6370 replies to this topic

[astaire]

There is a new Lifetime show premiering on July 13th. Dance moms follows a Pittsburgh dance studio and all their drama. As someone who has been involved in the dance competition world, I've said for years that there should be a dance reality show. I'm really curious to see how this show turns out. According to a few dance message boards sesaon 2 is already in the works so the producers must be confident about it.

Watch the promo ad here!

Article with info on the moms Look out tiara-tot mamas, here come Lifetime’s “Dance Moms”

Edited by astaire, Jul 7, 2011 @ 2:54 AM.

[shibori]

Yikes- I had already added this to my TiVo when I saw a blurb in last week's Entertainment Weekly, but I didn't realize the featured studio was from my old neighborhood. Having lived just a few miles from the studio for years (and fairly recently), I have to say I'd never heard of it, seen it in local media, or anything else about it, so I have to question how stellar it really is. And as someone who has my own residual trauma from having a very fat dance teacher sit on my shoulders when I was little to stretch a split, I'm leery of any "dance teacher" who looks like she should be riding a motorized cart at Wal-Mart.

So clearly I'm psyched for this one.

Their website will make your eyes bleed.

Edited by shibori, Jul 5, 2011 @ 4:06 PM.

[AUgirl]

I'm excited about this one! Should nicely complement Toddlers and Tiaras. Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I'm hoping for the bat-shit insanity of Show Biz Moms and Dads and Sports Moms and Dads. Man I miss those shows.

[Trojangirldance]

I will watch this for sure. Having endured more than my share of batshit crazy dance moms for fifteen years I am so ready for people to see what I have said every time I get chewed for having my daughter in pageants--every "hobby" or "sport" has their share of lunatics LOL. Dance moms are insane! And this is a very expensive "hobby" too. Like professional sports the chances of making it in the professional dance world are slim but people will spend like crazy for their child to compete in dance. Be ready for hoochie dances and makeup galore!

[CrumbyButtons]

Oh goodie, a show where people scream at each other. Whew, I was afraid we would run out of those! Pass.

[Pligschool]

I'm so in.

[IvySpice]

Oh, Christmas is coming early this year in my house! Yeah, I'm on board.

[NYGirl]

I've seen the preview and I'm so there. I have one daughter and she never took dance so this will be all new for me, but I'm a reality fan so I can't wait. I read some interesting comments on Lifetime's website about this show. I suggest you fans go read them.

[beemer]

Can't wait!!! My daughter dances but not at a big dance mill. She recently started competing so this should be LOADS of fun!

[ElectricBoogalo]

Not only am I looking forward to this show, but I see some of my favorite posters from other dance related shows (like Making the Team, woooo!) are already here too. I can't wait to talk smack about these lunatics with you guys!

[Absolom]

My daughters danced. I interviewed an idiot much like the one shown in the previews and there was no way my daughters would be around her for even a minute. I was appalled any parents were taken in by her alleged methods. I'm not sure I can watch this knowing the parents should recognize this as wrong instantly and they are paying for their children's torment.

[Venee]

I will watch this for sure. Having endured more than my share of batshit crazy dance moms for fifteen years I am so ready for people to see what I have said every time I get chewed for having my daughter in pageants--every "hobby" or "sport" has their share of lunatics LOL. Dance moms are insane! And this is a very expensive "hobby" too. Like professional sports the chances of making it in the professional dance world are slim but people will spend like crazy for their child to compete in dance. Be ready for hoochie dances and makeup galore!

I'm with you to a point except most of us have not figured out the point of Pageants. With dance we can.

[kccody]

I'm with you to a point except most of us have not figured out the point of Pageants. With dance we can.

Yes! My only experience with pageants is T and T, and my favorite part is always talent. These children that dance are (in my opinion) using a learned talent. Strutting and blowing kisses is not a talent.

[MissGoldie22]

I can not wait for this show, it never ceases to amaze me what parents will put their kids through just so they can live their childhood dreams through their kids.

[sereion]

I'm not big on Lifetime's reality shows, but this one is DVR potential...I'm in! BTW, that instructor is a little husksy, though--which is even more snarkworthy.

Edited by sereion, Jul 9, 2011 @ 7:56 PM.

