Dance Moms

[twin2]

The hurricane kept me up all last night. I watched a marathon of Dance Moms from episode 2-present from on demand *hides head in shame*. Vivi definitely needs to be freed. I don't doubt that Cathy loves her, but she treats her more as an accessory than a kid. Brook needs to be freed as well. I think she would be happier being a gymnast or a cheerleader. I know a lot of this has to be staged, but each of these Moms should be ashamed of themselves. For some reason Abby doesn't annoy me that much.

[Red Molly]

Abby annoys the hell out of me. But those mothers should be ashamed of themselves. All of them. Cathy is a big old pile of stinky crazy.

[slickcat79]

I haven't seen the most recent episode, and I may have missed some earlier bits as well, but does anyone know Vivi-anne's story? Cathy looks quite old to have a 6-year-old child, and Vivi looks very different from her as well. Does Vivi just look like her dad (sidenote: do we ever see any of the dads)? Is she adopted, did they use a surrogate?

I get the feeling that Cathy adopted her, and possibly not as an infant. She really does give off the vibe sometimes of having gone out and bought a daughter as an accessory to mold into some kind of mini-me :(

[luckylibrarian]

slickcat, I think it was confirmed somewhere that Vivi-Anne was adopted from Guatemala. I'm not sure when, though.

[Elle]

On the one hand, the kids ARE on a TV show, which I guess ups the chances they'll get noticed, so in a way the moms' behavior is justified.

Producers don't like to cast kids with nutcase parents who are likely to pull their kid off a show for not being made the main character, and these moms reek of being that sort who'd pull a kid if they (the moms) didn't get their own way. It's too risky to cast kids with parents like this. Recasting is costly and can drag a series down when people notice someone different. It's rarely worked out well to have a recast.

[Witsec6]

OMG this show! I think it sets women back about 25 years, and yet I watch...

Candy Apple is a "Mommy Dearest", Kelly has crazy eyes and is horrible to her daughters. I think her girls are totally isolated and oppressed-- like the fundies we snark on!

Abby is an interesting lady. She realized at 14 that she was meant to be a coreographer? I wonder if that has more to do with her body type than her true desire. I don't doubt that she's a really good teacher. I don't know much about dance, but these girls seem really talented.

[Kitten]

I'm assuming Abby has a medical problem that she doesn't discuss publicly, because how else can she demand the kind of dedication and physical commitment she insists is necessary to become a professional dancer (not that I'm disagreeing with her about that), and yet maintain such an unhealthy body weight? I would think she would want to model that kind of dedication for her kids, unless something is preventing her from doing so. Not only that, how much harder is it to try and instruct kids in dance moves when you can't perform them yourself? Not to mention all the traveling and associated discomforts and stress, aggravated by her lack of stamina...

Might also explain a lot of her grumpiness...

[chrissasue]

I wasn't able to caught the first esposide of this season but I have to say this show for some reason has got me watching Abby Lee's barking can get a bit much at times.Maybe it's cause as a kid I two left feet and always wanted to be able to dance.Holly seem to be the only mom with a level head and the other moms all seem like they push,push,push.I was watching a rerun where the other 3 moms where making fun of Vivi because she kept falling over and saying they didn't their daughters dancing with her.I agree Vivi wasn't up to the other girls level yet but I wonder why these 3 moms have nothing to do but sit up in the booth making fun of the other kids.

[Guest Anonymous]

My daughter and I watch this show and now because of it she wants to enroll in dance lessons again (she's 11 and was in them from about age 4-7). I told her if her grades improved this year we will enroll this fall. She's so excited! I like the moms in the show but I really like to watch the girls dance, that's my favorite part. Maddie and Chloe are so beautiful to watch. Abby's voice grates on my nerves.

[MamaJunebug]

I'm so glad to find other fans here!

I want to be Holly's new best friend and buy her a nice dinner. What class she shows! I've wondered why she lets Nia remain under Abby Lee's less-than-pleasant tutelage but apparently Nia is still having fun and I sometimes think that Holly figures she's a good example-model for working moms with common sense.

I found an interview with Christi - Chloe's mom - which revealed that a casting call went out to dance studios for a reality show with a lot of conflict within the studio. That explained so much: Abby Lee is a neurotic freak (JMHO) who is lucky enough to have bamboozled enough parents into thinking she's selling decent dance lessons.

