Is it me?

Oh dear.. I am with you Daddima The mini-adult dresswear and attitudes promoted by some competitions is unnecessary and in my view encouraging youngsters to believe that a certain type of appearance / behaviour is something to aspire to. Dance is great..I took dance at college so not anti-dance at all . Nobody needs skimpy sequined leotards and makeup to demonstrate dance skill!

Couldn’t agree more it’s like those awful wierd American pageant nonsense.

As you say dance is great as is any excessive but the makeup and hair and pours are unsettling

DD (11) was appearing in her dancing school's annual show this weekend. They perform in a proper theatre and the rules that govern stage make up and clothes apply to them as well. We couldn't go but I have been sent a picture of her - and yes she is wearing heavy make-up that she would not otherwise wear, but that is because stage lights bleach makeup and skin so it needs to be emphatic.

The same applies to costume. This year the teacher left costume design and production to a group of parents and DD, who has a theatrical training, said it showed. DGD's dress looked lovely when she twirled around the house, but looked completely bleached out when she was on stage. Costume as well needs to be - well - theatrical

To be fair she doesn't go in for dancing competitions. She is first and foremost a (very good) ballet dancer so skimpy costumes, striking provocative poses, complete with pouts and hands on hip are not in her repertoire and I do not think her parents would allow her to do it if it was expected.

Oh dear, I think we're all thinking the 'P' word and I'm afraid these competitions only lead to an acceptance of seeing children as sexual beings. An absolute no-no in my book.

Dance yes, makeup and sexy poses, NO!

I agree Monica it is accepted in theatrical circles. Think of the young background dancers in panto.
A friends GD has been entering dance competitions since she was 7-8 there are rules governing the junior's costumes. She is good and has been at Blackpool more than once. She is now 18, still dancing and day to day wears minimal makeup and is quiet shy. It's all part of the performance.
Have you seen the young group that are through to the final of 'Greatest Dancer' ?

Sexy poses - no. But makeup is part and parcel of performing. If they don't wear any, their faces are hard to see in the stage lighting. My granddaughter wears it for competitions and concerts, so her face can be clearly seen from a distance. Her cousin's parent's won't allow makeup, and I must say that her face is just a pink blur to the audience .

I think I’m more concerned because these photographs have been uploaded onto social media. Once there, they’re out there forever. And the pouts and poses are just wrong at that age.
Sad ?

All that stage make up stuff is not necessary nowadays. Very few actors now use heavy stage make up any more! Lighting is more sophisticated now and is filtered so as not to bleach out faces/ colours.
The glitz at competitive dance events is all part of the circus and promoted by dance teachers and parents of participants. I find that aspect unsavoury. Happy for a bit of face paint but not the "tart with a heart" look!

No, I hate seeing young girls in this way, dance is fine, not the rest of it.

In big professional theatres perhaps, but in smaller theatres and venues, no, the lighting is still relatively unsophisticated. They do not have the money to constantly be updating lighting equipment and those doing lighting design etc, however competent, may not be professionals.

My DD, who, as I said, is theatre trained said that watching Saturday night's performance from the audience, the edge was taken off the show because the lighting bleached the colour, and details on the costumes, visible when talking to the person in them, disappeared completely when seen from the distance of the audience form the stage.

I was thinking of the various shows my DGC have been in , or am dram & semi professional productions in in local halls. We managed to see them ok without heavy make up!

Your theatre obviously is better equipped than the one DGD was appearing in.

It's the makeup on sports people - all ages - that gets to me. I don't understand the practicalities of wearing it if you're twirling and whirling and sweating about the place; what happens if a false eyelash drops off/makeup runs into your eyes at a critical point in performance.

I have to say, when I was picking a toddler dance class, I screened out all the dance schools where bare midriffs and dark pink lipstick were apparently a 'thing'.

They are in ballet and the class generally looks faintly dishevelled as toddlers are expected to be.

I understand the point about some base layer makeup (the old pancake etc) for stage lights in a semi professional production but an awful lot of youngsters' dance classes seem to be unduly into flashing the flesh.

Which obviously, is dictated by the dance school owners/operators rather than the children. It is worth remembering that a lot of children, including girl children, are shy about their appearance and I strongly feel should not be put into spandex hot pants unless they feel fully comfortable doing so.

I don't like to see any young children dressed in skimpy clothes or makeup I don't think dressing up as adults actually makes there dancing skills any better

No, not just you... I really dislike it... okay, maybe not quite fair.. it's acceptable (the make up I'm talking about now) in a show or whatever, but the skimpy costumes..never.. totally unnecessary on such tiny tots.. I really dislike the American pageants.. the children are just dressed as mini adults.. I find it all very uncomfortable not to mention false. ?

I had a massive row with one of my foster daughters about the photos she was posting on fb of her 5 8 and 10 year old daughters posing in a far too adult way . I pointed out that her fb account was open and that anyone could be accessing these and using them in inappropriate ways . Thankfully the rest of my girls also had a go at her , without my prompting, and she took them off .
Another two of my granddaughters and one of my great grandsons belong to dance troops but their parents are very much involved and very careful about the costumes they wear and the children enjoy dancing in a safe environment.

Absolutely! Do you remember the film “Little Miss Sunshine “? It took the mickey out of the dreadful competitions, and the almost pornographication of these children...?

Can I just show you this... I hope the link works..it made me laugh so much... and it's just how it should be.. ?https://youtu.be/jjKITS9NcRk

I was in a play once as the Nanny to three children. When it came to opening night the boy, who was about 8, made an awful fuss when the makeup lady went to make up his face. He started shouting "No way!" and threatened to walk out. The girls just accepted it. After some cajoling from his mother, who was also in the play, he agreed. We all looked totally different in full makeup, as most women these days don't wear as much makeup as we did in the 60s.

I think stage makeup is necessary but not skimpy costumes. This is just too over the top American.

I would have loved dressing up /makeup feeling special trying hard to achieve .As a child there was fancy dress rouged cheeks, just a bit of fun and family photos .

Yes, the under-teenies seem to be pressured dreadfully to grow up fast and even faster - it's so darn lucrative, I'd suppose.

Recently, I was entering a well-known supermarket and a display of t-shirts had blue ones (for the boys, I assume) and pink ones (for the girls, I also assume) and both had the words "DATE NIGHT" emblazoned on the front.

Going by the sizes I'd say they were definitely being marketed at the under tens.

My DGC have been in various productions & competitions. They love to feel special and do enjoy achieving well! It just does not require turning them into mini adults with dubious morals! Recently DGD was most put out that in the school production of LesMis she was too young to be a prostitute! I understood that was to do with the performing rights licence. Seems that appropriate appearance/ roles can be overridden in some dance competitions!

We are, this week, staging a pantomime with 18 children aged from 8-18. Make up is essential to portray the character, show up on stage and compliment the costume. My GD has several appearances, both dancing and singing and is wearing a tutu style costume, with leggings, and will be wearing make up, UV and glitter. She also performs as a semi professional actor/dancer and wears make up.
IMO the issue here isn't so much the costumes and make up but the poses. There are strict rules regarding children working in theatres and shows. If any one has a concern it should be reported to the theatre and/or company putting on the show.