Dance Moms

Dance Moms
Genre	Reality
Starring	Abby Lee Miller Chloe Lukasiak Maddie Ziegler Brooke Hyland Paige Hyland Kendall Vertes Payton Ackerman Mackenzie Ziegler Nia Frazier Christi Lukasiak Kelly Hyland Melissa Ziegler Holly Hatcher- Frazier Jill Vertes Leslie Ackerman
Country of origin	United States of America
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	15
Production
Production locations	Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States (Penn Hills)
Running time	41- 60 minutes
Original release
Network	Lifetime
Release	July 13, 2011 – present
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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 aired January 10, 2012 on Lifetime.

Dance Moms

Abby Lee Miller: Abby is the head instructor of the Abby Lee Dance Company, and the girl's main coach. She started the company at age fourteen, and has a reputation for turning out talented, employable dancers with credits including Broadway and Radio City. Her style of coaching is notoriously strict, with high expectations for her dancers and an abrasive, no-nonsense attitude.

Melissa: Melissa is the mother of Maddie and Mackenzie. She is divorced, having stated that "dance destroyed her marriage", and supplements her income by working at the desk at the dance studio. The other mothers, particularly Christi and Kelly, find her to be conniving, insincere, and willing to do anything to give her kids an "edge". Melissa also tends to make fast friends with the new mother in the group—Cathy in season one, Jill in season two. Nevertheless, Melissa avoids conflict with the other mothers whenever she can. She takes great pride in her daughters, and believes that their successes are a testament to their own skills—not any special favors from Abby.

Christi: Christi is the mother of Chloe. She is portrayed as the most opinionated mother of the group, frequently clashing with adversaries such as Melissa, Abby, and Cathy. Christi is often discouraged by Chloe's lack of self-confidence, and will do anything to help her daughter believe in herself and do the best that she can. There is a latent hostility between her and Melissa, particularly when their daughters compete against one another; Chloe believes that Abby favors Maddie in these situations, and sets Chloe up for failure. More than any other mother, she challenges Abby's practices, especially if she believes they will be detrimental to her daughter's success or self-esteem in some way.

Jill: Jill is Kendall's mother and the newest dance mom to the group. She quickly befriends Melissa, but comes to clash with Christi and Kelly, who dislike the addition of a new mother to their established group. The other mothers are suspicious to Jill's motives in transferring studios, and even hint that Jill might have been kicked out of hers. Jill is disgruntled with Kendall's indefinite probation, and believes she deserves a higher placement on the pyramid—even going so far as to suggest that Kendall deserves a place over the other mothers' daughters. So far, she has only been favorably received by Melissa, who has a habit of "befriending the new girl."

Kelly: Kelly is the mother of Brooke and Paige. A former student of Abby's herself, Kelly frequently finds herself conflict. She supports her children and their decisions, even Brooke's choice to quit dance to cheerlead. She often tries to teach her kids life lessons and thinks that if she doesn't teach them, they will blame her for missed opportunities because of that. She is good friends with Holly and Christi, And a little curious about Jill and Kendall's jumping from studios.

Holly: Holly is Nia's mother and portrayed as the least incendiary member of the group. Unlike the other mothers, she seldom clashes with Abby over the amount of attention her daughter is receiving. She finds Abby's costume and subject matter choices questionable at times, particularly her "typecasting" of Nia in to ethnic roles due to the fact that she is African-American. Between her job as a principal and work toward her doctorate, she is sometimes unavailable to be present for Nia's rehearsals or competitions, which Abby finds inexcusable and causes tension between the two. While Holly is somewhat discouraged by Nia's low standing on the pyramid, she believes that Nia has what it takes to be a star.

Leslie: Mother of Payton, She has a cocky attitude, Spunk, and she can be a bully. Often getting mad at Abby for saying her daughter is too tall or too old, and that she doesn't fit in with them for the group dances. She was very mad at the open audition when Kendall made it and Payton didn't, saying that they have danced at her studio for years and that Payton should just be the new dancer. Not much else is known about her.

Minister Dawn: Mother to Reagan, whom was kicked off the team. Minister Dawn clashed with Abby twice. The first time Abby called the police on her because she was on the edge of physically hurting Abby just because her daughter showed up for practice with loose hair, socks and a t-shirt, which would make it very unsafe for her to do acro (just what they were practicing.), They second time she appeared was to say she didn't owe Abby anything for the costume because Reagan did not end up wearing it that weekend as she said "you kicked us out of the studio so i don't owe you anything."