Two of my girls went to dance for a few years. One studio was in the basement of a ladies' home and was a nice way to introduce little bitty girls to the idea of structured dance moves and such. There was never NEAR the level of drama as at ABDS.

Another studio was very elegant - not pricey, just well put together - and one of its claims to fame was that a student had danced on Broadway and at the Saint Louis Municipal Opera. That student was as pleasant as could be, didn't want the limelight when she was in studio. Her mom was a bit of a force of nature but the owners massaged her just right and I never heard, or heard of, any of the dramz as at Abby Lee and/or Candy Apples.

All that said, I really dislike Abby Lee. Over at TWOP, Howard has forbidden any talk of Abby's size unless it's mentioned in the show. Well, Howard, were Abby wearing a size 4 I'd still find her arrogance and coarseness repulsive.

Cathy of Candy Apples is so outrageously the villain that I have to wonder if it's all an act.

So why do I watch? I think ... I blush to say it ... it's because I feel superior to the ladies, except for Holly, with whom I feel a bond of horse sense and staying-above-it-except-when-a-child-is-at-risk.

But I do watch! :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

Original thread is here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1280

Since I saw MJB posting and I think she can do a merge. ;)

[snarkbillie]

I love Abby Lee. She does some things that I don't agree with, but mostly I love her. I understand if you all hate me now. :P

[MamaJunebug]

Original thread is here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1280

Since I saw MJB posting and I think she can do a merge. ;)

She did! :lol: Thanks for helping me locate the older thread. My patience is shorter with every passing year, and help is always appreciated!

snarkbillie, what is it you like about Abby Lee? I appreciate that she has to be tough to keep from being run over by pushy dance parents... would love your "take" on her!

[snarkbillie]

snarkbillie, what is it you like about Abby Lee? I appreciate that she has to be tough to keep from being run over by pushy dance parents... would love your "take" on her!

She's no-nonsense. She tries to keep the girls reaching for more. I think she's too harsh sometimes, but I forgive it because I...do.

Honestly I don't have much of a logical or well thought out defense for her. Some of the things she does are just indefensible. She should NEVER have said anything about Brooke being "worthless" for example. That's not cool.

I think in my view the parents are the real villains in this show.

I probably should have prefaced that I was very pro-Voldemort while reading the HP series. I think that probably explains a lot.

[slickcat79]

I found an interview with Christi - Chloe's mom - which revealed that a casting call went out to dance studios for a reality show with a lot of conflict within the studio. That explained so much: Abby Lee is a neurotic freak (JMHO) who is lucky enough to have bamboozled enough parents into thinking she's selling decent dance lessons.

That would actually go a ways toward explaining why Cathy and Vivi were ever there to begin with, because I never really understood that. I kind of wondered if maybe Cathy had originally pitched the idea for the show, but Lifetime decided that Candy Apples didn't have enough internal drama.

I'm torn on Abby. On the one hand, I would never want to take lessons from her because I could not handle that kind of criticism, especially as a child. She is way harsh on them, and I think 8-9 year olds are pretty young for that kind of pressure. She's also extremely self-centered and full of herself. However, she's hardly the only teacher/coach to act like that, and she gets mostly good results in competition. She really pushes them to do as well in dance as they possibly can, because if they want a career in that it will be EXTREMELY tough. No choreographer is going to coddle them, and they will have to learn new dances in a very short amount of time, especially while auditioning. I think she probably also puts pressure on herself, because of her size, to turn out champion dancers and prove to people that she's still relevant in the dance world.

[Gizmola]

When is this on? Apparently, I'm missing out. Is it on TLC?

I just got cable back after over a year (long story) and I stumbled upon Toddlers & Tiaras - OMG!!! Watched 5 episodes in a row. Was appalled. I told everyone at work who then said, "You should watch 'Dance Moms!'"

[chrissasue]

It's on Tuesday night on Lifetime

[BlondeAgent007]

i LOVE this show!

