Dance Moms

Dance Moms
Genre	Reality
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Production locations	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	Lifetime

Dance Moms is an American reality television series that debuted on the Lifetime TV network on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, it is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Abby Lee Dance Company, and follows children's early careers in dance show business along with their mothers, who support them. Dance Moms has been renewed for a second season that will be airing in 2012 on Lifetime.

Cast

Abby Lee Miller (Head Instructor) started at 14 years old, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She prides herself on turning out professional level dancers. Abby feels as if she is providing her dancers with everything they need to go out into the world and succeed with a career in dance. She comes off as strict, tough, and even bossy, and has made many of her dancers cry. She also tends to be the object of all fights in the network. Abby also shows favoritism through a pyramid telling each child if they are good or bad. Usually showing favoritism towards a dancer named Maddie. She also exhibits paedophillic tendencies, such as having children perform sexual moves and smack their bottoms suggestively, as in the 'Electricity' video. These tendencies suggest she is abusing children.

Melissa, Maddie and Mackenzie's mom, is a divorced mother of the two. The other mothers on the show talk about how they can't stand her. She "would do anything for Maddie to become the lead" (on the last episode with LUX). Melissa is always talking about Maddie but never seems to have positive things about her other daughter Mackenzie. She says "she can't handle the long rehearsal hours" so she is worried about her. She is never worried about Maddie because she is so used to her winning.

Christi has two daughters: Chloe, who is enrolled in the Abby Lee Dance Company; and Clara, age two. Christi is very encouraging of Chloe but constantly worries that Abby does not give Chloe the attention or the opportunities that Maddie receives. Because of this, Christi almost always finds herself at odds with Abby as well as with Melissa. Christi had a tough upbringing, essentially being raised by her grandmother due to her mother having her at a young age. Because of this, Christi feels that she had few opportunities as a child and wants to make sure that Chloe receives more opportunities than her.

Kelly, Brooke and Paige's mom, used to be a dancer at the Abby Lee Dance company herself, but quit as a teenager to become a cheerleader. Now grown, she has now enrolled both of her daughters in the same dance company. She is often seen gossiping on the show with Christi, heightening tensions between the mothers.

Cathy, Is the owner of Candy Apple's Dance Center in Canton, Ohio. Cathy previously enrolled her daughter, Vivi-Anne , in Abby Lee Dance Company, but quit because she was tired of the rules, the moms, and Abby. She claimed Abby didn't use Vivi-Anne to her full potential. After she dropped out, she went back to her "Candy Apple's Command Center" and plotted her revenge. She found out where Abby's dancers were competing. She took her 3 best "Apples" Justice, Vivi-Anne, and Taylor to the iHollywood competition in L.A, California. Cathy is a sassy and never plays-by-the-rules woman. She isn't afraid to say anything to the mothers or Abby.

Holly, Nia's mom, is a mother of three, however only has Nia enrolled in the Abby Lee Dance Company. Holly tends to be quieter than the other moms, however, she does have an opinon. When she feels the need to speak up, she does it in a different tone than some of the other mothers. She's been seen confronting Abby about Nia's placement in dances and costumes that are based around her ethnicity (such as a leopard print jumpsuit and an afro wig). However, she has yet to stand her ground and prevent those numbers from happening, and instead confronts Abby after the fact.

Minister Dawn is not one of the Dance Moms, but has appeared twice and is notable for her spectacular exit from Abby's dance studio in the first episode. Her daughter came to class inappropriately dressed (loose hair, t-shirt and socks for acro, which would make the rehearsal unsafe for her) and Abby had her leave the classroom. When Minister Dawn found out, she pushed her way into the studio, screamed at Abby at length, and followed her around calling her "trash" and berating her. She only left when the police were called; she and her daughter were barred from returning. She did reappear in one later, less explosive, episode to discuss billing issues with Abby; she insists that she doesn't owe for costumes and lessons given since Abby "made" them leave.

Gianna is Abby's assistant choreographer. She is often seen traveling with the group, as well as in the studio. She is noted for her special bond with Maddie. Gianna has never been individually recognized on screen.

Abby Lee Dance Company Dancers

Maddie, now age 9, is considered the best by Abby, Melissa and some of the moms. She is continually placed at the top of the pyramid and in the front for dances, and receives a great deal of attention from Abby. Maddie was on an undefeated winning streak for most of the first season, until episode 10 where she wins second place in L.A. She also attracted the attention of a Broadway casting agent in episode five. Maddie is passionate about dance, declaring that “If I didn’t dance, I would kill myself.” She has dreams of becoming a performer on Broadway. Maddie is good friends with Chloe. Maddie is often characterized as a "brat" or "rude".

