In this day and age, reality TV has taken the world of media by storm. Not many will hesitate to admit that they will faithfully plop in front of their television screens weekly to watch a juicy reality show such as Dance Moms. If any person is willing to see fresh drama and talented entertainment, Dance Moms is the show to watch.
The show is centered at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh, Penn., headed and owned by world-renowned dance coordinator Abby Lee Miller. There, she instructs and choreographs numerous dances for her competition team of seven talented dancers: Chloe, Maddie, Mackenzie, Nia, Paige, Brooke, and Kendall. Unlike most dance studios, however, in daily rehearsal, the mothers of the girls are almost always present and watch every waking moment of their daughters’ rehearsal in an observation mezzanine, which is an outlet for all of the drama that occurs.
Abby herself is very commonly known and often critiqued for her teaching methods, which some could describe as brutal and emotionally damaging. Because of this, she often clashes with her dancers’ mothers over several topics, ranging from favoritism and special treatment to bullying of children. Abby usually brushes off claims like these, saying that she is simply preparing the children for the harsh world of dance, because she is training future stars. To justify her actions, she consistently uses phrases such as, “Save your tears for your pillow!” and “Everyone’s replaceable,” to teach her students and the mothers to simply deal with the harsh realities of life.
Whether it’s jealousy, power struggles, rival dance studios, or foul play, Dance Moms is a show that always features intriguing drama. The show has even become so popular that two spinoff shows have premiered on Lifetime, “Dance Moms: Miami” and “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition,” and the show returned for its third season on Jan. 1.
One of the main reasons for its popularity is that overall; it teaches the importance of teamwork and becoming successful in life. For those interested in the show, new episodes air weekly on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.