Abby Lee Dance Company Dancers

Maddie: Eight-year-old Maddie is the "star" of the Abby Lee Dance Company, with a repertoire of winning many titles and awards. She is consistently placed at the top of the pyramid and in the center for group numbers. Maddie has dreams of being on Broadway, and is especially talented at tap and lyrical solos. Her stardom is a point of contention for the other mothers, who believe her success is due to extra attention from Abby and that their daughters could be just as exceptional with the same. In season one, Maddie led an almost undefeated first-place streak in her solo competitions. In season two, she competes with a higher age group against much older girls, and does not consistently come in first place.

Mackenzie: Seven-year-old Mackenzie is the youngest member of the team. In season one, she was not frequently featured with the younger girls, being too young to qualify for many of the competitions. Season two sees her being forced to step up her game and become a fully recognized dancer with the "big girls". While Mackenzie professes to enjoy dancing, she has no desire, unlike her sister, to be on Broadway. She does, however, believe that she will one day be as talented as her sister. She is shown most often in acrobatic solos and cameos in group dances. She is usually placed at the bottom of the pyramid.

Chloe: Nine-year-old Chloe is one of the team’s strongest dancers. She is particularly skilled in the genres of lyrical and musical theatre. Chloe’s role in the group is often portrayed as second-best to Maddie, whom she regards as her biggest competition on the team. Her biggest obstacle is her own self-confidence. Chloe won the lead role in the music video in the episode “There’s Only One Star”, distinguishing her as a dancer of equal merit to Maddie. She mostly features in the middle tier of the pyramid. She often says that she and Maddie are different people and should be treated as just that, different people.

Brooke: Fourteen-year-old Brooke is the oldest dancer on the team. She is an extremely talented acrobatic dancer, and has even earned the top slot on the pyramid for her solos. As the lone teenager on the team, Brooke is frequently discouraged by the long, demanding hours of dance, which keep her from doing “normal” teenage activities, like cheerleading and going to the mall with her friends. In season two, she gained a spot on the cheerleading squad and left the ALDC. In a sneak pre-view of the next episode she is seen asking if she can come back to dance.

Paige: Ten-year-old Paige is Brooke’s sister, and one of the less featured dancers in the group. Like her sister, she is talented at acrobatic dance. She and Chloe are especially close, and have been performing together since they were toddlers. She varies between the bottom and the middle of the pyramid, often due to her mother’s clashes with Abby. She often states that she will support Brooke and her decisions no matter what, including quitting dance to cheerlead. She has less screen time then some of the other dancers.

Nia: Nine-year-old Nia is the group’s only African-American dancer. As such, she is frequently placed in “ethnic” roles for her solos, to her mother’s irritation. Nia is not considered to be one of the group’s stronger dancers, but believes that she is improving and many veiwers think she is improving. Acrobatic jazz routines appear to be her strong suit, as she has won awards for many of her solos and duets in that style. She varies between the bottom and middle of the pyramid.

Kendall: Eight-year-old Kendall is the newest Abby Lee dancer as of season two. She won her spot at an open audition to replace Vivi-Anne. She spends the beginning of season two on probation, subject to her success at competitions. Although Kendall wishes to be formally accepted as a member of the team, she believes that she is doing her best, and often says for Abby to "bring it on". Her and her mother are often jumping from studio to studio, for unknown reasons hopefully to be stated in episodes to come.

Payton: An older ALDC dancer, Payton auditioned for the spot on the team that was won by Kendall. Her mother believes that Payton, being a student of Abby's where Kendall was previously not, has a greater claim to the spot. Like Kendall, Payton is also on probation. In season two, when Brooke leaves the team for cheerleading, Payton takes her spot—an arrangement her mother wishes to make permanent, in replacement of Kendall. Payton is 14 years old, making her much older than the other dancers, She is also much taller than the other dancers as well, making her stand out in the group dances. Due to the constant tension between Abby and Leslie and due to the fact Abby does not like Payton's smart mouth it is unsure whether she will be staying.

Other Dancers

Justice: A young Candy Apple's dancer, Justice is already extremely talented for his young age. In season one, he competes against Nia and Mackenzie in a duet with Vivi. In season two, he is a member of the Candy Apple's competition team, though due to his age, he mainly performs in cameos along with Vivi.

Julianna: Featured in only one episode so far, Julianna is a particular rival of Maddie's from another studio. They have gone head-to-head in many competitions, with Maddie usually narrowly coming on top. They both competed in a pageant at one competition, where Maddie won again despite a slip-up in her speech.

Taylor: A dancer from Candy Apple's studio, Taylor was specifically selected from Abby's dancers to go head-to-head with Chloe in Las Vegas,She lost badly to Chloe though. She now performs with the Candy Apple's competition team.