Chloe, age 10, is considered to be Maddie’s biggest competition at the studio. Her performances are frequently compared to Maddie, by both her mother, Christi, and Abby. Chloe herself does not believe that they should be compared, but rather judged on their own. Though not as well-recognized as Maddie at the studio, Chloe held the title of Junior Miss Dance of Pennsylvania for the first season of the series. She was also chosen to be the star of the "LUX" music video, outshining Maddie in the final episode. Chloe finally beats Maddie in the music video, even though she has never placed higher than Maddie in any competitions that we have seen on the show. Abby is constantly bringing Chloe down and messing up her emotions.

Brooke, age 13, is the oldest member of the team. Brooke is not very interested in dance, expressing a desire to be a cheerleader with her friends; she also has complaints about dance negating any opportunity for a social life. A distinctively talented acrobatic dancer, Brooke has placed high for many of her acro performances, often in spite of personal injury, and on one occasion gained the coveted top slot of the pyramid for her impressive performance. She purportedly used to be one of “Abby’s favorites”. Brooke wants to perform on Cirque Du Soleil when she gets older.

Paige, age 11, is Brooke's younger sister. Like Brooke, she is a talented acrobatic dancer, but does not receive as much airtime as some of the other girls. She is most frequently situated at the bottom of the pyramid, with the upper-tier slots awarded to Chloe, Maddie, and Brooke. She and Chloe are best friends and have been dancing together since they were two years old. Paige, like her older sister, wants to be in Cirque Du Soleil.

Nia, age 10, Abby says she is one of the team’s less distinctive dancers, though she believes herself to be improving. She is frequently rebuked for her technique by Abby, and on a few occasions has been accused of bringing the rest of the team down. As the team’s only African-American dancer, Nia is frequently placed in ethnic roles and dances, much to her mother’s indignation. Nia's claim to fame is her signature "death drop" move, which she learned from the drag queen "Laquifa" in Hollywood. She is usually placed at the bottom of the pyramid.

Mackenzie, now age 7, is Maddie's younger sister. Unlike Maddie, she does not have much interest in becoming a Broadway star; she'd rather "hang out by the pool" and "eat chips" than perform in competitions. Because she is significantly younger than the other girls, Mackenzie does not qualify to compete in many of the competitions, though she is very talented and flexible. When she does compete, she frequently performs in duets or in small roles in group numbers, such as pushing the swing in "Where Have All the Children Gone?"

Other Dancers

Though less frequently featured than the Abby Lee Dance Company girls, these dancers have made significant guest appearances on the show.

Brandon is a fourteen-year-old dancer who performs with the Abby Lee Dance Company. Abby brings him in for the girls' Orlando number, "Snapshot", to play a photographer in the dance. He and Brooke are partners for the number, and have some unresolved feelings: Brooke states that she liked him when she was younger, but no longer does. The situation is made awkward when Abby, in order to give their dancing "chemistry", sends them on a date. The outing is mutually uncomfortable for the pair, and reflects in their performance at the competition.

Juliana is a dancer roughly the age of Maddie. She is considered by Maddie and her mother to be Maddie's biggest rival outside the studio. The two go head to head at the Orlando competition in a pageant, which Maddie wins in spite of faltering when speaking in front of the judges.

Taylor is an older dancer from Candy Apple's Dance Studio. Cathy specifically picked her to go head-to-head with Chloe at the competition in Hollywood, even going so far as choreograph her dance to the same music Chloe was dancing to. She was defeated by Chloe, who won first place, and did not place herself.

Justice is another Candy Apple's dancer, roughly the age of Vivi-Anne. He and Vivi-Anne danced a duet against Nia and Mackenzie at the Hollywood competition, but failed to place, and were defeated when Nia and Mackenzie's routine took first place.

Vivi-Anne, age 6,is a former ALDC dancer. Her mother is Cathy, the owner of Candy Apple's Dance Center in Ohio. Vivi does not share her mother's level of enthusiasm for dance, and is more interested in playing softball. While not on par with the dancers of the ALDC, Vivi is nonetheless quite an accomplished dancer for her age level. Like Mackenzie, she is rarely featured in group numbers, due to her age; her only performance with the rest of the ALDC team was "Where Have All The Children Gone?", where she was featured as the child on the swing. Due to her mother's noncompliance with Abby's rules of conduct and attendance, Vivi was pulled from the ALDC, and returned to Candy Apple's, where she and a duet partner, Justice, went head-to-head with her former studio at the Hollywood competition.

