Dance Moms


Dance Moms is an American reality television series that premiered on Lifetime on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, the show followed the training and careers of children in dance and show business under the tutelage of Abby Lee Miller, as well as the relationships between Miller, the dancers, and their mothers. Some of the dancers on the team included the singer and dancer JoJo Siwa as well as the actress and singer Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler. The show was originally set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later in Los Angeles, California. The show was primarily filmed at the Abby Lee Dance Company studios. The show followed the girls on the ALDC Junior Elite Competition Team as they learn their dances and then competed at dance competitions all across the country.

Synopsis

Primarily set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later in Los Angeles, California, Dance Moms originally followed the Abby Lee Dance Company's Junior Elite Competition Team of dancers ages six to thirteen as they traveled week after week to various dance competitions, winning awards and preparing for nationals, while at the same time being prepared by Abby Lee Miller to be "professional, employable working dancers." The series depicted the doting mothers as rivals of each other on behalf of their daughters, often arguing with Miller and each other, and sometimes closing ranks against rival teams. Dance performances were creatively conceptualized by Miller and her dance instructors, with input from the show's producers, while the choreography was done by Miller, her staff, and occasionally a guest choreographer. Various rival dance teams, such as Candy Apple Dance Center, spurred the team's competitiveness. The show's success was often credited to the drama and conflict between Miller and the moms, along with the weekly dances and the close relationships among the girls, as viewers watched them dance and improve their skills.
The show features Miller as an extremely strict dance team coach who, over the series, relied more and more on criticism—sometimes personal—to motivate the girls, with an emphasis on hard work and competition against teammates. Every week on the show, Miller used a pyramid of individual headshots and gave feedback to each girl about her ranking, which was decided by the previous week's performance, attitude, effort, the behavior of the girl, and the behavior of her mother. Miller had never used a pyramid in her studio before Dance Moms, and when once asked about it, Miller stated, "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." It's interesting to note that many of the radical and innovative ideas showcased on Dance Moms were presented by the producers of the show, not Miller herself. This was to create a more unique experience, and of course, fill the reality television show with as much drama as possible.
In season 5, Miller relocated the team to Los Angeles to help build her reputation on the West Coast, while the team continued to participate in weekly competitions. The focus shifted to include preparation for careers in the acting and music businesses.
During the second half of season 7, several dancers and their mothers left the ALDC to form "The Irreplaceables." Miller left the show several episodes later, followed by the remaining ALDC dancers and mothers.
In July 2018, Miller announced her return for season 8 of Dance Moms. Executive producer Bryan Stinson announced the show would be casting a whole new team, with final callbacks being in September 2018. On January 12, a new team was selected, consisting of eight dancers. A promo for the new season was released in February, revealing that the show would be set around Miller's diagnosis of Burkitt's Lymphoma while returning "back to her roots" with a new team. The season is set in Pittsburgh, in the same studio where the show began in 2011. Season 8 premiered on Lifetime on June 4, 2019. Miller and executive producer, Bryan Stinson, have both announced season 9 of Dance Moms, but there has not been further information at that point.

Cast

Abby Lee Dance Company

  • Abby Lee Miller is the director of Reign Dance Productions, which houses the Abby Lee Dance Company, of which she is owner and chief choreographer. During season 7B, Miller left the show because of her pending sentence for committing fraud. As a result, the cast fractured into separate dance teams with separate coaches. She returned for season 8.
  • Gianna Martello is an instructor for RDP covering all genres of dance, and is also the assistant choreographer for the ALDC Junior Elite Competition team. Martello studied dance under Miller's tutelage through Reign Dance Productions.

