Bullets and Ballet (My "Dance Moms" Episode 7 Recap)

Nia's performance the previous week was fairly strong and I was really happy for her. Unfortunately, I was less than thrilled with Nia's placement on the pyramid. Once again she was close to the bottom and that can be frustrating to see. However, I know the pyramid is not aways about dance and there are politics at play. Abby controls the power in the pyramid placement and she determines that not always based on dance- it can be arbitrary at times. Sometimes a child's pyramid placement has nothing to do with a child's performance during dance, but the actions of a mom. Of course, I disagree with this line of thinking but I recognize that it exists. It can be frustrating at times.  I know Nia wants to be at the top of the pyramid one day and I want to support her in that quest. Yet, it is most important to me to share with Nia that she gets to be the "star" in her life everyday. I think that is more special than being on the top of the pyramid- it is about balance ad perspective.

I disagreed with the use of guns as a prop in the dance routine. I do not think guns are toys and I do not want our girls sending the wrong message about guns. I know I tend to be sensitive about costumes and many of the themes of the routines, but I have true worries abut pushing the envelope. As an educator, I feel a responsibility to communicate my concerns about gun violence and safety. I was not a fan of the rip and was resistant to it as the girls practiced.

However, when I saw the complete package of the routine I changed my attitude. The routine was more of a spoof and caricature of private investigators than criminals using guns. The dance was clever, fun, and entertaining and was a spoof on "007".  Although the guns were not necessary for the dance, they did not detract from the dance ether.

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