Young Girls' 'Single Ladies' Dance Sparks Controversy on Internet

May 14, 2010— -- Decked out in red midriff-baring tops and hot pants, dancers at a recent competition earned whoops and praise for their skilled moves and obvious talent.

But what was an exhilarating performance has turned into an Internet firestorm -- the dancers gyrating on a Los Angeles stage to Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" were as young as 8.

The girls' parents defended their daughters' performance at the World of Dance, billed as the largest U.S. urban dance competition, saying their daughters' moves and outfits were appropriate for competition.

"This is taken completely out of context," Cory Miller, father of one of the girls, told "Good Morning America" today. "The girls weren't meant to be viewed by millions of people."

Miller said they have tried to slow the spread of the video, but viewers need to understand that the girls' performance was "completely normal for dancing."

"On behalf of the parents, our best interest is for the kids," he said. "Just know that the kids are doing something that they completely love to do. They compete in dance competitions ... in front of family and friends."

Melissa Presch, a mother of one of the 8-year-old dancers, said, "We're very proud of our daughters and their accomplishments."

Comments on YouTube, where the video has logged tens of thousands of hits, range from disgust to support.

"Why is this legal?" one viewer wrote.

"I don't' think these girls think they are doing anything wrong. If you think so then you are imposing your adult views onto the girls," said another viewer.

The girls themselves see nothing wrong with their performance.

"We like to give over 100 percent," one of the dancers said, "sometimes like 220 percent."

Skimpy Costumes in Girls' Performance 'Designed for Movement,' Mom Says

Presch said her daughter has never seen Beyonce's video, only the cartoon performance in the recently released children's movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel."

"It's one of the most popular songs probably of the decade, said Presch . "The costumes are designed for movement, unrestricted movement and to show body lines."

Presch also defended the girl's costumes, saying that judges need to be able to see the girl's movement and technical skills.

Parents of children not involved in the performance, however, questioned why the dancers' parents allowed them to dance suggestively in outfits that can only be described as skimpy.

"As a new father, I definitely would not allow my daughter to be in a situation like that," Rob Lotterman said.

"It probably doesn't matter if they were wearing sweat pants or bikinis," mother Ariane Gold said. "The grinding wasn't appropriate."