I adored Dance Moms. I don’t feel shame in acknowledging that it was a guilty pleasure alongside Bad Girls Club. The combination of exceptionally gifted children and parents who were out of control was an unmatched formula. Years passed before I understood why I became addicted to the series. Dancing was scarce, but fighting was abundant. The show contributed to the popularity of reality TV, ensuring it was not merely a passing trend, and its history is quite intriguing. Well then, let’s examine it, shall we?
When did Dance Moms start?
Dance Moms hit the stage back in July 2011. At the time, Lifetime had no idea how big of a hit they had on their hands. According to Christi Lukasiak’s perspective, John Corella, who was Mr. Dance of America, “knew people were obsessed with Toddlers & Tiaras and So You Think You Can Dance? John pitched the idea of this world or show revolving around competitive dance.” The casting agent was looking for moms and daughters because the original idea was to change the parent and child each week. As we now know, the series ended up being around the Abby Lee Dance Company.
Others have suggested that Abby Lee Miller actually came up with the idea while in LA during the summers. Now, whether or not John pinched it and ran to executives is up for debate. But the studio returned with a budget for six episodes for $100,000. Naturally, it was cheaper to use Abby’s studio than to go from place to place each week. The girls, who were not originally in a group, were put together because of their mother’s intense chemistry. And thus, a show was born.
Was Dance Moms scripted?
Dance Moms was not scripted. But it was heavily edited. Some would argue that these two terms are the same. However, I’d say use your critical thinking cap. Some parts of the show come across as emotionally genuine, and I believe they were. Multiple stars of Dance Moms have spoken out in the past about the validity of their series. Nia Sioux revealed in a YouTube video that the show was initially intended to be a documentary. At the time, she shared, “It was supposed to be a six-week documentary, and obviously, it turned into much more than that.” The fan-favorite then noted that producers often manipulated certain situations, especially with the moms.
Maddie Ziegler told USA Today, “It’s hard to do a reality show when there’s so much crying and drama. The producers set it up to make us all yell at each other.” A later series star, Payton Ackerman, also noted that the show was heavily edited but never scripted. However, some drama was scripted. For instance, the beef between Abby Lee and Cathy Nesbitt-Stein, owner of Candy Apples, was forced. The duo have been friends since 1988, but for the show, they were arch-nemeses.
Dance Moms highlighted a niche in reality TV
Like it or not, Abby Lee carved out a niche for herself in Dance Moms. She and a few others soon realized that people were ready to watch young dancers while their mothers battled like cats in heat. Because of the intense drama involving Abby Lee and virtually everyone else, the series captivated viewers. The show was an inventive and gripping story with fans eagerly following it for several seasons. The relationships between mothers and daughters would not be accepted on television today. Actually, it would likely get canceled.
I think it is important to note the impact social media played on the success of Dance Moms. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok were just starting to become popular. Each dancer had their own profile, making it easy to find and follow them for more updates. Fans could feel they were a part of the stars’ dancing careers. However, perhaps the most important factor was the mothers. Each woman was willing to fight to the death for their daughter. And that was TV drama at its best.
Dance Moms can be streamed on Peacock.
Tell Us – Did You Watch Dance Moms? Did You Like It?
