Dance Costume Debate

[NHdisneylover]

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.

Amen to that!

 

[Hrhpd]

Cheer Mom here, so I am used to seeing the ittie bitties in crop tops. Our whole gym, including the 3-4 year olds wear sports bras and the tiny Nike Pro compression shorts for practice. Their uniforms are also crop tops. The little ones always tumble in crop tops and it doesn't seem to be an issue.

However, it is interesting to note that the USASF (the governing factor of allstar cheer) has determined that crop tops are inappropriate for the young children. Starting with next season's fall competitions, only seniors will be allowed to wear crop top uniforms. And they have to be covered up by a t-shirt or warm-ups when not on stage. In other words, no one is allowed to walk around with their bellies showing. And the juniors and younger must wear full top uniforms that cover the belly.

I find the new rule silly as I don't see the crop top uniforms as inappropriate, just like I think the dance uniform shown is not inappropriate. I think the cover up rule would be enough. But, I don't make the rules.

 

[JanaDee]

On a 4 year old doing a tumbling routine? Inappropriate.

Similar costumes are why my DD was only in dance for 2 years. Most of the costumes that were picked made them look like tarts.

 

[aprilchem]

We don't do dance for my DD5 for this very reason. I find the costumes (including the one you've pictured) inappropriate for my daughter, who also doesn't wear 2-piece bathing suits. I don't judge others whose children wear these, but they just don't mesh with our family's definition of modesty, and modesty is one of our family's core values.

 

[aaarcher86]

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.

We have eyelashes this year. Eyelashes! I can't even apply them to myself!

 

[cabanafrau]

We have eyelashes this year. Eyelashes! I can't even apply them to myself!

Thank goodness we never had to tackle that until my oldest joined the competition team and we were able to push them onto the mom who had a knack for doing them. My impatient, perfectionist DD decided to learn how to apply her own so she wouldn't have to wait in the future and she could have them exactly the way she likes them.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I hate every single one of the dresses shown in the OP, except for the lady bug costume.

 

[aaarcher86]

Thank goodness we never had to tackle that until my oldest joined the competition team and we were able to push them onto the mom who had a knack for doing them. My impatient, perfectionist DD decided to learn how to apply her own so she wouldn't have to wait in the future and she could have them exactly the way she likes them.

It's our first year on competition. She's still old enough for petite groups, but she's dancing up with hip hop - and older girls get eyelashes.

Lord save us all.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

We have eyelashes this year. Eyelashes! I can't even apply them to myself!

Try the individual ones. I think they're easier to apply than the strips.

 

[aaarcher86]

Try the individual ones. I think they're easier to apply than the strips.

We have to buy them through the studio. No idea what kind they are, but she's doomed either way lmao

I'm sure I'll post her picture on one of those "nailed it" sites

 

[Wishing on a star]

Not at all inappropriate.

The only issue I see here is not with the costume at all... But with the 'presentation'... that heavy read lipstick, that particular pose and expression on the face, etc...

And, I just want to throw this question out here...
I was just wondering why the whole extended family seems to be involved in this.... voicing opinions, speaking with the dance instructor, etc.

Ohhhh, editing to add one other note: The yellow polka dots (while not tropical bird inspired) are just adorable!!!!! I find the feathered Vegas or 1920 influences on the other costumes you showed to be more questionable.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

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?

Personally--I don't like bare midriff on young dancers. I have one dancer who would be extremely uncomfortable in it.

I think there are plenty of alternatives and all of our studios have been able to find very cute costumes that don't expose midriff. Even our competition studio.

That said, knowing studio policy ahead if time is helpful. Some studios are up front about costume choices. And if any parent has a concern, they can share those concerns at the beginning of the year.

We are in a strictly ballet studio now. I don't think we are immune, but the chances of a 2 piece costume that exposes midriff are slim to none.

 

[DizBelle]

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?

Inappropriate? No. But it seems impractical for a tumbling routine. 2 pieces are harder to "manage" (keeping things up that are supposed to be up and down that are supposed to be down) when you're tumbling.

 

[pryncess527]

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.

Ditto.

My sister did a dance routine to Yellow Polka Dot Bikini in the mid-80s when she was about that age, and she wore something similar.

