I spent this past weekend up in Logan, with Dancing Daughter, at one of our final competitions this year. Only one more to go, and since it’s Nationals, and it takes place in Burbank, California, we’re pretty excited about going. I get to have lunch dates with my California author friends while Dancing Daughter, well, dances her little heart out. Bad thing is it falls IMMEDIATELY after Thrillerfest, where I am also going, and speaking on a panel, and so I shall fly into Salt Lake City only to turn around and fly right back out the next day. Sigh.

I suspect I will be as tired then as I am today. Although Logan is not far from here, it was a very big competition, and it ran long and late, and Dancing Daughter is upstairs sleeping, something she never does.

Utah is an interesting place to attend dance competitions. Because Dance Teacher is fairly progressive, not even slightly conservative, and basically does what LOOKS good, not what will make the masses of Mormons happy, there is often controversy following our dance studio.

Another studio we compete against regularly–a studio who is very good, by the way, and thus should really have no reason to complain, since they can win on their own right and without making complaints and nasty backhanded comments–was once again absolutely APPALLED by the inappropriateness of one of our routines. They have complained at one other competition, and made no bones about their complaints again this weekend. These people apparently live in the “my television does not turn off and I cannot tear my eyes from the horrible acts in front of me, so I am suing” school of thought and action.

Come on, the Pussycat Dolls are really in right now, and everybody is doing pole dancing routines! Who cares if they are 11- to 14-year-olds? We all know that a few of them are going to end up either putting those pole dancing skills to good use or asking “do you want fries with that?” so what is wrong with preparing them for their futures NOW?

Kidding, of course, although you wouldn’t know it from the reactions.

The routine is “Cell Block Tango: He Had it Coming,” from the Chicago soundtrack. Incidentally, the routine ALSO won best costume, and a HIGH GOLD medal. And I suspect the REAL objection is that the cut includes the part about Ezekial Young from Salt Lake City. The man who was SHOT after his wife found out he had SIX wives, not one. More knee-jerk reactions from uptight Mormons.

I want to tell you right now that we have Mormon girls doing that routine, and that their Mormon parents are GOOD Mormon parents. They just have enough intelligence to be able to put things into perspective.

What I found most amusing was the
end results. The OTHER STUDIO? The one I SHOULD name but will choose not to? The one that is very, very good and the one that COULD and DOES win on their own right? They ended up sharing the spotlight with OUR team. Boo hoo. They won one of two final awards (the biggest of the night) that are the most important of the competition. They won for the MOST high gold, gold, or platinum routines. And our studio? We won for the HIGHEST STUDIO AVERAGE. All of our routines took gold or higher.

Kudos to the judges for recognizing quality and putting things into perspective. Shame on the owners of the OTHER STUDIO for the self-righteous, nasty, and narrowminded attitude that they are passing on to their students.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.