    Seasons 1–7 cast

  • Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni is the mother of Maddie Ziegler, age 8 at the start of season one, a lyrical/contemporary and tap dancer, and Mackenzie Ziegler, age 6 at the start of season one, an acro/hip hop dancer and singer from Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Maddie was known to be Abby's favorite student during her time on the show, which caused tension between the other moms and Abby. Maddie and Mackenzie studied dance at Abby Lee Miller's studio through Reign Dance Productions from the early ages of four and two, respectively. They were original cast members of the show and left during season six.
  • Christi Lukasiak is the mother of Chloe Lukasiak, age 9 at the start of season one, a lyrical/contemporary and ballet dancer from Mars, Pennsylvania. Chloe began dancing at the Abby Lee Miller Dance Company at age two. They were original cast members of the show but left the show following the season four finale. They returned to guest star for the season 7A finale and season 7B before leaving the show once again following the season seven finale.
  • Holly Hatcher-Frazier is the mother of Nia Frazier, age 9 at the start of season one, a contemporary dancer and singer, from Pittsburgh. Appearing in seven of the eight original seasons, the Fraziers were the show’s longest-running cast members. They were original cast members of the show and left the ALDC during season 7 to form “The Irreplaceables”. They officially departed the show following the finale.
  • Kelly Hyland is the mother of Brooke Hyland, age 13 at the start of season one, and the oldest dancer of the original group, an acro/contemporary dancer and singer, and Paige Hyland, age 10 at the start of season one, an acro/jazz dancer and model from Murrysville. Kelly had been a dancer at ALDC when she was young, and was even taught by Abby herself before quitting to become a cheerleader. Brooke and Paige began dancing at Miller's studio at age 3. The Hylands were original cast members, but left the show in the middle of season four following a physical altercation between Kelly and Abby, and even some altercations with imprisonment and jail time.
  • Cathy Nesbitt-Stein is the mother of Vivi-Anne Stein, age 6 at the start of season one, a musical theatre & tap dancer from Canton, Ohio who joined the ALDC for most of season 1. Vivi-Anne was previously a student and team member at her mother's studio, Candy Apples Dance Center, where she continued her dance training after leaving the team and show. Cathy and Vivi-Anne continued to appear as recurring rivals since season two. Cathy is considered by Abby to be her ultimate rival. They were original cast members of the show and left following season 7a nationals.
  • Jill Vertes is the mother of Kendall Vertes, a jazz/lyrical dancer, model, and singer from Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Before joining the ALDC in season 2, Kendall studied dance at Rogers Dance in Pittsburgh and Studio 19. During season two, they switched to Candy Apples Dance Center for several episodes, but ultimately returned to the ALDC. They left the ALDC during season seven to form "The Irreplaceables", departing the show as a whole following the season.
  • Leslie Ackerman is the mother of Payton Ackerman, a hip hop & contemporary dancer from Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania. Payton began dancing with the ALDC when she was 11 years old. She joined the team as a recurring member multiple times throughout seasons 2-4. She graduated from the ALDC in 2015.
  • Kristie Ray is the mother of Asia Monet Ray, a jazz/contemporary dancer and singer from Corona, California. Asia first appeared on AUDC, where she was the youngest competitor from either season. Asia briefly danced with the Junior Elite Competition Team in season 3 and left just before Nationals.
  • Kira Girard is the mother of Kalani Hilliker, a contemporary & lyrical dancer and model/fashion designer from Mesa, Arizona. Kalani appeared on season 2 of Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and was brought to ALDC in season four to replace Brooke and Paige. After several weeks with the ALDC team in season four, she was made a permanent team member of the ALDC in season five to replace Chloe. They left the ALDC during season seven to form "The Irreplaceables", and left the show following the season finale.
  • Jessalynn Siwa is the mother of JoJo Siwa, a jazz/contemporary/hip hop dancer and singer from Omaha, Nebraska. Before joining the ALDC as guests in season five, Jessalynn and JoJo appeared on season two of AUDC. JoJo was brought in to replace Chloe on the ALDC team. After several episodes as a guest dancer, Jojo was made a full-time team member but left the show near the end of season 6 after signing a contract with Nickelodeon. Jessalynn and JoJo also made a guest appearance in season eight.
  • Ashlee Allen is the mother of Brynn Rumfallo, a lyrical & contemporary dancer from Phoenix, Arizona. Before Dance Moms, Brynn had trained at Club Dance Studio, Arizona, like her teammate Kalani. Brynn joined the team in season 5 as a guest and was then allowed to be a full-time member of the team for season six. They left the show at the end of season seven along with the other remaining ALDC members.
  • Yolanda Walmsley is the mother of Elliana Walmsley, a lyrical/contemporary and ballroom dancer from Boulder, Colorado. They joined the ALDC mini team in season six, and Elliana joined the elite team in season seven. They left the show during season 7, along with the other remaining ALDC members, but returned for some episodes in season eight. They were later dismissed by Abby after Yolanda caused tension between the other cast members.
  • Stacey Ketchman is the mother of Lilliana Ketchman, an acro/ballet and contemporary dancer from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They joined the ALDC mini team in season six, and Lilliana joined the elite team in season seven. They left the show during season seven, along with the other remaining ALDC members, but returned for season eight.
  • Camille Bridges is the mother of Camryn Bridges, a jazz & contemporary dancer from St. Louis, Missouri. They joined the ALDC in season 7, but later that season left with several of the other cast members to form "The Irreplaceables".
  • Fernanda Fletcher is the mother of Daviana Fletcher, a lyrical/contemporary dancer from Orange County, California. They joined the ALDC alongside Camille and Camryn Bridges in Season 7, but were dismissed from the team after 3 episodes because Miller believed Daviana was not a strong enough dancer. Daviana was brought back for one episode later on in Season 7. It was later revealed that Fernanda and Daviana were dismissed from the show by Lifetime because they didn't cause enough drama, as Miller confirmed in her podcast, "Leave It on the Dance Floor".
  • Jaime Caes is the mother of Maesi Caes, a hip hop & contemporary dancer from Altoona, Iowa who danced with Justin Bieber in Des Moines on his Purpose World Tour. They joined the ALDC in season seven, but later that season left along with the other remaining ALDC members. Jaime and Maesi can be seen in the season eight special "The New Team", but didn't return with the team.