[dmmetler]

16K/yr on dance? Unless that includes tuition to a high school of the performing arts, how? I know dance is an expensive hobby, but WOW! I guess these moms are paying heavily for private instruction or something? (Or maybe the rhinestones on the costume are real gems?)

I'll definitely be watching this one, but based on the preview I don't think my daughter will be allowed to watch it.

[shibori]

For a competive dancer, for each class you're going pay a few hundred a year for the class, a few hundred for the costume (even the cheapest will run at least $100, a custom one can approach four figures quickly), entry fees and travel costs for competitions, ads and pictures for the annual program book, shoes and everyday practice outfits, etc. Multiply most of those for multiple group classes and more for solos, duos, etc. It adds up fast.

[Trojangirldance]

I can easily see it costing that. Breakdown:
Competitive dancers usually take more than one or two classes a week--at minimum they are taking five (ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, hip hop) and some studios charge per hours taken some charge per class either way you are looking at on the cheap side about 120.00 per month times minimum 10 months that's 1200.00. Add in "company fees" which cover rehearsal time and to pay those teachers it can be anywhere from 30.00-50.00 more a month.

For choregraphy at the cheapest it is 200.00 per dance. If you have a solo you pay all that amount, some studios divide it by the number of dancers in a dance. Typically a girl will have a solo, duo/trio, small group, large group, and a production number so you can have five dances worth of choreography fees. Some studios and dancers can have more by having more than one solo, be part of more than one duo/trio or group dances.

Then you have costumes. Competitive costumes are nothing like dance recital costumes. They are usually custom made, much more flashy. They can start at 100.00 easily. You have five dances you are looking at minimum 500.00.

Most studios go to at least three dance competitions and those can be competition only or conventions where workshop classes take place with well-known instructors (Mia Micheals does conventions, Sonya, a lot of the SYTYCD finalists). Those cost about 250.00 per convention just for the classes then you pay for each dance you enter and it can run to close to 500.00 in fees. A studio usually choses a National to attend from those they competed at and that cost is about twice what the regionals are.

Then you figure in hotel expense, travel expense (either gas or flying), food. It adds up quickly.

[losermom]

Being a former competitive dance mom, I'm going to all over this like white on rice! My own DD, now 24, was in competitive dance for 10 years. She's now engaged to be married and in graduate school (Public Administration). I agree with the posters that most moms are at the competitions in jeans and tennies. We're too busy getting our kids ready to get ourselves gussied up. And yes, there are some really competitive moms out there. DD and I have been waiting for a reality show like this for years. Pageants are different from dance studios and we need our fix of dance drama.

TrojanGirl, I agree on the costs. Luckily we were at a smaller midwestern studio. But the last 2 years my DD was dancing I easily spent 5000+ per year. Add that to the cost of private HS and you can see how relieved I was that she attended a public university. I was saving $ even though she continued to dance in college.

[Imelda]

So the article someone linked to upthread said that the mom of one of the dancers owns Candy Apple's Dance Center (which is in Canton, Ohio). That woman is....wow. My friend's daughter took dance there, she pushes those girls, but she definitely gets out of them what she puts in. Holy hell, those girls are beasts.

As a former greater Pittsburgh resident and dance competition kid, I competed against Reign Dance Productions dancers (it was called something different back then, Mary Lorraine or something) and their competition teams are insanely good. And they are terrifying, they kind of all look like robots, even the skin on their legs matches). I remember throwing up in the bathroom once when I saw that they were performing right before we went on. I don't remember the instructors specifically, but I'll definitely be watching the show!

[JazzieCazzie]

Is it escaping anyone else's attention that this is on directly opposite T&T? And only airs once a week? Luckily T&T is also on at midnight so my TiVo won't implode.

[AUgirl]

Then you have costumes. Competitive costumes are nothing like dance recital costumes. They are usually custom made, much more flashy. They can start at 100.00 easily. You have five dances you are looking at minimum 500.00.

Our dance rectial costumes generally run at least 100/costume :(. Dance is way more expensive than sports in our household, and we are in a small-town, no frills studio--but great teachers as far as fundamentals, etc go. My daughter loves it, which is why she takes.

Is it escaping anyone else's attention that this is on directly opposite T&T? And only airs once a week? Luckily T&T is also on at midnight so my TiVo won't implode.

I realized this last night! I'm going to have to catch the late Toddlers and Tiaras, since they are at the same time.

[TripleTimeStep]

Just ran across this and I am wicked excited. I taught at a rec studio that had a comp team for the last couple years I was there, and I've worked with a lot of kids from the big competition studio in town, so suffice it to say I am all over this. In fact, if this show sticks around, it would not surprise me in the least to see that studio make an appearance.

I'll be really interested to see how this does. This world is where most of the STYCYD dancers start, so I think there could be a lot of interest. (Actually, it looks like this season's Miranda was from the studio that's being profiled in this first episode.)

Edited by TripleTimeStep, Jul 13, 2011 @ 9:57 PM.

[JessieQ]

It's such a relief to finally watch a reality show where all of the adults so well-adjusted and normal...

[Candy Moocher]

Crazy dance instructor: "Those legs are about as straight as Elton John."

I'm in.

[Spooneroonie]

It's nice to watch kids who actually have some talent. I dig that the director actually seems to follow the rules that are in place, rather than let kids run rampant.

Having said that, do I think she was a bit harsh? Oh yeah. But, she also seems to turn out winners. Win and have nasty self esteem issues the rest of your life, or lose once in awhile and be reasonably well adjusted? Toss up, I guess.

[BloggerAloud]

This is basically like the kiddie version of Black Swan.

[MamaDoc]

Wow. As a former competitive dancer (only at the high school level) I understand the costs and time involved in the activity. 16k a year is feasible if you consider all the costs that were listed upthread.

Best line: "What are you girls doing? Those legs are as straight as Elton John!" Honestly, I would be scared if Abby would come at me with those gigantic boobs. They're like torpedos shooting at you. I can only imagine what it's like to have those at eye level. Whoa, nelly!

The crazy mom: I know for a fact that every dance studio that I've heard of (and my daughters have been in dance for two years) has dress codes for each class, especially for competition dancers. If you don't dress the right way, you leave class. I don't know if the fight between the mom and Abby was staged, but if it wasn't, the mom was wrong, IMO. If your kid needs to be dressed a specific way, then you need to make sure they have the right outfits for each class. Period.

I'm not sure why Holly was surprised to see her daughter (Mia) at the bottom of the pyramid. If you look at her compared to the other dancers, she doesn't dance as well as the others. She messed up in the first few seconds of the dance in the competition (I think she did her turns totally backward). I'm sure if she practices she'll get better and be at the same level as the others.

Did anyone else notice that almost every time we saw the girls they were wearing makeup? I mean, is that normal now? My girls don't wear makeup on an every day basis and I didn't like seeing those girls in makeup so often. That's just me.

I'll definitely be tuning in this season. I see a lot of fights between Abby and everyone else in the future.

[Candy Moocher]

Is this dance studio in a suburb or actually Pittsburgh? I tried to access the website but it didn't load. Guess we all crashed it? Heh.

[TripleTimeStep]

I don't even know where to start!

First of all, assuming that this was taped this spring, that "first place" the trio won was a little bit bogus. Here's the results from the Phoenix competition. Note that the studio followed here isn't listed anywhere. Now, the awards for dance comps are only a little less convoluted than the awards for pageants, but basically you compete like dance against like dance (so, say, all five- and six-year-old tap dances with four to nine kids in them are scored against each other, and then all five- and six-year-old jazz dances with four to nine kids, and so on). Then there's a top ten (or five, or three) composed of all the numbers in that age group and size group, across styles. That's where the glory is. So that trio beat all the other duos/trios in the musical theater division in their age group (which might have been all of one other team), but they weren't first across all styles.

I find Abby's methods appalling. I have to believe that some of it--ranking the kids, changing the routines every week--is just for the cameras (shocker!). I don't think even the super insane studios do that. But the way she speaks to the kids . . . unfortunately, I think that's a little more common. Still inexcusable, but not unheard of. The whole thing with Vivi, the screaming match at the studio--those situations seem so manufactured, but the intensity on both sides seemed so real that I don't know what to think.

I wish they wouldn't pipe in the audience noise at the competitions. Unlike those pageants on T&T, most comps are crazy loud.

I want to see less of the moms and more of the kiddos!