 

[mjkacmom]

It's funny - my girls are Irish dancers, and the costume must cover wrists and collarbones, and the back must be longer than their balled fists. Under the dress, they wear bloomers, these hideous fluffy satin garments (cheer pants are not allowed).

I can't tell you how many times there will be moms complaining about how indecent some of the girls' costumes are, if they are a tad short (these costumes cost thousands of dollars, so it's not like you just replace right away when they grow - most like to get a year out of them).

As for this costume, it looks fine to me, but then again, all of my girls have exclusively worn bikinis (easier bathrooming).

 

[MrsDuck]

I don't see a problem with it, honestly. I danced from 4-18 and wore far worse.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

For the makeup my daughters studio always went with a brown/white combination on the eyes to pop and never very heavy. Peach on the cheeks again not heavy as the lights will make the rosy. For lips red would have been immediately taken off and replaced with a mute color.

For pictures, the children could wear what they wanted and you could really tell the parents who used "stage" makeup for picture day.

 

[Arielle22]

My daughters did 10 years of dance when they were 2-12 and 3-13. This costume wouldn't bother me. I don't see anything sexual about it unless the dance had suggestive moves.

I cringe remembering how much makeup they had to wear along with the hairspray. All hair had to be in a bun or if short, pulled back. Both my girls had long thick hair. One year I had it French braided and when I was taking it down I counted 100+ hairpins in it.

 

[NotUrsula]

First rule of dance costuming is Don't Impede Needed Movement. The teacher should have final say on costume choices for that reason; if they kids cannot comfortably and gracefully do what the routine requires, then the costume is inappropriate. However, I've seen this scenario again and again at family-business dance studios; an owner whose own experience was only tap/ballet would choose things that were totally inappropriate for jazz or tumbling because she thought they were cute.

Extravagant ruffles and bustles are totally wrong for tumbling, never mind trying to keep that top in position without tugging at it. (I cannot begin to tell you how much body glue I went through when costuming young dancers. They have no curves to help hold things up, and when parents failed to bring them to all the fittings, I had to glue the costumes in place to prevent the sort of oopsie that would cause many little girls to just either run off the stage or drop and hide.) I don't think the tummy flash is that big a deal on a child that young, but with all the ruffles on it and the bra-band design of the top, it just isn't a good tumbling costume. Lycra shorts and a stretchy top would be better, if they want a two piece.

I think that the theme of that costume isn't just IBYPDB; it's Carmen Miranda. Thankfully she didn't go whole-hog and try to put fruit on their heads, too.

PS: I never costumed skaters when I did it for a living, but my DD skates, and I have now had to learn to do "dance hair" with NO PINS. Turns out that it is possible, and I can now do a top bun in less than 5 minutes. (Skating rules don't allow hard objects in the hair unless they are sewn into the hair, because it you skate over a hairpin at speed, it can catch the skate blade and cause a serious injury. And yes, we have to SEW in the hair ornaments after the hair is styled.)

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

First rule of dance costuming is Don't Impede Needed Movement. The teacher should have final say on costume choices for that reason; if they kids cannot comfortably and gracefully do what the routine requires, then the costume is inappropriate. However, I've seen this scenario again and again at family-business dance studios; an owner whose own experience was only tap/ballet would choose things that were totally inappropriate for jazz or tumbling because she thought they were cute.

Extravagant ruffles and bustles are totally wrong for tumbling, never mind trying to keep that top in position without tugging at it. (I cannot begin to tell you how much body glue I went through when costuming young dancers. They have no curves to help hold things up, and when parents failed to bring them to all the fittings, I had to glue the costumes in place to prevent the sort of oopsie that would cause many little girls to just either run off the stage or drop and hide.) I don't think the tummy flash is that big a deal on a child that young, but with all the ruffles on it and the bra-band design of the top, it just isn't a good tumbling costume. Lycra shorts and a stretchy top would be better, if they want a two piece.

I think that the theme of that costume isn't just IBYPDB; it's Carmen Miranda. Thankfully she didn't go whole-hog and try to put fruit on their heads, too.

I completely agree that this is a poor choice for tumbling. With all of the movement, rolling, cartwheels (I assume at this age), the top is likely to move and shift, showing more than these pictures do! I would be adding the mesh not for modesty, but to prevent "wardrobe malfunction."