Episode guide

Season 1

Ep #	Title	Airdate
1	"The Competition Begins"	July 13, 2011 (2011-07-13)
Meet the dance instructor Abby Lee Miller, the dance moms and their daughters as the competition season begins and they travel from Pittsburgh to Phoenix.
2	"Wildly Inappropriate"	July 20, 2011 (2011-07-20)
Abby's attempt to turn up the competition heat blows the audience away with what some call an inappropriate dance number. Abby thinks it will give them their next big win, but it could backfire.
3	"Cheerleader Blues"	July 27, 2011 (2011-07-27)
The Dance Moms need to win this week's competition to stay in the game, but chaos ensues when Kelly's daughter Brooke hurts her hip and says she she wants to drop out of dance to be a cheerleader. Kelly convinces her daughter to stay in dance, pushing her so far that it may cause permanent injuries.
4	"Stealing the Show"	August 3, 2011 (2011-08-03)
Abby gives each girl a solo dance for their next competition. However, she gives two solos to her star dancer, Maddie, clearly providing her with an advantage over the others. Christi has seen this too many times and lashes out at Abby in uncontrollable fury.
5	"When Stars Collide"	August 10, 2011 (2011-08-10)
The Abby Lee Dance Company is on the edge after learning that a big Broadway casting director will attend their annual showcase, an exhibition where she shows off her accomplished dancers. Abby's desire to push the girls to the max could have catastrophic effects if they don't do their best.
6	"Dying to Dance"	August 17, 2011 (2011-08-17)
On their way to a big competition, Christi finds out that her grandmother has been admitted into a hospital. She now must choose whether to go to the hospital to sit by her grandmother's side or go to the dance competition.
7	"She's a Fighter"	August 24, 2011 (2011-08-24)
Abby's continuous typecasting of Nia in ethnic stereotype roles sends her mother,Holly, over the edge. For the first time, Holly takes off the gloves and the fighter in her comes out to defend Nia.
8	"Love on the Dance Floor"	August 31, 2011 (2011-08-31)
Abby plays Cupid with Brooke and her duet partner, hoping their off-stage romance will make on-stage drama in the team's group number.
9	"From Ballerinas to Showgirls"	September 7, 2011 (2011-09-07)
Chloe finds herself at the top of Abby's pyramid for the first time; but is she being set up? Meanwhile, Cathy is secretly readying her Candy Apple dancers to go against Abby's dancers after she decides that she and Vivi-Anne will not be touring or performing anymore with Abby Lee Dance Company.
10	"Cathy Brings It On"	September 14, 2011 (2011-09-14)
In Hollywood, Kelly decides to secretly hire choreographers to give Brooke and Paige an edge. To everyone's shock, Cathy arrives with her Candy Apple dancers to go head to head against Abby's dancers.
11	"It All Ends Here"	September 28, 2011 (2011-09-28)
After competing all season, it all boils down to the National Title Competition. Abby's dancers have been on a losing streak and this is their last chance to prove they can win. Meanwhile, Melissa leaves the competition early to go on vacation. Her ex-husband, Kurt, steps in as a "Dance Dad", sending Melissa into a panic.
12	"There's Only One Star"	October 5, 2011 (2011-10-05)
Abby brings the girls back to LA to audition for a music video. The group gets cast, but then continue to compete for the lead, as only one girl will be the star. The main competition is, as usual, between Maddie and Chloe, but this time, Abby isn't the judge.
13	"Most Outrageous Moments"	October 12, 2011 (2011-10-12)
Abby Lee Miller hosts a clipshow featuring the fifteen most outrageous moments seen on Dance Moms.

The Pyramid

Every week, Abby Lee Miller shows the moms and the dancers who she feels did the best and who needs to improve. The pyramid changes every week. Most of the time it is Maddie on top, Brooke and Chloe on the 2nd row, and Paige, Nia, and Mackenzie on the bottom, Vivi-anne was on the bottom when she danced with the school until she quit. But in episode 12, there was no pyramid-merely a straight line. About using the Pyramid, Miller told TV Guide, "I've never done that in my life. That has nothing to do with me. That's the show. They came up with that whole process".

Episode	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Vivi-Anne	N/A	N/A	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	QUIT	QUIT	QUIT	QUIT	QUIT
Nia	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Straight Line
Mackenzie	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Straight Line
Chloe	Middle	Middle	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Middle	Week Off	Top	Middle	Middle	Straight Line
Brooke	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Top	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Middle	Straight Line
Paige	Bottom	Middle	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Middle	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Straight Line
Maddie	Top	Top	Top	Middle	Top	Top	Top	Top	Week Off	Top	Top	Straight Line

External links

• Dance Moms at IMDb