Bumping and grinding.

Provocative dancing has been the subject of controversy since before Elvis Presley’s swiveling hips were censored from television airwaves.

Now it’s the Selma High School dance line that is in the middle of the fray.

Last week, Selma city school system officials suspended the activities of the dance team amid complaints about “dirty dancing.”

School officials say the dance team is being re-structured.

Parents complained when the team was suspended, saying the school system could have handled the situation in a more appropriate manner.

We agree. Certainly, the sponsor could have been called in and the situation discussed before the team was suspended.

Still, it must have been extreme for school officials to use extreme measures.

We entrust these people with administering public education. Unlike for-profit entertainment, these school-sponsored activities can only mirror so much of pop culture.

We are not the only community facing this dilemma. It’s been dealt with in Jackson, Miss., and other school systems. Recently, CNN did a feature on a style of dance called jukin’, which features body contact between the dancers with a flapper twist.

Selma High School’s dance team is not the only activity that should be held to a higher standard.

Other schools in our county also have provocative moves, so much so that some adults find themselves having to look away.

When representing our schools, dance teams, majorettes, band members and cheerleaders need to be held to a higher standard.