It's freaky, all right.
Posted on 11/16/2005 11:41:54 PM PST by XR7
Think of sexually evocative bumping and grinding to bass-heavy hip-hop tunes. Think of lap dancing, standing up.
That's "freak dancing," a trend among high schoolers nationwide for more than a half-decade that Seattle Public Schools is now not only taking notice of but trying to stop.
Steve Wilson, the Seattle district's chief academic officer, said at a community meeting at Roosevelt High School Tuesday night that the district was setting a new policy after incidents at Roosevelt and other high schools in which parents had written to complain and students had been disciplined for freak dancing.
Parents and school administrators have raised concerns that such dancing could lead to sexual activity and shouldn't be allowed at school-sanctioned dances attended by students in their early teens.
Wilson encouraged students to continue attending their school dances, but he said those who do must dance "according to what reasonable people would consider appropriate." Such dancing, he said, should not include "lewd," "sexually suggestive" or "sexually simulating" behavior.
Wilson said the district already had issued a definition of freak dancing, defining it as occurring when "one dancer bends all the way down" and the other thrusts themselves toward the buttocks of the person bending down.
That definition elicited some snickering from the audience.
The sometimes-raucous meeting was dominated by a long public comment period.
Generational stereotypes typically held, with students mostly favoring allowing freak dancing, and more parents than not expressing concerns.
Roosevelt student Julia Pope said she doesn't drink or do drugs, "and I haven't yet contracted an STD through freak dancing."
"It's simply outrageous that they can impose their morals on us," Pope said of school officials and parents.
One 15-year-old Roosevelt sophomore, Colin Gerhart, said he had been reprimanded at a recent school dance for freak dancing. Afterward, he said, he spoke with his grandmother about it and she told him that she had learned how to dance during high school gym class.
Gerhart said that he had no similar schooling and that he freak danced because he had learned it from watching music videos on MTV -- and that's all he knew. "I don't know how you expect us to know how to dance," he said.
Several parents said their children had told them they had witnessed such dancing and it made them feel uncomfortable. One parent suggested that freshmen and sophomores dance at separate events from juniors and seniors.
Said Michael Capico, the father of a freshman at Roosevelt, "There's a point after which you want to keep the dancing dancing" and any sex separate from it.
Seattle is coming to this issue relatively late. The issue swept through high schools nationwide about four to five years ago.
Puyallup High School officials caused a storm in 2001 when they banned students from bending over more than 45 degrees while dancing or otherwise simulating sex acts. Some students organized their own private party in a protest that drew more than 300 students from the school's Valentine's Day dance.
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P-I reporter Sam Skolnik can be reached at 206-448-8334 or samskolnik@seattlepi.com.
That's what happens when you've been told by your teachers for 12 years that a woman has a constitutional right to kill her baby.
Not when you're dancing like a strip-joint whore in school.
It's freaky, all right.
"It's simply outrageous that they can impose their morals on us," Pope said of school officials and parents.
Why is the obnoxious squall of adolescent rebellion deemed worthy of print?
Just give her five or six good swats with a stout switch, get her into some appropriate clothing, and tell her to shut up.
And to think that back in 86-87, I was only protesting lyrics.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
I just wonder...where are the parents of these kids? Why are they being allowed to watch this sordid garbage in the first place? This whole situation is ridiculous and sad!
Required tools for every school dance monitor.
Parents teaching their kids to laugh at morality.
you are so right...LOL
"It's simply outrageous that they can impose their morals on us," Pope said of school officials and parents."
Gee, what's wrong with 14 to 17 year old kids practicing simulated sex at a public school event? Isn't it a First Amendment right? /sarc
What I find shocking is how poorly school officials and parents have educated this this young 'lady.' This seem to me as a fundamental outcome when kids are brought up to believe there is no authority, people are just higher life-form than animals, and any form of judgment is intolerant. I feel sorry for her.
One 15-year-old Roosevelt sophomore, Colin Gerhart, said he had been reprimanded at a recent school dance for freak dancing. Afterward, he said, he spoke with his grandmother about it and she told him that she had learned how to dance during high school gym class.
Gerhard said that he had no similar schooling and that he freak danced because he had learned it from watching music videos on MTV -- and that's all he knew. "I don't know how you expect us to know how to dance," he said.
The ignorance is bliss defense. Or I'm know dancing like that is immoral, but I like grinding up against teenage girls. It not my fault of course; the education system has failed me because I've never been taught to dance. I'm a victim.
Dancing my ass, this is just pub(l)ic dry-humping.
Big deal. When we slow danced in high school, it had the same affect as freak dancing does now.
We called it a "Dry Ride" when I was young. Done only at parties, not at the school dance.
Get cha freak On, Get cha Freak On.
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