Dancehall has long been criticised by some for being too raw and coarse and the recent street dances that have been created have provided enough material to keep the critics going for at long time.

What was considered to be extreme 10 years ago, can be considered saintly when compared with today's dancehall. One short visit to any of the many street dances will prove this.

The fact that these events do not even get under way until near dawn is a clear indication that these events are of a totally different nature. The props - ladders, beds, pieces of sponge and cardboard - represent a new definition of fun and the modern day dancehall fans know how to use them all too well.

Getting 'creative'

Rolling in the dirt, lying sprawled on cardboard and getting 'creative' with various bottles and cans seem to be the highlight of these events and quite honestly, it is all a bit too much.

While some may defend these actions as simple fun, self-expression or cultural freedom, we must recognise and separate the activities that are meant for public places and those meant for our homes.

Before the eyes of innocence

What is also very disturbing is the fact that many of these overtly sexual acts are being performed before the eyes of little children.

The fact that these young ones should be in bed and not on the street is another issue all by itself. While we are free to express ourselves however we choose, legally, of course, we should not forget that we need to maintain a certain standard, especially when children are involved.

Dancehall fashions have also taken an about face and it seems that nudity is the latest trend. Pictures from the popular street dance, Passa Passa, show women wearing absolutely no underwear and being fondled and groped by men. While there are some women who go all the way, others take a more subtle approach.

Why they even bother to wear clothes though is confusing, because after some time, they end up partially naked, on the floor, gyrating suggestively. The days where women were shy about showing their panties are long gone and by the looks of things, they will never come back.

Though there are some people who will never have anything positive to say about dancehall, and whose views are always skewed and prejudiced, we must agree that in many ways we have gone overboard. Watching a man climb a ladder and then 'sky dive' onto a woman waiting below on the floor, is clear proof of this. How can that be considered fun?

Rag dolls

Simulating sexual acts on a stage in front of hundreds of people in public street, in broad daylight is a bit too much and the women who allow themselves to be thrown around onstage like little rag dolls need to evaluate their actions. While your aim might be to entertain and have fun, there must be a limit and a line should be drawn somewhere.

Nothing is wrong with street dances and with dancehall in general - nothing at all. But when the raw, sexual dancing is what becomes the attraction, instead of good music, we know that we have taken a very wrong turn. Let's just clean up it a little bit.