How should we feel about Dance moms?

By: Avanni Trujillo

I think everyone is familiar with the popular TV show, Dance Moms; however, how are we supposed to feel about the content of the show? Many young girls look up to the show and want to be like the dancers featured on there, but is that good for them? 

The original cast of the show has completely separated themselves from the show because they have bad memories associated with it, and their ex-dance teacher, Abby Lee Miller. The show mainly chronicled the children practicing their dance competitions for a week; learning new routines so they could compete in said competitions. However, during the week it would show Abby yelling at her students and even causing anxiety attacks with her teaching strategies. Although there are some moments where she is kind to the girls, it mostly shows the bad that she does to them. 

The show itself is very entertaining because it also shows the mothers of the dancers defending their children and even getting kicked out of the studio for doing so. However, there are some moral issues and behind the scenes secrets that give the show a more sinister and disturbing vibe. A YouTuber named MackZBoss, who is a big fan of the show talks about the controversies and conspiracies that plagued the show. For example, she talked about how the girls wore inappropriate and revealing costumes due to the production team’s desires. 

The show can also be considered bad because of the treatment of the girls on the show and the show’s target audience. The target demographic for this show are young girls and even mothers who get inspired to dance and audition for the show. Nevertheless, this is a huge issue because people who watch this show might think it’s okay to be treated or treat others like the way Abby treats her students. I think that we should feel indifferent about the show. The show has furthered these girls’ careers and given them opportunities they would not have gotten otherwise without the fame and popularity they achieved, but some of the things they went through will haunt them forever.