I have two nieces and a nephew who did Irish step dancing. Seriously. And they were into it for years; it wasn't just a passing fad.

Once I went to a feis and learned that the girls were being judged on (among other things) the state of their socks. Were they very white? new? completely straight, or if twisted into place, twisted in a geometric manner?

In other words, how much time and money had a mother put into her daughter's socks?

In my opinion, the dancing is so regimented that the judges were forced to compare socks rather than performances.
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As for the wigs, I've been thinking. I think that most of the kids, especially the young ones, don't associate the wigs and curlers with sexuality. But they certainly get the message that 'Your hair isn't pretty enough.' That's sad.

I would never let my kid into the world of stepdancing.