Rep: 'Single Ladies' Girls Did 'Nothing Provocative'

1918 Comments

By Amber James Posted May 14th 2010 07:40AM

Earlier this week, a YouTube video surfaced from The World of Dance competition in which a group of young -- and we mean really young -- girls wearing midriff-baring tops, short skirts and black stockings dance to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies.' The dance troupe, called Precision Dance, hails from Orange County, and definitely "put a ring on it" during the competition in Pomona on April 10.

Larry Peters, executive vice president of The Hozman Group and rep for the dance competition, says 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. It is a little sensitive now, to say the least," Peters tells PopEater.

"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 says, adding, "They were two minutes of an eight hour performance event."

Melissa Presch, the mom of one little dancer and Cory Miller, the father of another child in the group spoke to Inside Edition about the controversy. "I'm shocked, quite frankly, that people would suggest such things and say such things about 8 and 9 year old girls," said Melissa Presch claiming the girls got their moves from the 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel' movie -- not Beyonce's music video.

Miller added, "As a father, when you're watching your kid, no. You're looking at it as a proud kid who has really high energy, who doesn't really know what she's doing."

Peters was in the audience during the group's performance and admits, "It was the very first WOD event I had ever attended, and I can tell you the cheering and screaming you heard on the video was from other parents and dance teams that were just blown away by their dance performance and precision. There was NOTHING provocative about what they were doing."

The World of Dance Tour is the largest national urban and street dance competition, and in 2010 is taking place in nine major markets throughout the U.S. Top dance troupes partake in competition, which focuses on the art of street dancing and today's new age choreography -- embracing urban dance and youth lifestyle.

The video brought mixed reactions from media outlets across the Internet. PopEater's Facebook fan Christina Powers admits, "As a coach for national champion competition dance teams at the high School level, I blame the coach. This is completely inappropriate even for high school girls."

Meanwhile The Huffington Post writes, "Age appropriate or not, there is denying it's one heck of a performance."

Kate Ward from EW writes, "Miley, you've got nuthin' on these girls ... But if little girls must gyrate on stage, is it absolutely essential they wear midriff tops? Even Beyonce and her back-up dancers were more covered up than this!"

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Tags: single ladies

Comments

(1918)

Sunday 16 May

By steph

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it is like it or not there are still child preditors in the world and do you want a dirty old man beatin off to little girls look at what happend to jon bennea ramsy they are not looking at it like parents they are looking at it in a totally diffrent way and it would have been differnt if there was less skin i understand that it is dance. But it you are going to parade your kid around even for ten minutes they should have more clothes on than a bikini or there underpants they look like working girls and there parents should be embaressed. They were trying to cover up a very very stupid mistake and the should know that the chipmunks were covered when they did it,....they kept there fur on

Saturday 15 May

By Mariahrilk

You are absolutely right! The choreographer, the costumer, and the parents all fell down on this one. Why is it exactly that society is taking innocence from children? Look at home people, it's the parents who are not protecting their own children! This is not art or education; it's exploitation. You should all be ashamed!

Thursday 26 August

By tt1mich

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"Apples never fall too far from the tree"
"Like mother, like daughter"

Strippers in training.

By Rachel

The simple truth is, they HAVE to make excuses because they don't want to be the bad guys that allowed this to happen. The only way to do that, is to insist there was nothing wrong in the first place!

"Miller added, "As a father, when you're watching your kid, no. You're looking at it as a proud kid who has really high energy, who doesn't really know what she's doing.""

And when my daughter was (much) younger, she didn't know what she was doing when she tried to run out into the street, either. So I did my job and made sure it never happened again! Nobody expects these little girls to know what they were doing or the consequences of gyrating like strippers on a stage. Did my daughter know the danger of a car hitting her when she was 2? No. As parents, though, we sometimes need to consider consequences FOR our children due to their inexperience. This was one of those times. And the parents involved in this dropped the ball.

By gimmeadew2

I agree that the dance was not for 7-8 year old girls...........nor were the outfits. My daughter was in dance, and I knew what she was doing and wearing BEFORE she did, never anything out of line. Bad judgement by all involved, parents should have been outraged.

By laura

I usually say live and let live but I have to agree. This was way out of line for children that age. But then again we live in a society where sex sells, regardless of the age of the saleperson apparently. It's apparent the parents of these children don't really care about their morals. I wonder how many of these young girls will be pregnant before they are even out of high school. Sad, very sad.

By Ladd

Maybe - just maybe this is the beginning of a great pole dancing career. But you would never catch my kids dancing like that at this age. The dad is right they surley don't know what they are doing - that is why they are supposed to have parents to protect them from this kind of c*7p (another word for poo just to keep it clean)

By jvap

Every pedofile in America is watching this over and over.

Monday 31 May

By Karen White

i get it that they are talented dancers but if they were inspired by the Chipmunks then why didn't they wear the outfits like the chipmunks. Perhaps it wouldn't have looked so provacative but we won't know will we? someone surely was not using good judgement. Kids are growing up to fast and being exposed to inappropriate things on TV and elsewhere but at Dance School? I took dance lessons as a child and never would we have been performing something that provacative. I feel bad for everyone involved.

By Lynn

Say hello to the future strippers, and pros. That is all that dancing is training them to be. Where were the parents before this show even went on and say my child is not doing that adult dancing?

Friday 30 July

By Thomas G.

AMEN!

By Steve

The parents are out of their minds for allowing this.

By Gavin

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Alexandra, u must be dumb, because high school girls both dress and dance worse than this u frikin idiot, u obviously r to worried about urself and preppy to realise it though

By tom m

WELL SAID!

By Thomas30000

No question their talented, what seven year old isn't? watching all the MTV video's of today...What is wrong with this world???? Those parents who allowed their little girls in this routine should be ashamed....For them to hide behind, "this is talent,is bull"

Thirty years ago, they would have been arrested and jailed for something like this.... guess were going the way of Sodom and Gommora or Sweden huh????

By weeboys2

I am horrified. Provocative dance moves and outfit for ANY age woman.And horrid for little girls. Shame on you parents.

By Karen

I think those girls are way to you to look or dance like they did. Let kids be Kids! I am a parent and I would't even walk around looking like that. What happened to Morals? There just certain things you don't do . Lets start being parents and raising our kids the right way instead of try to appease them and be their friends. Train up a child in the way they should go that's what the Bible says!

By joy

I agree! These so-called "parents" should care more about their children. The father was right...these kids do NOT know what they are doing! That's why it's up to us parents to....uh....PARENT!!!! And thell them what is NOT appropriate behavior!

By mary44

I agree, darling young girls, who can dance, but why do dance instructors, parents allow little girls wear such clothing, or lack there off. We hear all the time protect our children, teach them modesty, and it begins with each of us. Anyone who is a sexual deviate gets off on such displays.

By christina

This is a disgusting and careless display of poor parenting.For God sake my 16 yr old son just watched with me and even he was shocked,SHAME,SHAME,SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE!!!

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