Controversy over costume worn by Shallotte Christmas Parade participant
SHALLOTTE, NC (WWAY)– Thousands of people came out for the Shallotte Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 3.
One group of dancers who performed in the parade is now under attack, by community members expressing concerns over outfits worn by the group.
Shallotte Mayor Walter Eccard said the town of Shallotte received around 30 complaints about the clothing worn by majorette-style dance company director Nakita Monroe, a transgender woman. She says it was her first time dancing in the parade with a group of children in her dance company, wearing costumes Monroe said she made hours before the parade.
Many of the complaints from Shallotte residents and Christmas parade-goers were about the amount of fabric on the backside of Monroe’s leotard.
“I definitely thought that shouldn’t have been in a parade around kids,” said Alyssa James, resident.
“I think they shouldn’t have been wearing those in the parade, since there is little kids in the parade, and then little kids can think it’s okay for them to do that,” said Tybrasia Collins, resident.
Mayor Eccard said each year after the Christmas parade, the town discusses how it went and addresses any complaints.
“We did receive a number of people who contacted the town and expressed their concern with one of the participants in the parade, and the dress of that person, and so we are going to be meeting Friday like we do every year after a parade. We are going to be meeting Friday, like we do every year after a parade, and we’re going to be reviewing everything. I anticipate that we’ll make changes for next year that will address a dress code and behavior,” said Walter Eccard, Shallotte Mayor.
Monroe said she did not expect the response about her costume, and says she would have added more fabric to the costume, if she had additional time before the event.
“I did, –you know, take some feedback and some commentary from other dance coaches, that are not locally here, they’re from far out, –you know, Coach D from the Dancing Dolls, I did have a little conversation with her. She definitely let me know that the costumes were a little risqué, but we live and we learn,” said Nakita Monroe, ‘Keep It Cute Dance Company’ director.
She also said she found some of the comments about her participation in the parade, inappropriate and offensive.
“If people just would have kept it at the costumes and just said ‘hey, it was just a little risqué, maybe –you know, next time just learn to put a little bit more fabric to it’ and then, go from there, but the comments just went like all the way left, and I just wasn’t expecting that. So, it did make me feel a little some type of way, but because I was getting so much positive feedback from people even people that resided in Shallotte, North Carolina. It kind of made me feel a little better that people were standing behind me and supporting me,” said Monroe.
Monroe said this will not deter her from having her dance company participate in area parades, and they will be in the holiday parade in Bolivia on Saturday, December 10. She said she plans to have her dancers wear the same costumes, but she is considering wearing a different costume or not dancing with them.
