Dance Moms

[TheJewAmongUs]

I was wondering about the last episode: Is there a point where the girls on the show become so well-known that competitions have an incentive to make them champions? Starbound, Hollywood Vibe, Fire & Ice, etc are are businesses right? I thought about that when Maddie had the highest solo score in the competition.

Anyway, I didn't think Brooke was smiling because she was really enjoying that routine. I thought the look on her face indicated more that she knew what they were doing was ridiculous. I didn't really understand why they couldn't wear leotards that were nude from the waist up. But that being said, I thought the whole beef jerky commercial was way more contrived and fake than the intentional controversial dance routine.

[breadprincess]

I finally gave in and watched this yesterday out of boredom. I was shocked by the behavior of Abby and the moms, it was so rude. I danced competitively as a tween/teen (until I was sidelined by a recurring injury and decided to focus on my 5 bajillion other extracurriculars instead) and this show in no way reflects my experience, thank God. Had my dance teachers ever talked to us or dressed us like that my parents would have pulled me out in a hot second. I still have a lot of my dance costumes and they were all cute and age appropriate (poodle skirt costume, a few different flapper costumes, etc.). The fan dance thing was so over the top. Granted, I am from a very small rural town, but none of the other local dance studios were operated any differently in regards to costumes and how to treat the students.

[MadameX]

I finally gave in and watched this yesterday out of boredom. I was shocked by the behavior of Abby and the moms, it was so rude. I danced competitively as a tween/teen (until I was sidelined by a recurring injury and decided to focus on my 5 bajillion other extracurriculars instead) and this show in no way reflects my experience, thank God. Had my dance teachers ever talked to us or dressed us like that my parents would have pulled me out in a hot second. I still have a lot of my dance costumes and they were all cute and age appropriate (poodle skirt costume, a few different flapper costumes, etc.). The fan dance thing was so over the top. Granted, I am from a very small rural town, but none of the other local dance studios were operated any differently in regards to costumes and how to treat the students.

Not that I would ever outright ask a lady her age, but how long ago were you dancing? Things have really changed even in the past 10 years. I remember when I was a teenager and it wasn't nearly this bad, or at least if it was people were horrified by it and competitions would disqualify the routine. Now, no one seems to bat an eyelash. Of course, my experience both dancing and later teaching/coaching is in a major metropolitan coast city so, YMMV.

[breadprincess]

I started when I was 11, so 12 years ago.

[MamaJunebug]

A couple of the female Junior Junebugs took dance back in the 1990s. A mom at our [sic] dance studio told me then how relieved she was to have found the place; she said, "The other studio had the girls dressed up like hookers and doing suggestive moves, this place (in contrast) does well without all that."

By "does well" she meant (1) teaches the kids excellent technique and performance and (2) gathers trophies. Every studio seems to have a mess of 'em!

So anyway, tacky has been around a long time. Oh, and that was in the Saint Louis, Missouri area, which is overall a blend of East/West, North/South, Midwest/not-so-Midwest, open-minded/provincial.

FWIW!

[MamaJunebug]

Just saw on TWoP that Dance Masters of America's Pittsburgh Chapter dismissed* Abby Lee (government name: Ursula the Sea Witch) from membership, apparently to do wtih DMoL. Yay, Pitssburgh chapter, DMA!

*or some verb like that. I CRS tonight.

[LilBit0318]

OK..I had the show on more or less in the background tonight & I'll catch up with the DVR later. But did I see promos for Dance Moms Miami? Same concept, different dance studio starting next month, I presume? *LOL* Lord help us! :lol:

[Sprocket]

I missed the episode where they were supposed to be "show girls". Maybe Lifetime is taking some flak because it's not OnDemand nor was it shown last night before the new show.

[sippin0nsunshine]

OK..I had the show on more or less in the background tonight & I'll catch up with the DVR later. But did I see promos for Dance Moms Miami? Same concept, different dance studio starting next month, I presume? *LOL* Lord help us! :lol:

Dance Moms Miami will be similar but not the same. The kids in the Miami show are around the same ages as the girls at ALDC, And Jessica Kennedy is the "Brooke" of the show. The difference is, the teachers/coaches for Miami, are both guys, and as far as I know, they're nothing like Abby, at all. We'll have to see in a few weeks though before we can say anything for certain.

I was hoping Mia Diaz would be on it. :( No luck though, Just rumors.

[MamaJunebug]

I missed the episode where they were supposed to be "show girls". Maybe Lifetime is taking some flak because it's not OnDemand nor was it shown last night before the new show.

And well they might. John Bennet Ramsey - JonBenet's father - stated in a recent interview that he wished he'd never permitted the girl to do pageants, as the suspicion now is that some pedo noticed her--and her fame was local/regional and not even televised. JMHO but the Duggars, Gosselin, Dance Moms, Tiaras parents & Bates woulddo well to rethink their get-rich-quick-on-the-children's-backs ideas.

[DonnaSmith]

I noticed that the Showgirls episode is listed as 'unavailable' on amazon streaming too. I looked around a bit, but can't find any official reason for that episode being excluded both from Lifetime and Amazon. I assume that it has to do with the dance, but not sure. Anyone see anything?

