance mom here and I also think it is fine--not at all inappropriate. If this is bothering him, he is in for a lot of unhappiness in recital futures.

 

[mnrose]

Hmmm. Wouldn't be my first choice for a costume for a 4 year old, but it is pretty consistent with the type of costumes worn by my DD's "competition dance" studio. With all the, eh, "moves" to go with it.

To me, it's overly sexualizing young girls, and it was a BIG reason that we switched programs. She is now in a musical theater program, with not an inappropriate costume or booty shake in sight.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

There's nothing sexy or suggestive about that costume. It isn't a Pretty Women costume with hooker boots. Like aaarcher said...The Jasmine costumes show more skin and with a lot less "controversy".

A pre-schooler showing her belly isn't trying to be sexy.

I'm not seeing the issue.

 

[cabanafrau]

Former dance mom joining in. No, not inappropriate. I would however flag it for being ugly as sin -- but that's more common than not with dance costumes.

The feathered number is definitely cuter, but I can't see it for acro because the feathers would become a liability. I've seen that one used several times for jazz and tap.

As far as the too much makeup comment, you have to truly throw all rational thought out the window when you do makeup for the stage and a dance recital. I truly could not believe it when I started out a million years ago and honestly felt I was getting my little ones ready for streetwalking 101 at clown college. The rule of thumb was, if you think it's enough, add a little more. Amazing how under the lights it didn't look that way at all -- except for one memorable little one who touched up her own makeup backstage. Pretty sure she could be seen from space. Laughed so hard we couldn't breathe.

 

[Jennasis]

It's fine IMO.

 

[Colleen27]

It is fine. I might question the practicality of a two piece costume for acro/tumbling depending on the level of physicality - the studio DD danced at made that mistake once and never did it again because they had a bunch of little girls adjusting their tops throughout the routine - but it doesn't strike me as inappropriate at all.

I think dads have a hard time with dance in general, though, because they associate showing skin with sex appeal rather than freedom of movement and makeup with trying to attract men rather than with looking normal under stage lighting. I was a gymnast when I was small, a swimmer from childhood through high school, and involved in theatre in high school and college, so I was pretty comfortable with DD in leotards and wearing stage makeup. DH, on the other hand, had a hard time with costumes that covered significantly more than a swimsuit and tried to argue every year that heavy stage makeup isn't needed for little girls.