Women So... Dance Moms...

[Aero]

So, I just saw a couple episodes of Dance Moms for the first time today. Wow... Abbey Lee Miller is literally the WORST coach I've ever seen. I'm a new aspiring coach, and watching this show has basically shown me what not to do while coaching. Even though this is for dance, and not gymnastics, the same rules apply. You cannot be so cruel and ruthless. The sport/art form should be fun for the kids AND challenging at the same time. For kids to stay interested, they need to have fun doing what they do, as well as being challenged. Otherwise, they're going to lose their passion for it, and eventually end up hating it and quit. Yes, sometimes you have to crack down and tell the kids to focus, work harder, and quit fooling around. Abbey Lee, however, rarely EVER compliments the girls under her care. There needs to be some kind of positive reinforcement. If there is only criticism and no praise it can feel quite hopeless to the children.

Abbey Lee Miller certainly is a very knowledgeable coach and definitely knows what she's talking about, but the training atmosphere she provides is way too intense, with virtually no nurturing and care. Just venting, really. What do you all think on the matter?

 

[Seeker]

If we ever cross paths with a coach like that, we would head for the door so fast you'd feel a breeze. Nothing in the world is important enough to allow anyone to treat my DD that way. I would never tolerate it, even if it meant DD had to quit gymnastics.

 

[skschlag]

I am not saying she is a good coach, but I do believe that we only see a portion of what is going on. they want to show the drama. And these kids stay around. There has to be something positive there.....I just think we see what producers want us to see.

 

[wnl256]

If she acted like a reasonable coach then the TV show wouldn't be "interesting". There is very little reality in reality TV.

 

[cbifoja]

The kids stay around because the mom's sign a season long contract!

 

[skschlag]

but the next year, and the next, and the next. And one was a student....and still there. I am just saying that I think that there is a lot more to Abby than what they show. Without the controversy, there would be no show.

 

[Seeker]

There is most definitely the drama factor and we only see what they want us to, but that environment is toxic enough that it doesn't really matter how much good there is, I'm not sure it could ever outweigh the negatives. That being said, it was likely a different place before the reality show.

 

[2G1B]

I think that Abby is awful. I think that those moms are awful. I think that those girls are sooooo eager to have Abby give them even a shred of praise that they would literally bend over backwards for her. Even if what we see is 10% of how she really is, I don't think that I'd be OK with staying with her dance school. The only one of those girls that she is nice to is Maddie and I think that it awful how she constantly pits the other girls against Maddie.

I think that the moms are totally going to stay with it because of the money.

 

[emorymom]

They will film her for probably 40 hours over a six day period to get a 42 or 44 minute show.

 

[skschlag]

I do think I could not have my kids with her. But, if someone filmed our coach, or for goodness sakes, my preschool, all day every day, and then put on what they wanted, with the context they wanted, I am sure we would not look very good! Or...my house! LOL! But I do think she is in it for glory/money.

 

[2G1B]

I do think I could not have my kids with her. But, if someone filmed our coach, or for goodness sakes, my preschool, all day every day, and then put on what they wanted, with the context they wanted, I am sure we would not look very good! Or...my house! LOL! But I do think she is in it for glory/money.

hahaha! one of the moms at our gym was just saying the other day that they should do a gym mom show and how great it was. I said that any gym that would even consider it would have to be crazy. I pointed out that if they had just been filming the day that move ups/repeats were announced that the rest of the world would think that we were all loons!

 

[emorymom]

They did a crazy CHEER gym mom show called Cheer Perfection. It was no Dance Moms but it had its entertainment factor. Well, the husband of the couple that owns the gym AND one of his coaches got busted for pot (unfortunately it was not located in Colorado). And one of the moms, no lie, was recently arrested for statutory four-letter-word-starting-with-R. And a lesser charge involving nudie pics.

 

[skschlag]

oMG! I watched that too (these bad shows are my guilty pleasure.)

 

[emorymom]

This was after season 2. Network said -- we'd already decided no season 3.

 

[txgymfan]

The CNN highly edited documentary on Parkettes was quite controversial I'm glad that it was a one time program and not a regular series. Dunno has some very strong opinions on the film.

 

[Jen H.]

It is a highly edited version of reality.

 

[raenndrops]

They did a crazy CHEER gym mom show called Cheer Perfection. It was no Dance Moms but it had its entertainment factor. Well, the husband of the couple that owns the gym AND one of his coaches got busted for pot (unfortunately it was not located in Colorado). And one of the moms, no lie, was recently arrested for statutory four-letter-word-starting-with-R. And a lesser charge involving nudie pics.

So sad.... But I always wondered about Ronnie. HE just seemed like he might enjoy that lifestyle.

 

[Gymsanity]

Some people perceive me as being 'wound a little tight.' I hope to one day settle down and relax into a calm and submissive state like Abby!

 

[gwenmom]

I admit that Dance Moms is my guilty pleasure. I watched the first episode of the Dance Moms Miami. I couldn't help but think as this mom was freaking out because her poor little girl slide of her duet partners back (from two feet off the floor, and slowly) and onto her head, "Lady, don't ever put your kid in gymnastics, I've seen worse from little kids learning the back handspring."

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd goes to school with some girls that are really into dance. They have competed many times against that dance school. They say Abbey Miller is just as bad in real life as she is on TV.