My take on Cathy- I think the producers knew she was a television gem, but that the parents at her studio lack the drama (remember the episode when Cathy and Christi fight?). I think the producers offered to slot her on the show pending she goes to Abbys studio to raise hell there. Abby would have never ever picked vivi anne to be on her elite team - the girl doesn't have the talent or the heart. I think the producers also wanted the moms to slowly learn she was crazy to add to the drama. I could be totally off base but it makes sense in my mind

[ukool23]

Love this show, the girls are great dancers. Not a fan of Abby or all the 'drama', i just think these girls are so talented!

[Guest Anonymous]

I love this show too but I don't get why these moms stay with Abby. All they do is cry and complain and fight with her. They always seem super unhappy. Why are they staying? Aside from that, I think the girls are all so sweet and super talented. I love watching them perform.

[Gizmola]

I don't really understand dance team. We had one in high school my senior year and it was definitely the girls who couldn't get on the cheerleading squad.

The only other experience I have with dance teams is watching one season of "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" and those girls ain't doing pyramids and just shouting "Go Team!"

And then the dance team for the local university basketball's team and they just seem like cookie cutter "cutesy" blonde types who do some hip-hoppy dance moves and have blindingly white teeth.

[MadameX]

I love this show but I used to teach competition dance so I often see Abby's method in her madness. It seems like 99% of the drama comes from the mothers not trusting Abby's decisions. Now, admittedly, I think she is a horrible choreographer with totally inappropriate themes and costumes for these girls, but unfortunately I seem to be the only one in the competition dance world who ever thinks so. With the other stuff though, like work ethic and rehearsals and competing against one another, they need to trust her because frankly, not all of those girls will make it as pro dancers on their mothers' advice.

[chrissasue]

I couldn't believe Jill was trying to bribe Abby with gifts to try and get Kendall's name up on the pyramid.I bet Abby will let her go next .She acts like Kendall is better then the other girls and should come above them.I was glad to see Brooke back.Does anyone know who that was in the preview for next week who was hurt?

[MamaJunebug]

I'm thinking it was Maddie who was hurt, just from the proportions.

In other news, it's official: Abby Lee is repulsive.

And the moms, except for the one who bailed and Melissa, are famewhores on the level of Michelle Duggar and Kate Gosselin. Yes, even Holly, who I used to like.

I hope they're getting plenty of $$ for this and that they are consoling the girls off-camera that it's all for their college funds and not really real. I used to like Christi - partly just because she's a Polonian like myself - but the way tender Chloe reacts with tears, I doubt that Christi - much less the other white one, the mother of the former cheerleader and Paige - has anything supportive to say.

Possibly just, "Good show, kid, keep the waterworks coming."

Kid (thinking): "No problem with that, you neglectful excuse for a mother!"

Back to Repulsive Woman. Her screaming, "I'm Abby Lee Miller" at the dumbstruck bus driver could've gotten them all in a wreck. What the farck does being a low-level dance professional from Pittsburgh have to do with getting a busload of women and children safely somewhere?

Did the departing mom shout, "Everybody's replaceable and so is ABBY LEE MILLER!" as she left? I hope she did. She should've.

Really. So some of the ABBY LEE graduates have performed on Broadway in New York City. That tells me nothing, really. My neighbor sang with her choir in Carnegie Hall. They rented it. It's done all the time. Of course some of ABBY LEE'S students will be good enough and persistent enough to get on Broadway. And I'm sure the students who dance with the black male instructor we see in B-roll, or with Gia (??) in regular, non-dance-company classes, enjoy what they do and only know ABBY LEE as the studio owner who makes miserable the lives of people in her orbit.

Thus they attend their training and get out of HER orbit as soon as may be.

Why do I watch? You know ... I think to feel better about myself! :lol: It sure can't be for the mothers' camaraderie. Maybe it's to see what's so all-fired special about the dancers' performances. And to cheer them on; they're just talented, hard-working kids!

[MamaJunebug]

I don't want to try to sign up at TWoP but some of the discussions they have over there are good.

What do you all think of the moms' latest thing on "seniority"? It isn't seniority that decides who dances in front at a competition, it's performance, am I right? Maybe I'm wrong.

Kendall (the cheerleader's mom) refers to having been at the studio "for 30 years" if I'm hearing right. Did she take dance from ABBY LEE MILLER'S mother back in the day? Anybody know?