Set in Pittsburg, PA, Dance Moms is a television show that airs on Lifetime Network Tuesday nights at 8:00 central time. Local mothers apply their daughters for a spot in the Abby Lee Dance Company as young as five and six years old. Because of the extensive work and exclusivity of the dance company, mothers dream of the chance to make their daughters dance stars. After one season of avoiding what appeared to be a disgrace of a television show, I finally gave in and watched an episode with my roommates.
Abbey Lee Miller is the owner and director of the Abby Lee Dance Company. Running a very strict and exclusive dance company, Miller, and the company, has become one of the most sought after dance institutions in the United States, and especially in Pennsylvania. As understood from the title, this show is not about the dancing or the company, but instead it revolves around the mothers. What sells television more than drama and competition? Nothing, and this is why Dance Moms has become one of Lifetime's highest rated television series.
Growing up a dancer myself, I enjoyed watching the routines and competitions of these young girls. The dance aspect is what initially caught my attention. This show not only broadcasts Miller's company but also contains segments of the competition's routines. What also surprised me is how this show seems to not affect the bias of the judges involved in the weekly competitions.
Although I enjoy the dance aspect, the drama involved with a little girl's dancing blows my mind. Who knew that mothers could stoop as low as caring if their daughter is the point of a formation? I had always heard of parents living vicariously through their children's lives, but this show takes that theory to a whole new level.
If the drama between the mothers, or between mother and instructor, could be taken out of the production, I think this show could emit a more positive light. Maybe I am biased because of the way I was raised, but I hope I never act the way these mothers act about my child's hobby. Little girls dancing as young as age five, in little to no clothing, and discussing their future "stardom" rubs me the wrong way. Dancing is a great hobby for little girls. Making dance a career before they hit double digits, no thank you.
For those viewers out there who enjoy the ins and out of drama, this show is waiting for you to sink your teeth into it. For those who are baffled by selfish parenting, this show is nowhere close to entertainment. I watched Dance Moms for two consecutive episodes, and do not think I will waste time watching it again. It is a mindless show. One thing I did seem to learn from my experience of watching Dance Moms is how I feel like I know what I will and will not do as a parent.
