When the music's blasting, we just want to have fun. The red-hot popularity of sexualized dancing should surprise no one, said Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple University and a former president of the American Psychological Association. The bare midriff and see-through netting have become standard. He urged a little perspective. I don't think people should get too excited about this.
Kids go through phases.
What would shock me more is if kids were doing ballroom dancing. But that doesn't mean the provocative moves are appropriate for high-school dances. Rosenwald met recently with 200 or so anxious parents, students and administrators at a Home and School Association session where the dirty-dancing talk had more than just the students hot and steamy. Rosenwald, who has a son in 11th grade, described some of the dancing as barely distinguishable from sexual intercourse at times. It almost simulates a multiple-partner experience.