Erica: Another dancer from the Candy Apple's competition team, Erica was selected to go head-to-head with Brooke at a solo competition in season two. She was disqualified after Cathy falsified her age in order to put her in the same age category as Brooke. Erica is a wonderful dancer and most likely would have won the whole competition if Cathy had not lied about Erica's age.

Reagan: Reagan is a dancer who has only appeared once and that was in season one. She was part of the ALDC team for, like, A single day because she showed up for practice dressed inappropriately (Loose hair, socks, and a t-shirt for acro, which would make it very unsafe for her.). Her and her mother, Minister Dawn, left the studio after Abby called the police on Minister Dawn for calling her names and being near physically hurting Abby which none of the other moms would go that far.

Vivi-Anne: Six-year-old Vivi is a dancer at Candy Apple's Dance Studio in Ohio. She briefly danced with the ALDC before her mother clashed with Abby and returned to her teaching position at Candy Apple's. Vivi is the youngest member of the Candy Apple's competition team, and only makes cameo appearances in their dances. She is often paired with Justice, the team's only male dancer, who is close to her age. Vivi's feelings about dance are ambiguous, and in season two, it is revealed that she is complying with her mother's wish that she dance in exchange for a puppy, But she would rather play softball (baseball).

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. Their group dance "Party, Party, Party" places 3rd.
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. Their group dance "Electricity" doesn't place.
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. Their group dance "Ups and Downs" places 1st.
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, Abby finds out that her mother has been admitted into a hospital. She now must choose whether to go to the hospital to sit by her mother's side or go to the dance competition. Their group dance "Where have all the Children Gone?" places 1st.
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. Their group dance "Make you Mine" places 2nd.
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. Their group dance "Snapshot" doesn't place.
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. Their group dance "Sinful" places 7th.
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. Their group dance "My Pumps" places 3rd.
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. Their group dance "This is my Beauty" places 1st.
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.

Season 2

Ep #	Title	Airdate
1	"Everyone's Replaceable"	January 10, 2012 (2012-01-10)
The departure of Cathy and Vivi-Anne creates an opportunity for Abby to change the make up of her dance group with a big open audition. Holly's busy career schedule forces her to miss Nia's rehearsals and competitions, which Abby sees as a lack of Dance Mom dedication. Abby has to come to terms with Chloe's growing success. Their group dance "Sassy Dolls" places 1st.
2	"Return of the Candy Apples"	January 17, 2012 (2012-01-17)
Abby's dancers go head to head against Cathy's Candy Apples, but this time Cathy makes sure her dancers are unbeatable even if it means cheating. Cathy sets a poaching trap for the Dance Moms by inviting them to an anonymous cocktail party. Their group dance "Bad Apples" places 1st.
3	"Brooke's Turning Point"	January 24, 2012 (2012-01-24)
Brooke tries out for cheerleading leaving Abby and the other dancers in the lurch the day before a big competition. Their group dance "Born to Dance" places 1st.
4	"No One Likes A Bully"	January 31, 2012 (2012-01-31)
Abby choreographs a bully-themed dance; Abby replaces Brooke with Payton. Payton is a self centered person with a snooty attitude. Payton may have ruined her chances with staying on their dance team by making a rude comment to the group. Their group dance "What Comes Around" doesn't place.
5	"Burn Pom Poms Burn"	February 7, 2012 (2012-02-07)
Brooke decides to come back to dance however, this time she betrays her cheerleading team. Now, she will never be able to change back.
6	"Wardrobe Malfunction"	February 14, 2012 (2012-02-14)
7	"Bullets and Ballet"	February 21, 2012 (2012-02-21)
8	"The Runaway Mom"	February 28, 2012 (2012-02-28)

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, just 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" She also said "The whole pyramid thing was for the show because we could not do a new solo for every single child, and a new group and new duets and trios every single week. There's just not time available."

Season 1

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
Nia	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Middle	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Middle	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

Season 2

Episode	1	2	3	4
Nia	Middle	Middle	Bottom	Bottom
Mackenzie	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Middle
Chloe	Middle	Middle	Middle	Top
Kendall	N/A	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom
Brooke	Bottom	Bottom	Top	N/A
Payton	N/A	N/A	N/A	Bottom
Paige	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom	Bottom
Maddie	Top	Top	Middle	Middle

External links

• Official Website
• AbbyLeeDanceCompany.com
• Dance Moms at IMDb
• Dance Moms on TVGuide.com
• "Christi Lukasiak talks Dance Moms Season 2". Channel Guide Magazine.