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Step It Up and Dance

(Rated TV-14, Reality TV, Starring Elizabeth Berkley, Where to watch: Bravo)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Dance show hardly dares to be different. Teens OK.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The contestant pool is diverse; a variety of races, ages, and sexes are represented. In general, the spotlight is on skill and athleticism, but catfights and other interpersonal drama sometimes steal the focus.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Dancers sometimes attack each other verbally, but not physically.

  • Sex:

    One contestant is a go-go dancer (which she stresses isn't the same thing as being a stripper because she keeps her clothes on); costumes can tend toward the skimpy (including shirtless guys and exposed female buttocks), and there's some racy dancing that simulates sex. Burlesque dancing is also featured. The dancers' sexual orientation (some are straight, some are gay) is treated openly and matter of factly.

  • Language:

    Words like "damn" or "hell" are allowed, while "f--k" and "s--t" are bleeped. "Fag" is used at least once by a gay dancer.

  • Consumerism:

    Choreographers and judges frequently mention the names of celebrities they've worked with; in one episode, dancers learn a routine to a Spice Girls song, and a Spice Girl serves as a guest judge.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Dancers are sometimes shown drinking alcohol in social situations.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Step It Up and Dance

Parents need to know that dance-loving tweens will probably want to watch this reality-style dance competition. But there's some sexually charged choreography and bleeped swearing that makes it more age-appropriate for teens and up. Speaking of sex, several dancers are openly gay, and while sexuality isn't a big part of the plot in general, it isn't downplayed, either. There's also a healthy amount of commercialism in terms of subtly promoting individual artists like the Spice Girls and Broadway musicals like Legally Blonde.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the extensive training and dedication required to become a professional dancer. Is a dancer's life more physically demanding than you realized? Do you consider dancers to be artists or athletes -- or a little bit of both? Which dancers do you think have the best shot at winning this competition? What sets them apart from the rest of the contestants? Families might also enjoy discussing (or even trying to perform) the different types of dance styles demonstrated on the show, including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and Broadway.
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