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I never went to a dance at my high school and I barely survived the dance lessons we had to endure in physical education class (which we still called “gym class”). Then again, I also claimed not to have any kind of emotional desire to have a girlfriend until I was in my late teens– so call me strange.
I was asked if I was going to attend dances, especially the prom, on various occasions. Each time I turned it down. Not only was it something I didn’t think that good Christian young people did (and this was a public school), but I had no desire to be seen dancing with someone!
Now, however, there’s much more going on than what used to pass for dances. Schools have had to stand up and put the brakes on dances because they have gone from a social outing to a time for a new sexual style of dance:
A furor over what Concord High School administrators call an “overtly sexual” style of dancing at school dances has split the school community: There are those who defend the students’ right to dance however they want and those who believe the moves are just plain inappropriate.
Principal Gene Connolly is with the latter group. He said the school will cancel all remaining dances, including the upcoming homecoming dance, unless students step forward to help halt the “grinding.”
“This style of dancing is wrong,” Connolly told parents at a Parent-Teacher-Student Organization meeting Tuesday night. “If you were to see it, you would be equally offended.”
Asked by parents to describe the dance, Connolly offered this: The girl leans forward and the boy puts his pelvis against her backside. Then, he thrusts.
“It’s feigning a sex act,” Connolly said.
But some students and parents don’t see it that way. They say that like the jitterbug and disco before it, grinding is just a sign of the times.
“We were raised to dance like that,” senior Kayla Bisson said.
And here lies the divide. Parents are seeing their children becoming more and more sexualized, and the children continue to say that since this is what they’ve always done that makes it right. That excuse sounds like a lot of adults I know!
Parents have created their own nightmares, though. If any of these parents were to watch what is passed off for entertainment on the likes of MTV they would probably find what they see on the dance floor of these local high schools to be tame. Indeed, Madonna’s now touring with an act where she pretends to be crucified on a cross– and we won’t go into some of her previous acts on stage.
When you feed children a continual diet of “this is what’s cool, this is the way to dance, etc.” you can expect them to think that it’s right. Then someone comes along with a moral standard and they are the ones that are told that they don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s the frog in the pot of boiling water all over again. It’s obvious to outsiders looking in, but because those on the inside think that it’s fine because they’ve worked their way (removing inhibitions step by step) up to this act, that makes it fine.
Let me be clear, I believe that there is only one possible acceptable place for co-eds to dance: with their spouse and only after they’ve been married. There are too many things going on during dancing anyway without this grinding and other obscene stuff that is being justified because “it’s fun.”
It seems that evil is everywhere. Well, it is, actually.
Having said that I must admit that my 9 years of classic ballet school created my appreciation for music, opera, healthy lifestyle, exercise…
Anyway, there is much going on in the US that we have no idea about, and vice versa.
As Christians, no matter what is normal for the world, we MUST teach our children right from wrong according to God’s Word.
I think dancing is a bad idea unless you are married. But I know I am in the minority. I have this opinion because I know from personal experience just how sexual dancing is, ALL dancing even the “tame” stuff like ballroom. When a girl is dancing with a man, a bond is formed, an emotional tie. Her heart starts to flutter and she gets to thinking that there might be something romantic going on. I know, because when I was in High School, I went to ONE dance lesson with a boy for whom I had no attraction, he was JUST a friend, and during that one lesson, while we stepped all over each others toes, I started to become infatuated with him. Believe me dancing is sexual and flirtatious. It inspires people to lust. I have even been a part of the raunchy “dancing” they do now a days, and it is even worse! It makes a girl feel like a peice of meat, and she is “supposed” to feel good abotu that. All that pretend sexiness is detrimental to their health. and it IS pretend!! It is a lie. a yucky lie. (Praise God I am free from all that stupiity!)
*sigh* Im preaching to the chior I know.
Bye,
Mrs Meg Logan
I don’t see anything wrong with dancing as long as it is tastefully, I don’t think it is necessary to describe tasteful, I am sure we are all familiar with VH-1 and MTV and how the kids dance, quite unsuitable, boy I sound ancient. I am talking about the grinding and such, that is not dancing.
I like dancing with my boys around the living room and I dance at church.
Not everything has to lead to sex. It can be just something fun.
I wasnt implying that it ever lead to sex, but it sure lead to lustful thoughts. Though I doubt that would happen when dancing (properly) with one’s own children. Im not sure about dancing at church. Never seen that. Not sure I would support it, and certainly not between persons who were not married.
I still think it leads to lustful thoughts, and that doesn’t have to just mean sexual thoughts. I can mean emotional ties that are not pure.
Mrs Meg Logan
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Please remember that we are not here to take people on personally, or talk in a crude way, but we are here to discuss the topic. If you have a point to be made, that’s fine, but taking on other commenters will not be tolerated — MInTheGap
(I hope this does not count as taking people on personaly)
Hmmmm…I’m not sure I agree with you about the sexual bond caused by dancing Mrs. Logan. I was at a dance this Saturday and I did not experience this interest in the boys I danced with that you described. In fact, I lost interest in the boy that invited me and danced most of the slow songs with me.
Maybe it has something to do with how you were raised or your interests? I know that I seem to become attracted to the guys that will take me to the arcade or will debate with me on touchy subjects. This seems to root from the fact that my two greatest hobbies are debating and video games. Maybe you like to learn or dance very much, so when a boy will do it with you, you find yourself interested in the boy himself.
Loc, you’ve never had any of your content censored (that I can recall?), so I wouldn’t worry.
You certainly may not have felt anything toward the person that you danced with, and I’m not about to persuade you that you did. However, I know that even when I was required to dance in gym class, it had a physical if not emotional effect on me.
So, in the grand scheme of things we have to ask whether or not it impact people as a whole or not. Obviously there’s something about dancing with someone that keeps us emotionally or physically involved, otherwise we wouldn’t do it. It’s obvious that any time we spend time with someone that we allow close enough to our bodies (inside our comfort zone) that we will either want them closer or push them away.
True confessions:
Dancing is something that has ALWAYS tempted me…somehow I convinced my parents to let me attend high school dances my jr and sr year, and was escorted by my older boyfriend to my Bell Hop (he proposed that night and I accepted!) and senior prom…
I dance around the house with my daughters, and with dh…and let oldest dd participate in a line dance for her 4H Club Days the first year we were in 4H–3 years ago. Big sigh. I’m a slow learner. God convicted me during and soon after the 4H line dancing, that I was just giving dd an appetite for dance. I’d rationalized it at the time as a harmless “square dancing” type thing, exercise at its best…but no more. We still twirl to certain songs (Christian or classical) and dh and still turn on the Righteous Brothers occasionally after the kids are tucked in…
Anyway…I agree, dancing is best reserved for married people or daddies and mommies and their littles!