[LilBit0318]

Am I the only one who's completely confused at this point by all the Melissa drama? I mean, she's engaged & making it very obvious with the ring & everything, but she won't talk about it. Wouldn't most people with happy news like that be shouting it from the rooftops? And what was with the freakout on last night's episode? The other moms weren't attacking her, & it didn't seem to me like they were really being intrusive at all. Just seemed like normal observations & conversation that friends would have. Why that would send her over the edge & how she got an attourney to send them cease & desist letters over it is a total mystery to me! *LOL* At this point, it's got me all curious & nosy, so I can only imagine how the other moms were feeling at the time! Wonder if she'll ever open up & give us some answers!

[DonnaSmith]

I am confused by Melissa's drama. I think that Christie and Kelly are disrespectful to her- like when they mentioned on national tv that melissa shaves her pubic area or tell everyone else her marital history as soon as they walk in the studio, but why she go off on Holly? Holly was not being nuts at all!

But what I suspect is that Melissa doesn't like confrontation and knows that Holly would not try to start a bitch fight with her- like Kelly or Christie would. Melissa was furious and ready to snap, but aimed it at Holly for comfort and safety reasons.

I do not know why Melissa is all hush-hush about the engagement, but if she wanted it not to ever be mentioned, then she shouldn't have worn the ring and done the talking head about it in wedding dress episode.

I absolutely loved how at lunch she told the other moms how it wasnt her lawyer that sent the letters, but when Cathy walked in with a present she told her 'call my lawyer.'

Not a lot of scenes make Cathy look particularly sane, but that one where she was standing in the doorway with the engagement present and people are screaming about lawyers and cussing at each other because of it really made Cathy look like she was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else in the sanity game. (also, i got ten bucks saying it was a candy apple dance moms jacket in the box.)

Also- Cathy and Melissa were friendly for a while last season and Melissa looked a bit embarrassed when she fussed at Cathy. I think, again, it was Melissa fussing at who she really isn't mad at.

Also- I thought Nia did so well in the trio!!!! And I also thought Candy Apple's group number was cool. Poor Vivi, though. Free Vivi.

[MamaJunebug]

Donna Smith, you made me laugh at the thought that the gift was a mom jacket!

Everything about this show seems phony EXCEPT the girls' meltdowns and startled/ frightened/ uncomprehending reactions to the adults' meltdowns. Like Abby screaming about "the 2 things you never talk about."

I watched out of curiosity about the lawsuit, FF'ed thru even the dances. The show is just too artificial (the mom dramas) and too disturbing (the girls' tears) for me to care much. Seems I forgot to delete it from my queue after "Showgirls"---gonna take care of that right now! :)

[TheSassyOne]

DonnaSmith,

Lifetime has taken the "showgirls" episode completely out of rotation. It is never to be seen again. So unless you know someone who has recorded that episode, you won't be able to view it.

[holierthanyou]

I'm confused, I think Canada and US must be showing different seasons/episodes. The most recent episode we have is where Candy Apples holds open auditions and that girl who got kicked of Abby lee's main dance group tried out, but then turned it down when she was offered the position.

Is that an old episode for you guys?

I did see an episode about a month or so ago where the girls were dressed in trashy blue outfits that the moms were complaining the costumes and music were inappropriate, and the judges even marked them down for it. Is that the show girls episode?

[Guest Anonymous]

Holierthanyou, i think the episode your referring to (the one with the blue outfits) is from season 1.

[kb2]

Maybe Melissa's fiance doesn't want to be mentioned in any way on air, and that's why she's being weird about it.

[Guest Anonymous]

I don't know anything about divorce but maybe Melissa's fiance is still married and talking publicly about the engagement jeopardizes the divorce proceedings?

[Dhani_C]

You can see the Showgirl Dance on youtube. Another issue was that the episode also depicted Chloe in a meat dress for a beef jerky commercial for Cathy's husband (inappropriate from what I've read as that's the one episode I missed!).

[spragger]

I saw the fan dance episode and I didn't think it was any worse than some of the other costumes that some dancers wear. I think a lot of their costumes are inappropriate, though. If you look around the web you can find links to the entire episode as aired.

I am so excited to see the finale with the girls trying out for the scholarships!

[Coconut Flan]

I can't remember if it was on youtube or this last week's episode but the girls danced in the fan dance nude costumes minus the fans. I was pretty shocked and it didn't look good at all.

[Dhani_C]

I can't remember if it was on youtube or this last week's episode but the girls danced in the fan dance nude costumes minus the fans. I was pretty shocked and it didn't look good at all.

That was this week's episode (watched it this morning). The routine was called "Nip/Tuck" and it was about body image, supposedly.

[spragger]

That was this week's episode (watched it this morning). The routine was called "Nip/Tuck" and it was about body image, supposedly.

That's not the same dance, but their dance this week was weird. They didn't win again. She keeps saying it's because they're not dancing together as a group when really it's because she's making them do all kinds of weird dances!

[Dhani_C]

That's not the same dance, but their dance this week was weird. They didn't win again. She keeps saying it's because they're not dancing together as a group when really it's because she's making them do all kinds of weird dances!

I know! I'm not a dancer, but as a former competitive marching band member, I can tell you that routines where the band was trying to tell a "story" rather than just give an entertaining and skilled performance usually fell flat and didn't do that well. It seems like every episode they are trying to convey some type of message to the audience rather than just turning out a clean and well-tuned performance that highlights their abilities. It's almost like their playing a game of charades with the audience.

Or, it could just be that because they are more well-known and judges know that they only spent a week (so they say) on the routines, the judges mark them down subconsciously because they think the other teams have worked longer and harder than the ALDC girls.