Dance Moms, a reality show starting in 2011, began as a six-episode docuseries following intense stage moms from The Abby Lee Dance Company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but soon became a global phenomenon. Now gaining new popularity since its addition to All4.  

While the intended focus was that of the mother/teacher dynamic between the “dance moms” and Abby Lee Miller, it was the children within the ‘elite competition team’ which kept viewers wanting more. The unstructured interview style of the early confessionals gave insight to the lives of children in a way that had never been offered before. Despite this, the lack of structure indicated no labour laws in place for children in a reality setting. The result being many of these earlier interviews being done under conditions that manipulated the children into saying lines to create a “better plot.”  

Former cast member Melissa Gisoni recalled having to protest after season one to be in the room during these scenes after her eight-year-old Maddie was left sobbing due to the cutthroat editing style of the first episode, claiming she “was being portrayed to be a brat.” Many of the young cast (ranging from six to thirteen) have alleged abuse upon their former teacher resulting in an attempted $6 million lawsuit by the Hyland family after their abrupt exit from the show in season four. Despite this, the Hyland’s leaving altercation, described by the children as being “traumatic,” is still the most viewed and quoted event throughout the shows thirteen-year run.  

While it is commonly stated that humour can be found in the darkest of times, what is it that seems to draw millions to a show that includes children having breakdowns, being gaslit and forced to compete very inappropriate dances which cannot even be aired anymore? Aside from the humorous and quotable lines from the show, it seems that it is the audiences care and protective instincts for these children that keep them coming back.  

After many failed attempts to mimic the format, it has now returned for a season nine but with a whole new lead cast. However, in true Dance Moms fashion drama has already surfaced after a solo was assigned to the theme of JonBenét Ramsey – a beauty pageant star whose unsolved murder took place Christmas night in 1996. The performance included a dancer portraying the six-year-olds death as she runs off-stage clutching her neck. By no surprise this sparked outrage, with many calling for this new season to be cancelled although Lifetime have yet to pull the plug. Regardless of former controversies, mocking a child’s murder for entertainment purposes is unforgivable and Lifetime are yet to release a statement on the topic. 

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