Dance Moms Review

Although I do not enjoy (and avoid as much as possible) drama in my own life, I will be the first to admit that I love knowing about it and watching it in other people's lives!  What better way to get a good dose of drama than on a reality TV show?!?  Enter Dance Moms.  If you haven't seen this show you really should give it a watch.
The basic breakdown of the show is this: it's about a group of girls ranging in age from 7-14 who compete regularly at dance competitions.  Their goal is to be professional dancers, and for some of the moms they also want their daughters to be models, actresses, and anything else that will lay their claim to fame.  The girls attend a dance studio called the Abby Lee Dance Company run by no other than Abby Lee Miller herself.  Abby has a strict and no doubt about it mean way of molding these girls into her track record of successful dancers.

Here's my breakdown of the people in the show-

Abby- never been married, which after watching an episode or two of her yelling at the girls isn't surprising.  But I have seen her be nice and I do think she really cares deeply for the girls and their success.  She tends to let her own insecurities rule her and to compensate for those she enjoys the power and control she has over the girls and their mothers.  But at the end of the day it's all just a reflection on her own low self esteem.  If only she could see that we all have weaknesses, but you don't have to be mean to other people in order to feel good about yourself and a little bit of kindness will go a long way.  So many times I am surprised that the moms continue to subject their daughters to Abby's meanness.  I would never keep my daughter around someone that treated her like that!  That all being said, she knows her stuff!  She has a great reputation for success and from what I've seen is very professional and nice in public.

Kelly-  she used to be a dancer as a girl and now has her two daughters Brooke & Paige on Abby's performance team.  Kelly is a party animal and always up for a drink and a good time.  She's not afraid to stand up to Abby and defend her kids.  Personality wise she seems like the ditsy cheerleader that's fun to be around but you can't count on a very deep conversation with.  She's a pretty happy-go-lucky personality and would totally be fun to hang out with.

• Brooke- Kelly's oldest daughter, she is the most flexible and acrobatic one of all the girls.  She can bend and twist in crazy ways and always combines her talents in her routines.  She struggles with wanting a typical teenager lifestyle and dancing for Abby.
• Paige- Kelly's youngest daughter, who although she tries it seems she rarely is good enough for Abby.  She does a good job of making it look like the meanness is water off a ducks back though and like it doesn't affect her, of course that could be just because she's used to not being the favorite and best in Abby's eyes.

Christie- now this is a woman you want on your side and don't want to cross!  She has no problem verbalizing the way she thinks and feels.  She could be your best advocate or your worse enemy.  She's usually the first one to notice when the girls are not being treated equally and is the most openly competitive or should I say protective about her daughter.  Chloe is her daughter and one heck of a dancer who has won the national championships,  so she really doesn't have anything to prove or defend because the actions speak for themselves.  But more than any of the moms she gets super defensive of Chloe whenever anyone suggests she may be sub-par.   Like Kelly, Christie is always up for a good time (especially if it includes gossiping about one of the other moms).

• Chloe- an amazing dancer that is the embodiment of the perfect blonde, long legs body.  She is pretty quiet and seems to be more shy and soft spoken than the other girls.  She works hard and is usually in the top alternating with Maddie.

Melissa- a chameleon if I ever saw one.  Depending on who she's with at the time she is their best friend and happy to talk about whatever drama she thinks will give her the edge and make someone else dish out information she can later use to her advantage.  All the moms and Abby are aware (and it's been shown on the show) how she lies often.  She is a manipulator that seems nice on the outside but she is always scheming to make her or her girls look better than anyone else.  Yet she's the least fashion conscious of the moms.  She has the potential to be a really likable person if you could just trust that the niceness wasn't fake and she didn't lie/manipulate the situations all the time.    I can only imagine a sad lonely life she's created for herself.  BUT both her daughters are amazing dancers!

• Maddie- Abby's pride and joy and clearly the favorite of the group.  It's easy to see why when Maddie is great but humble, favored but nice to all the other girls, and has the determination and drive to be the best. (which is probably why she wins so much more often- it's just more important to her)
• MaKenzie- the youngest in the group.  She does some great acrobatics in her routines and her bright happy personality makes it fun to watch her.  She doesn't have the same drive as her sister, but the talent is still there!  She is a cutie ba-tootie that you can't help but love.

Holly- Dr. Holly as she's referred to often. (because she has a doctorates degree, I think it's in something to do with education but I can't remember)  She was an elementary school principal until the last season of Dance Moms where she took a sabbatical to focus on being available more to support her daughter Nia.  Holly is the intellectual of the group.  She doesn't thrive on the drama and is professional, politically correct and proper almost all of the time.  She is classy and has the ability to hold her cool (and her tongue) more than any of the other moms.  Holly would be a great person to have a conversation with!  She's very knowledgeable but able to relate to others well at the same time.

• Nia- the first seasons of Dance Moms Nia struggled to keep up with the same quality of the other girls in the group.  But with a little time and focus on improving she has blossomed into a good blend of the group.  She usually preforms some sassy-hip and a lot of times cultural diverse routines.

Jill- another chameleon that is friends with whoever she's with at the moment and ALWAYS looking for ways to one up her daughters success.  But unlike Melissa she's open about it and not a secret manipulator. She's more up front about her intentions and when she's caught she'll admit she's just doing what she needs to for her daughter.  Because she's more open and up front about her intentions it makes her more likable and easier to trust.

• Kendal- as a result of her moms studio hopping she doesn't seem like she has quite settled in.  She is a good dancer and a sweet girl, but I think she doesn't completely open up or give 100% because she's expecting to be uprooted and put in another studio at any time.  There's definitely a self protection wall for her.

Kathy- this woman bugs everyone.  She owns and operates her own dance studio the Candy Apples, but had her daughter Vivan on Abby's team for a short time.  When she left she became the nemesis for Abby and the moms.  She is one of those fake-nice people.  She seems super nice, but has alternative motives and since leaving the Abby Lee studio she has revenge as her main focus.  Revenge for what exactly? who knows, but she wants to prove her studio is better than Abby's (which it's obvious to everyone it's not) and she goes out of her way to taunt and be rude to Abby and the moms at any competition they are both at.  To the point where it's embarrassing for her!  If I was one of the parents there with her studio I would be so embarrassed by the way she acts I'd pull my kids and never want to be seen with her in public again.  They say the best revenge is success- which Kathy has had very little of (when it comes to beating Abby's girls at competition), so maybe that's why it's so important to her.  Anyhow she is an annoying nemesis that makes Abby's flaws look angelic.

Then there's other people that have come and gone on episodes including Black Patsy (ugh I'm SO glad she was kicked out of the competition for stirring up trouble- she deserved that.  Hopefully she learns to behave better in the future for her daughter's sake)  Some people don't understand that "Trash" is an attitude and behavior not a social or financial status.

And there you have it!  You can now watch the show and know what's going on!