Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Waka, Waka! Yeah, Yeah!

My son's Annual Day Concert. The song, Shakira's "Waka Waka". The kindergarten kids knew all the moves. None was out of sync. They performed like seasoned professionals. One girl in particular stood out. She was Shakira reincarnated. The same provocative thrust of the hips. The same sensual swaying of the body. When she did her solo part, 600 pairs of eyes were riveted on her. She didn't falter once. If anyone could be better than the original, she was.


But, am I old fashioned in believing that a five year old shouldn't be asked to do such a provocative number?

_____
drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

15 comments:

JP said...

Yes, today's Kids are very skilled. Just we need to tweak them into right direction.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Those types of presentations infuriate me.

kjmckendry said...

I agree. As parents we need to let our feelings be known that we don't want our girls wearing provocative costumes or dancing in inappropriate ways.

Anonymous said...

Rayna - Oh, I agree completely! I wouldn't have wanted my daughter to do that at that age. It's not my business to give advice to you at all, but if that happened to my daughter, I would speak up about it.

Unknown said...

I was thinking the same thing! I was asking myself how old the girl was to know how to shake her hips that way. I bet she doesn't even know what provocative means. Great post. What a cool number to perform.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

No! I agree with you completely.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

The kids perform the moves innocently. But those who watch do not do so innocently and in our eyes, we see how it sexualizes what should not be sexualized.

Marjorie said...

Great post, Natasha! I agree with you completely.

Jemi Fraser said...

Totally agree. When I've been at school with talent shows or performances, we've always screened the acts and warned the kids (up to 14 years old) that no provocative actions would be allowed.

Mason Canyon said...

I'm another one agreeing with you. The youngsters may not understand what they're doing but unfortunately there are those who would see it in the wrong light.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Meera said...

With you on both points - it is a pleasure to see young ones perform. But teachers have to know what to make them perform for.

BTW, kids have annual day this saturday. Am part of the effort - am the classical dance teacher for this year. Nivi part of my group. Ash in a belly dance!

rajk said...

If you are old-fashioned, so am I. I don't know how parents and other adults sit through small kids gyrating to songs with moves that they don't understand.

Sueann said...

No you are definitely not old fashioned!! Kids are asked to be so "sexual at an early age!! It is just too much!!
Hugs
SueAnn

dipali said...

Totally inappropriate:(
I hate all those TV shows where young kids are supposed to compete in performing sexy numbers.

Natasha said...

@ Karen, Mary, Alex, Marjorie, SueAnn- good to know I am not the only one who thinks that way.

@ Jarlin - they are really talented, and much more confident than I was as a kid, but we guide them wrong.

@ kmckendry, Margot - you said it. If I had a daughter, and she was asked to wear the kind of costume these girls wore, I am sure I would have had something to say about it.

@ Clarissa - I am sure she doesn't even know what her body language was suggesting! And I do blame the parents quite a bit - the number of young girls wearing t-shirts saying things like EyeCandy is not funny.

@ Debra, Mason - you do have a point. The girl was an awesome dancer. But then knowing how it would be construed, it shouldn't have been tried at all.

@ Jemi - I wish other teachers were as sensible and sensitive as you are.

@ Meera - precisely. That girl could hvae done justice to any other number- why choose this one?
Ash can do all the belly dancing he wants- he's a boy!

@ rajk - terrible, isn't it? Specially sicne the girl looked much older than she was.

@ dipali - I dislike all those reality shows.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails