Dance Moms

[LuvsDragonflies]

How much do they get paid to let people see them act that way?

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I really got into the show last year, but I have to say Abby has hit the all time high of being a witch. (I mean the other word) I could not stand Jill last year, but she has grown on me this year. I love Kelly and her girls I would say over all. I was so happy she came back and glad the moms took a stand against Abby about that situation, but hate how they all have to walk on their toes now because of a choice. I cannot stand Maddie, I can't stand the favortism that is shown toward her by Abby. If Abby put as much time and effort into the other girls as she does Maddie and now Sophia, they would win their solos/duets/trios/etc if you ask me. Melissa is one that gets on my nerves to this day. She needs to learn to stand up for herself and not let people step all over her.

Cathy and her rotten apples, I told my mom today she gives the buckeye state a bad name. Lol If I were Abby and Jill last night I would've done more than throw water at her. I would have let her have it and not care what would've happened. She knows she can't succeed in competing on Abby's level with girls, so she brings in boys to get sympathy and higher scores. Yes I admit these boys are very talented. Vivi needs to be put against Mackenzie I would love to see Mackenzie kick Vivi's butt, which you know will happen.

I was a high level gymnast and my coaches were never like the tyrant that Abby is. I hate how she treats these kids, I can see them all being in therapy later in life. The whole blow up at Chloe last week over the hat, was just flat out ridiculous in my opinion and premature seeing they won. I would've left too with my kid after that. But Christi lost her cool on camera, which wasn't very smart. Gotta stay calm in those situations.

Now you know how we in NJ feel with all those housewives, Jersey Shore losers, and Jerseylicious ladies, don't judge us by our worst specimens . As much as Abby is a witch, Cathy is 100xs worse b/c if she wins she runs after Abby to rub it in AND talks smack about the kids.
I don't hate Maddy, but I hate the favoritism that Abby gives to her. Honestly, I think Chloe is a better dancer. I think what she did to Nia and Paige was so wrong this week. I really like Nia and Holly, and I am so happy that all is well with Nia after her past nerological issues.
I am kinda happy to see Sophia go, her voice drove me nuts and when she would do the "confessional" type of interviews I noticed she didnt have that little voice, only when she was talking to the other girls and Abby.

 

[Swimnoid]

Here is an interesting article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that explains it is not all it seems.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/dance-moms-talk-about-being-part-of-lifetimes-top-reality-program-668323/

 

[Rylee]

I watch because I love to see the dancers perform.

I wish they would tone down the script concerning the Mama drama and the outrageous behavior of the dance instructors. It's uncomfortable to tune in and see children reduced to tears. It feels like I'm witnessing verbal abuse.

Abby is mean but Cathy is psycho.
Brook, Chloe and Maddie are my favorite dancers.
Paige is gorgeous.
Love McKenzie and her spunk.
Sophia is amazing.
What's up with Vivi? She's definitely not a dance and appears, um, a little slow on the uptake. Camera shy, perhaps?
Christi is way over-the-top this season, but she does get in some good one-line zingers and adds some humor to the show.
Melissa seems emotionally distant from her children and appears to be more concerned with what Abby wants than what her children need.
Holly seems sensible, yet, after the last episode, what's up with keeping Nia in a stressful environment if she has RSD?
Every time Jill speaks, I laugh about Christi's 1-800 comments regarding her voice.
*I'd probably hang out with Kelly, since she can turn any situation into a good time as long as she can have a drink. Lol



A good dance teacher can be strict, firm, demand attention and expect perfection, etc., but she doesn't need to be demeaning, abuse her authority or act like a bully.

Hey Abby, "Save your tears for the pillow!"

 

[I Love Pluto]

Holly is definitely the most level-headed. Both Holly & Melissa seem to really LOVE their kids, not just push them for personal gain.

Christi has too much drama lately. I used to really like her - but she has become extremely rude & nasty, without cause many times. She also babies Chloe too much. Stop being Chloe's Friend & start being her Mom, please, Christi!

Jill needs help. I don't think she knows who she is. Kendall is raising her!

My favorite - tie between Melissa & Holly
Least favorite - Christi

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Anyone else out there watch this show? Which mom is your favorite/least favorite? What have you thought about the season so far this year?

I love this show . My DD and I watch it. This season is a little much though.
Between a new mom walking out of the studio and never coming back almost once a week, the continuous far fetched drama and the latest is the fiasco in the dressing room with Kathy. Really?

Maddie gets on my nerves. I do like Chloe and used to love Christi but she is getting on my nerves lately too. She ticked me off when she walked out last week. she was walking through the halls to get to the lobby of the competition place yelling to fans get away from me, leave us alone.
Seriously? I think they are all getting a little big for their britches.
Holly WAS the principal of a hoity toity private school here in Pittsburgh. I knew she took a LOA, then I heard she was fired, because the school didn't want the publicity. I'm not sure if that is true or not though.

 

[ashley0139]

I do like Chloe and used to love Christi but she is getting on my nerves lately too. She ticked me off when she walked out last week. she was walking through the halls to get to the lobby of the competition place yelling to fans get away from me, leave us alone.
Seriously? I think they are all getting a little big for their britches.

Christi tweeted last week that she was yelling at the cameras to get away from her NOT the fans.

I used to love Dance Moms, but I'm so sick of the fake drama and scripted insanity. I just like watching it to see the girls dance. Chloe is my favorite, but she really seems to have changed in the last season. She used to be so upbeat but now it just seems like she is beaten down all the time. It makes me sad. Even though it's scripted, the screaming and demeaning will get to you at 11 years old.

 

[princesspiglet]

I have friends from Pittsburgh who have danced at ALDC and who attend competitions with the group. My friend sent me this about ALDC:

"What outside people don't understand is that 90% of this show is "edited". Situations are "suggested" and the moms are told to not hold back and to say what they really feel and if the producers don't think it is mean enough, then they egg them on and then turn around and edit it to make it look as bad as it can. A lot of each episode is manipulated and is not 100% real. The girls all know that they are on a "show" and that they are filming for entertainment value. The tears are usually real, but only because they are pushed to cry- you have a producer in the corner saying, "Chloe, go ahead and cry, it's ok, you know you are upset, it's alright to cry."

Abby is actually a great teacher and produces amazing dancers. She can be tough and she does expect a lot from each dancer, but she is not as mean as she appears on tv and the moms aren't that crazy either!"

 

[jenny105]

Love Dance Moms! I think Holly is probably my favorite because she is the most...sane? The scripted drama is out of control though. The show is more about everyone screaming at each other than the girls dancing. I feel bad for those kids!

Does anyone else laugh when Abby actually gets off her butt and dances when she's choreographing?

 

[Elinor Dashwood]

I have to admit, I thought "what's all this hype with the show Dance Moms" until I watched my first episode! Now I'm hooked.

Abby comes across as seriously insane. Whether it is edited, scripted or real, why would she want to be portrayed that way? And why would these moms subject their kids to it? Even if they all hug after the show and tell each other they are BFF's, some of that crap is harmful.

Maddie vs. Chloe is getting old. The drama I mean. I love to watch their dances but I'm tired of Abby pitting them against one another. I personally believe Chloe is the better overall dancer for many reasons. She has the heart and it shows. Her arms finish the movements and her legs are flawlessly stretched/pointed. Maddie is an excellent dancer but more of a performer. She knows she's playing to an audience. Her movements look more rushed to me and her facial expressions look plastered on. But with Chloe, she looks and dances as if it's an extension of who she is. Maddie dances like she needs to win, not because she loves it. Very different dancers but both enjoyable to watch.

The moms, oy vey, where to begin. Initially I thought Melissa was so sweet and forthright and that other moms picked on her. Now I've seen the light! She is the stereotypical dance mom who pushes her kids to win, win, win. Poor Melissa is so far up Abby's butt that it's hard to see where she ends and Abby begins.

Holly is fabulous! She is professional, well spoken and has a very calm demeanor. I love when she berates Abby because it's done with class.

Kelly used to annoy me to no end but now I really do like her. She's pretty funny too. I think being around Abby for over 20 years would cause anyone to lose it once in awhile.

Christi. I used to think she was mental...always angry, always screaming! But now that I've watched all of the seasons, this mama (me!) can certainly understand why Christi says and does the things she does. Let's just say that if I were there and it were my daughter, Abby wouldn't be getting away with what she does to these kids!

Jill I kind of like. I think her daughter is a beautiful dancer too. Jill seems like she truly wants to give Kendall the best dance experience/training she can and will do whatever it takes. But her voice! It does sound like a 900# call lol!

Cathy and her candy apples make me ill. I think she's unstable and after Tuesday night's episode, she needs to be charged with assault. You could see her face kind of snap when she smacked Abby with her purse. Nice example for the parents of your students Cathy. And then she tries to justify it to them afterward? Crazy.

 

[Miniefan]

If any of you watched Abby's Ultimate Dance Comptetition, you might have noticed as I did that Abby was not nearly as mean to the dancers. This helps to compound the fact that Dance Mom's is edited, scripted, and fabricated. But I still love it.

 

[MonkeyDishwasher]

Again, we all know this is all super edited and staged, but when Cathy hit Abby with her purse you KNEW the producers weren't happy at all! The moment one steps in and says "OK that's enough" and starts herding Cathy out she crossed the line from a reality tv perspective (if it were an elimination series, she would have been immediately ejected).

I have a friend who used to dance in that area years ago as well, not at ALDC though. She said at every competition Abby always went out of her way to congratulate the dancers from the other studios and compliment them on their performances. But Cathy's brood has always been known for their general insanity. They called them the "Crappy Apples."

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I would hope that if Abby were really as horrible as she comes across at times, the moms would head for the hills. You can tell that this show is scripted at times and the moms are encouraged to let loose. I think all of the girls are sweet and talented.

 

[ebtbmom]

I know that we all like Holly because she's "sane" and all. But actually, should that make her our least favorite? She appears to be in complete control of all of her mental faculties, she had a respectable career and apparently is highly educated. Yet she subjects herself and her kid to this kind of madness? At least with Christie and Kelly, well they can't really help it now can they?? Holly knows better!

Cathy reminds me of Delores Umbridge with her simpering .

 

[lenlin]

My 4 year old daughter just started dance classes a few months ago. The mom of another little girl in class told me about the show Dance Moms, so I started watching it. There is no way this show can be real. I'm sure the dancing and the competitions are real, but no way Abby actually treats those girls like that in real life, and NO WAY a mother would let her. Surely, most of the show is semi-scripted. If it is real, then all the so-called adults need to be reported to Child Protection Services, because those kids are being abused, and the moms are allowing it! If Abby really does act like that, someone needs to tell her that positive reinforcement works so much better than screaming and belittling. Those moms pay, what I'm sure to is a lot of money, for their girls to be in Abby's studio...which means Abby is actually their employee. They need to set their foot down and demand that she act like an adult, and treat those children better. You have to give respect in order to receive respect.

 

[mdsoccermom]

Lots of good comes out of her mouth... not that the producers would ever let us see it! Whenever the cast is on a talk show, the girls all talk about how much they love Abby and how she really isn't as bad as the cameras portray her. According to them, they only show the really bad and don't show the majority of practices which have her praising the girls. And I agree with Soldiers Sweeties; Abby gets great results.

Yep. Abby does have great results and there is a lot of truth to what she says. Recently, she told Kendall's mother that when she stops correcting Kendall and saying her name, then they should be worried. I had someone once tell me something similar. I was upset at constantly being corrected one day in class. I was told that the teacher does it because she believes in me and that I should be upset if she didn't correct me.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Yep. Abby does have great results and there is a lot of truth to what she says. Recently, she told Kendall's mother that when she stops correcting Kendall and saying her name, then they should be worried. I had someone once tell me something similar. I was upset at constantly being corrected one day in class. I was told that the teacher does it because she believes in me and that I should be upset if she didn't correct me.

Yep. As a former dance teacher I can tell you that if I didn't correct you, I didn't care. I gave every student a chance, but I'm not going to waste my time correcting a student who doesn't listen or care, when I could be giving corrections to a student who wants to learn and get better.

Maybe when I get home I'll post a thread about what happens when a studio owner lets parents and the almighty dollar run the studio instead of the owner.

 

[ebtbmom]

Those moms pay, what I'm sure to is a lot of money, for their girls to be in Abby's studio...which means Abby is actually their employee.

That kind of statement is very condescending towards small business owners. If they have a problem with her they should simply choose another studio.

 

[Dee77]

Not sure if anyone else will agree but tonight's episode with Kristi and Kelly's war and next week's episode with them attacking Melissa for the tribute Maddie does for Abby's dead dog doesn't feel scripted anymore. I mean they are acting like petulant children but there is a very heated and decisive tone to what they are saying that seems like stuff you can't take back easily or say it was just for the cameras.

 

[Offsides]

Scripted or not, it is getting to be too much for me to handle. I don't care if they are just pretending, but refusing to call a child by their name is awful. Poor Chloe. There are a lot of things that I think are just so terrible. I can't imagine why these moms allow their children to be treated the way that they are at that studio.

I DID like Abby taking the time to talk to Nia about why she pulled their duet last week. I still think it is ridiculous that the mom's behavior dictates what happens with the girls (ESPECIALLY if the mom's behavior is manufactured by the show), but I did like that Abby took time to talk to Nia about it and give her a hug.