Objectification, Sexualisation and Dance
Young Girls in the Australian Dance Industry
The Issue
Australian dance studios are creating choreography and choosing costumes that exploit and portray young girls as sex objects in order to stand out from the competition. Young girls are feeling more pressure than ever to conform to the standards set by the competitive dance industry.
Throughout the last decade, dance groups for young children, particularly young girls, has changed. It appears that young girls have become increasingly sexualized in dance through the use of inappropriate dance moves and revealing costumes. The sexualisation of young girls throughout the Australian dance industry is a complex issue. Some commentators claim that it would be problematic to portray sexuality as shameful to young girls. They argue that criticizing young girls who appear to express their sexuality through creative dance is not healthy, as it will encourage them to believe that sexuality should be restricted and that female sexual empowerment is unacceptable (Thompson, 2010).
However, the idea of young children exploring their sexuality is not the problem. The problem revolves around young girls who are being exposed to a form of sexuality that is not theirs. Young girls are not discovering their sexuality due to a natural curiosity; they are being put in to the category of a sexual object through hyper-sexualised dance moves and costumes. Studies show that this has an overwhelming effect on their mental health and self esteem throughout adolescence and into adulthood (Newman, 2012).
Inside the Industry
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that at April 2012, 418,100 girls aged 5–14 years were enrolled in a dance school. Dancing is shown to be more popular than netball, soccer and basketball.
The Australian dance scene was stunned in 2013 when the head of Sydney school RG Dance, Grant Davies, was charged with 64 sexual assault, grooming and child pornography crimes relating to 10 former students. Individuals associated with the dance industry claim that RG Dance studio began many of the more provocative trends in Australian dance, influenced by the style of performing used in the US competitions, seen in reality television show, Dance Moms. The company won many competitions with its controversial routines that included adult themed concepts, revealing attire, and an unrealistically thin body aesthetic.
Georgia Canning, owner of GC Dance studio, argues that the sexualised style of dance and costumes displayed by the company were “inappropriate and unnecessary” for children’s dance competitions. However, after facing commercial pressure, many studios imitated the trends that RG Dance was setting, as they began losing students to the company that was taking home the trophies. After multiple dance schools began teaching sexualised choreography and using revealing costumes, studios felt pressured to fit in with the culture, and disassociate themselves from traditional performances. Dodie Wilson, a NSW adjudicator and retired studio director, actively opposes the culture that has surfaced within Australian eisteddfods, and has stated that there are “a lot of sheep in the industry. A lot of it is about money and keeping parents happy.”
The Effect
There is a growing body of research that suggests that the development of sexualizing young girls has many negative effects.
The APA Task Force Report on the Sexualization of Girls (2007) displayed that the objectification and sexualization of young women and girls has increased over time, due to the content of mainstream teen magazines, music videos and music lyrics. The sexualisation and objectification of young girls proposes that their value is reduced exclusively to their outer appearance, and suggests that sexuality is merely a performance for others. When young girls in the dance industry are on stage, dancing to adult lyrics and revealing costumes, they may grow to believe that in order to be popular and valued, you must make yourself sexual. Dr Patricia Weerakoon (2015) suggests that through this behavior, young girls begin to think that their self worth is related to how sexually appealing they are to others.
Feelings of body shame are thought to occur after a high exposure to these sexualised female ideals. Professor Louise Newman (2012) suggests that an early introduction to unrealistic standards of body and appearance during childhood leads to poor self-esteem, which results in children being vulnerable to eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. According to research conducted by Amy Slater and Marika Tiggemann(2014), by the age of 10, 28% of girls are dissatisfied with their appearance.
What can we do?
There are number of approaches that parents and those involved in the care of young girls can take in order to fight the normalization and effects of sexualisation.
Education- Fully understanding the effects and signs of sexualisation of young children is an important step. Increasing awareness of the issue can create change within the Australian dance industry. A list of research papers relating to the sexualisation of children can be located here.
Achievement- When praising young girls, focus on celebrating their achievements and abilities, rather than their appearance.
Self Monitering- Be mindful that what you say in front of young girls regarding the appearance of yourself or others (including looks, weight, and diets) can influence their own views on body image.
Be Aware- Monitor the television programs, movies, and music that children are exposed to. Being aware of the content is important in order to judge what is appropriate for viewing, and what is not.
Speak Up- Adults must speak up on behalf of young girls. If you feel that dance moves, costumes or music are inappropriate, you must be proactive and let the studio know that this is not acceptable.
Reversing the Trend
In this interview, Dance school director Inbar Niv discusses the benefits of creating a balance between teaching dance techniques and allowing creative expression. She explains how dance studios were objectifying her children through over-sexualised dance routines, and discusses the story behind starting her own dance studio in order to allow children to focus on confidence building through dance in a safe environment.
By altering our own behaviour and standing up for children who have become sexualised through the dance industry, we can help young girls grow to be confident, healthy and happy.
References
APA (American Psychological Association)(2007). Taskforce on the Sexualisation of Girls. Report accessed 30 May 2015, http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
Newman, L. (2009) The psychological and developmental impact of sexualisation on children. Getting Real (pp 75–85). Melbourne: Spinifex Press.
Slater, A., & Tiggemann, M. (2014). Contemporary girlhood: maternal reports on sexualized behaviour and appearance concern in 4–10 year-old girls. Body Image, 11(4).
Thompson, K. (2010). Because looks can be deceiving: media alarm and the sexualisation of childhood — do we know what we mean? Journal of Gender Studies, 19(4), 395–400. doi:10.1080/09589236.2010.533492
