Fans of Dance Moms know that when the cameras are rolling it is reality television at its finest. Whether it is parents brawling in the background, kid dancers with bad attitudes or their coach’s off-screen legal woes, there is no shortage of drama and excitement in each episode.
The show chronicles the lives of children and their moms who dream of stardom in the professional world of dance choreography. Abby Lee Miller leads her team of dancers across the United States to compete in tournaments to determine who is the best team. Fans might be aware of what happens on stage but what goes on behind the scenes? Let’s find out.
Dancers Go To Casting Calls
For those who have wondered how particular girls and their moms made it on the show. They might be disappointed to find out that the reality of this reality show looks more like a Hollywood audition than a dance tryout.
Dancers in the Abby Lee Dance Company are not just chosen for their skills but by just how outrageous and competitive their mothers are. Mothers who are team players are usually not considered. While those who love to create controversy get to bask in their child’s talents on national TV.
Fights Between Dance Moms’ Edited For Drama
One thing that is guaranteed to happen when watching Dance Moms is that at least two of the moms will get into either a physical or verbal altercation with one another. While a little competitive spirit never hurt anyone, it is hard to believe that it would bring so many people to blows in each episode.
Turns out, the environment is less hostile than the cameras lead fans to believe. Many of the Dance Moms have admitted that their altercations are edited to make it look like conflicts happen often when in reality they are rare.
Dance Moms Was Originally Going To Be A Documentary
Fans of Dance Moms might not know that the TV show wasn’t supposed to be a TV show at all. It was originally supposed to be a 6-episode documentary that would span over 6 weeks. It was meant to document the struggles children dancer’s face when trying to make it professionally.
It also was never supposed to include the parents in the documentary since the point of the documentary was to highlight the girls and their talent. Fans can thank their lucky stars that Lifetime saw the show’s potential and picked it up for more episodes.
Kelly Hyland’s Assault Charge
While most of the fights and arguments that take place on the show are edited to boost ratings. That doesn’t mean everything is staged by the producers. On one instance, Kelly Hyland attacked the dance instructor Abby Lee Miller because she felt Abby was overlooking her daughters Brooke and Paige in her talent casting.
The fight began with a verbal shouting match when Kelly became upset that Abby was bringing in new potential talent to the studio. The altercation soon turned to hair pulling, resulting in Hyland being arrested and booked on assault and harassment charges.
“Topless Showgirls” Controversy
For critics who believe that these moms are exploiting their children’s talent for their monetary gain and fame, look no further than the season 2 episode titled “Topless Showgirls.“During the episode, the girls were supposed to perform a burlesque-style routine, while wearing flesh-toned bra tops and tights to give them the appearance that they were nude.
When the episode aired on Lifetime, fans were outraged that young girls would be exposed in this manner. While Abby Lee Miller defended the routine claiming that the girls were fully clothed, after hearing from the fans, Lifetime pulled the episode.
Chloe Kicked Out Of Dance Studio
In the competitive world of professional child dancing, nothing is truly shocking to fans. Yet, it did seem strange when Chloe got kicked out of the dance studio because she refused to sign a contract that in her opinion, controlled her weight and appearance.
It also, supposedly stipulated that Abby Lee Miller would receive 10% of the child’s earnings from any deal struck for her services. Chloe and her family refused to sign the contract because they felt that it was too demanding. and shortly afterwards they paid the price by being kicked out of the dance studio.
Page Hyland Sues For Assault
Rising star Page Hyland sued her dance instructor Abby Lee Miller because she verbally harassed her daily, calling her names and making fun of her physical appearance. The claims take on a violent turn when Page claims that Abby threw a chair at her during one of her many tirades.
The case was brought to trial with a Los Angeles judge ruling that after viewing the tapes he could see no grounds to support Hyland’s claims. Hyland’s lawyers stated after the verdict went down that they might file for an appeal.
Abby Lee Miller Sentenced In Bankruptcy Fraud Case
Owning your own dance studio and coaching prospective girls for careers in dance and entertainment must be a profitable profession to go into, as Abby Lee Miller was indicted on charges that she concealed $755,000 of bankruptcy assets from the federal government.
She also pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraud and false bankruptcy declarations. After she pleads guilty to all charges, she was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Once released from prison, she went back to coaching.
The Show Is Staged
A recent Youtube video of Payton Ackerman who joined the cast of Dance Moms in season 2, stated that while the show is not scripted like other reality shows, it is staged. Her claims involve the producers putting people into staged circumstances and letting their emotions play out in a way that might possibly present some entertainment or drama in the series.
Fans are divided on whether this claim really proves the show is fake since the producers never tell them what to do or say. So, at the very least, what is shown on television is coerced actions.
Multiple Takes During Competition Routines
To the fans who noticed that some of the routines look a little too polished to be believable, you’re greatest fears have been confirmed. Turns out, according to some of the girls performing the routines, during competitions, they do a performance for the judges and then do a second performance to make sure the cameras got all the footage they need.
While this minor detail might frustrate fans who would prefer a more authentic feel to the show, it does raise eyebrows as to if that had two takes, what else had two or more takes as well?
