Thread: Children's Pagent Contestants?

Any of you help a child prepare a dance number for a pageant? I've gotten a special request and it sounds like great fun, but I'd love to hear about any of your experiences. I've never been to, seen, participated in a pageant before, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.


thanks!

ooh, child beauty pageant, creepy. Be prepared to see a lot of kids is make-up hair and outfits that are way not age appropriate. Don't really have any advice on the dancing part. Sorry.

Are you talking about a pagent like Jon Benet Ramsey was in?

Watch toddlers and tiaras on TLC(I think you can watch clips online on hulu.com), it will show you what they are all about. And give you a reference point. For me I think child pageants are wrong. But hey its my opinion.Their children their choice.

But my advice charge as if you are giving a private lesson. You are in a way..(These mothers pay lots of money on teachers coaches and stuff) Keep the choreography simple remember they are still children with short attention spans. simple and also ask to see the costume and she should practice in it.
Music make sure you ask the length it has to be she has for the talent show part. I think the mother would give you the pageant guidelines. And I gather she wants to have a talent that is way different than other mothers.
I hope it helps.

Alrana

Originally Posted by shems

Any of you help a child prepare a dance number for a pageant? I've gotten a special request and it sounds like great fun, but I'd love to hear about any of your experiences. I've never been to, seen, participated in a pageant before, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.


thanks!

Belly dance for kids at pageants? Isn't it enough that those kids are dolled up as a kiddy fiddler's dream without adding a dance that is, by default, often seen as sexual. From what I've seen of pageants in the States, they are horrid affairs where babies wear lip gloss and mascara. It's wrong, wrong, wrong! Adding belly dance to the mix is worse!

not ever done a pageant thing but if you decide to do it, i might would suggest keep it age appropriate movement-wise as well as costuming-wise (solid harems & matching choli w/minimal bare midriff would be cute). musically something short & boppy, kitschy even maybe, with one or two 'big' moves thrown in for wow factor for the judges.

I don't have any advice or experience in this area, just thought it sounded like a fun gig (as long as you don't have a scary Stage Mom to deal with). :)

Having been in one as a pre-schooler (and why are you all looking so shocked at that admission?) I have to say that I agree with the above mentioned to keep it short and simply. Less "belly dance" and more dancing with a belly dance feel to it.

Some of the kids are really pressured to do well. Others, like me, were entered because my Mother felt it would be a good experience for me to have being in front of the public with no pressure to actually achieve anything besides walking a cross the stage, learning some poise and grace along the way. I thought it was kinda cool. I also didn't understand why some of the little girls were crying when it was over.

{{{HUGS}}}

I'm choosing not to make a judgment about the pageant's intrinsic rightness or wrongness. As far as I can tell, the mother is sweet and supportive and not scary and her daughter already seems to have a natural gift for belly dance which is why her mother thought it would be a good choice for a talent. The child is 10 years old.


I very much plan to help the mother keep it as tasteful and age appropriate as possible for her daughter. Any photos or video clips of children you all know of that I could use as either good or bad reference?

I know American experiences are different. I know children should start young at anything to become skilful. A young talented dancer that Kharis and I both know started t a similar age but always wore age appropriate costuming and performed at very selected venues. This is not this case is it? This is a pre-pubescent girl getting dressed up as a belly dancer and doing a little number. I'm sorry however careful and tasteful you may be , I find it scary as part of kiddie beauty pagent -well I find them scary full stop. There has just been one in the UK and motives and exeriences were chilling. Apart from the whole pedophile issue, why should a 10 year old be made up like an adult, thousands spent on designer wear and thae children be put in a highly competative situation. I just as much loath listening to kiddie-popsters on talent shows singing adult lyrics.Fake,attention -seeking...these events chill my bones..children should be allowed to be children and are at their most beautiful when they are naturally child-like not plastered like little adults. At 10 I was with friends,climbing trees,playing with a doll's house, going on adventures (long walks) and making our parents watch silly song and dance shows.

Is there any chance you could talk the mother into letting the little girl do a folkloric number? There's something decidedly less icky about a little girl in a caftan doing something Reda-Troupe-esque than working the harem girl shtick--but the latter is probably what the mother is picturing. Unfortunately, this is probably one of those public education moments that will fall on deaf ears.

Nevertheless, wouldn't it be cute--and totally non-pervy!--to see a little girl in a folkloric costume working "Al Ewled Haridi" (an Arabic version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm") by Free Baby in a little gallabeya with a hip scarf? This song, "Baba Feen," was the bigger hit off the record, but it met with quite a bit of criticism for being too sexualized. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeiajIz5KuA]YouTube - Free Baby - Baba Feen[/ame]At any rate, either would be better (and considerably more appropriate) than going full sexpot genie on the audience.

I thought of folkloric, too.

If you don't want to go that route, I'd probably look for video of Suhaila and Isabella. I don't recall anything particular in the moment, but I know that there have been some clips of Isabella dancing with Suhaila.

Daughters or Rhea - Zoe Isadora
Melina I believe has young photos of herself scattered throughout the site. I don't know how old her daughter is, but she can't be any older than 9, according to the date of birth

Here is a link to a pic of a girl who did a harem girl dance last season on Toddlers and Tiaras. The contestants do a lot of exaggerated faces a weird head bobs and poses. This particular little girl did the pharonic arms too.

The TV Series : Toddlers & Tiaras : TLC

one more pic here...she danced to Genie in a Bottle

toddler.bmp (image)

I recommend veil or veil fan. You would be surprised what a small child will improv given something fun and pretty to dance with.