http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/dance-moms/video/season-1/episode-1/dance-moms-preview
Lifetime TV Network has recently added a new show to their evening lineup called Dance Moms. This show follows five subjects, five moms and their daughters that dance for the Abby Lee Miller Dance Company. The daughters on the show are all under the age of thirteen and love to dance. However, they are terrified of their dance teacher, Miss Abby. Throughout the series the girls learn various dances and are placed in a pyramid based on how well their performance goes. This pyramid causes crazy drama between the moms and crushes the little girls hopes and dreams for the future. Also, these little girls are put under intense pressure from their mothers to perform and be at the top of this pyramid. Now as someone watching the show I take a position of this pyramid not being an acceptable way to critic children of such a young age. However when someone takes a look at the culture that follows dancers around the world, this is a part of their typical daily dance life. I have heard many stories from friends who have danced and how crazy the moms can be. I have even heard of how the moms will be mean and try to live vicariously through their daughters forcing them to dance even if they no longer enjoy it. Now again as an outsider looking in it is hard for me to find a position that makes this an acceptable way for mothers of young girls to behave. Especially when these little girls look up to their mothers as much as they do.
This sounds similar to the show "Toddlers and Tiaras". I think the moms are nuts - making their daughters wear fake teeth to cover gaps, packing makeup on their faces, forcing them to make routines, and pressuring them to win the tiara every single pageant.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of sick the amount of (negative) pressure parents will place on their children. But, being the mother, they are the role model. If they want a shallow achievement, those girls will get it.
I have never seen Dance Moms, but I can relate to this post because I danced for 15 years. Personally, my mom was not crazy and I danced for my personal enjoyment and to fulfill my competitive nature. However, I did notice girls at my studio who were there for the sake of their moms wishes. They were the girls who were on strict diets, had the most intricate solo costumes, and bought private time with a choreographer. Dance has a lot of keywords and objects linked to it's identity, such as anorexia, leotards, hair buns, and glamour. It is a culture of it's own, and the amount of dedication and time put into it is unbelievable. As for the pyramid, I cannot believe that they actually rank the girls according to their performance. In my studio it was obvious who did well and who did not, but we always focused on the positive and improvement. The pyramid is sick and unhealthy competition, especially in a sport where team unity is very important.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this show a few times, and I think that you described it spot on. The mothers are clearly trying to live their own dreams through their daughters. The mothers go to extremes to make sure their daughter is at a position on the pyramid that they deserve. Two of the moms are constantly feuding about who’s daughter deserves to be at the top of the pyramid. However, the daughters get along just fine, and actually appear to be close friends on the show. The mothers don’t realize that their competitiveness is actually hurtful to their daughters’ careers. I hope that this show is an extreme case as far as dance studios go, because I think the way the mothers act is completely out of line. It makes me upset when I’m watching it, but thanks to the way Lifetime edits the show, I can never seem to turn it off.
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