<p>Our hs was actually featured in an article in a prominent national newspaper last fall about this issue (charmingly called “grinding” hereabouts). Despite the fact that we have championship athletic and Science Olympiad teams, a music program consistently named in the top 100 in the country, a marvelous art department, and a student body that raises more than $50,000 every year for special needs kids (through a dance marathon, yet) - this is what lands us in the news.</p>
<p>My own feeling is that the issue of how kids dance is not the hill I want to shed blood on. Each generation must create its own music and dancing for the previous generation to wring its hands over (hence the tango, the charleston, the jitterbug, the twist, and the jerk). As to how overtly today’s form of dance mimics sexual acts - well, you can certainly tell what they’re mimicking. And, like Marian’s daughter, I’d prefer not to see it. So I don’t look!</p>
<p>Marian, hasn’t your D seen the movie Dirty Dancing? If not, rent it for her. It’s a classic, and will show her that this type of dancing is nothing new!</p>
<p>Birds and animals dance in mating rituals, displaying themselves and doing particular dances or making particular noises to attract a mate. Their dances have a specific purpose. The brightest plumage and best dance indicates the most suitable mate. It is strictly genetics. In most species it is the male that wears the fine plumage to attract the female though.</p>
<p>Watch Planet Earth to see some spectacular bird dances!</p>
<p>Duh, of course dancing among humans is of a sexual nature. And for most of us, dancing feels good by raising endorphins.</p>
<p>WashDad. First of all, I am a guy lol. And far from a metrosexual at that. I dont know where a versed lexicon comes off as metrosexual or female - is that to say a typical can’t talk like I previously did. Second, I am 18 years old, not 16 or 17 as your guessed. And third, I dont know where you get off questioning a person themselves based off a post of opinion answering a rather harmless question. Its not that I feel slighted but I would hope a forum would be a place where each and everyones opinions and anecdotes are respected and not attacked in a condescending matter. However, in that light, I do not feel at all slighted by your comments, Its not like I wake up and go “Woah, today is gonna be a gnar day cuz WashDad chewed me out online” Please show a little tact tho, I was just providing my point of view from the age group whose activities are in question. Thanks for coming to my defense (even if it was in the most minimal sense) corranged :)</p>
<p>Ps. What “deep level” are we talking about?? wth?? Dancing seems pretty basic and primal to me… Like "just"aMom was talking about, Its kinda everywhere lol.</p>
<p>Pps. Marian, as far as not doing it right, I’ve asked myself that many times lol. Being a guy I therefore lack the ability to dance or any sense of rythm whatsoever at that, it is inherently obvious that I need work lol. That doesn’t mean I dont enjoy it tho ;)</p>
<p>I asked my 2 Ds about this last night—they said yes, school tries hard to “discourage” this type of dancing, but that it is alive and well at dances…when I told them of the comment that sex was not on the mind of the guy who posted here, they both laughed heartily and said, “yeah, right.” Their momma didn’t raise no dummies…</p>
<p>Marian, my d and her then-BF attended a state NHS convention three years ago (I believe). They came back quite upset because on the last night they had been required to attend a “dance” where this type of thing was about all most kids were doing. My kid is no prude and she is a trained dancer who has done all sorts of choreography from Balanchine to Fosse, so movement itself is not something that she objects to. This behavior, however, literally moved her to tears. So I get exactly what your daughter was talking about.</p>
<p>I think your interpretation is pretty right on. ‘Simulating sex’ is the way most dances at my D’s school were described by D and her friends… I think they keep it tame only when parents are around ;)</p>