The Big Picture
- Thematic dances often sparked controversies like the Rosa Parks tribute, leading to heated arguments between the moms on lead roles.
- Infamous moments like Abby sending strong dancers home or the CD skipping during Maddie’s performance were key turning points.
- Emotional tolls on young dancers, physical altercations, and controversial dances pushed the boundaries of the reality series for entertainment.
A Lifetime reality series that hasn’t aged well, Dance Moms remains a popular guilty-pleasure series that just got a second life with a new season, new studio, and new instructor, one loyal fans of the show will recognize. The original dancers of the Abby Lee Dance Company were subjected to strict standards to achieve a level of perfection that satisfied the company’s namesake, Abby Lee Miller. The series launched the high-profile careers of dancers like Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa, while also providing a platform for Mackenzie Ziegler, Chloe Lukasiak, Nia Sioux, Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hiliker, Paige Hyland, and Brooke Hyland.
The series remains controversial for the psychological and emotional toll it took on the young girls as they were subjected to detrimental verbal criticism, many of whom cut ties with the series and Miller. Being a reality series, certain moments were highly produced, dramatized, and edited for entertainment, but a vast majority of the most controversial episodes were organically problematic from the get-go. From sensitive subjects to physical altercations, and a slew of wildly inappropriate dances, Dance Moms pushed the envelope just to get the win.
10 “The Apple of Her Eye” – Season 3, Episode 12
Controversy: The Rosa Parks Dance
As the ALDC prepared to go against Cathy and her Candy Apples all-boys team, Abby’s tribute dance stirred up some controversy. During the pyramid, Abby revealed that the girls would be tackling another serious topic with a tribute to Rosa Parks. Eyebrows were instantly raised when Abby declared she wasn’t sure who would take the lead role. While the dance itself was not controversial and dutifully portrayed, the indecisive lead up to who should take the lead was.
Holly, throughout the entirety of the series, was a vocal advocate for Nia and a critic of Abby’s often controversial typecasting of Nia in specific roles. However, in this episode, it seemed obvious to everyone but one mom that Nia needed to play Rosa Parks. That mom was Jill, who believed Kendall was the perfect dancer to play the role of the historic Civil Rights advocate. Rightfully, Nia lead the ALDC to first-place victory with the beautiful lyrical routine.
9 “Return of the Candy Apples” – Season 2, Episode 2
Controversy: Age Discrepancies
Fresh into season two, the ALDC and the Candy Apples were at it again, but this time the dramatic rivalry antics included allegations of cheating. Using the theme of apples for the routines, Abby wanted to make a statement to Cathy, defining which was the better dance studio. Brooke’s solo, “Garden of Eden,” went head-to-head with Erika from Candy Apples, whose age was immediately questioned by the competition for competing in the wrong division.
When confronted, Cathy admitted Erika’s age before defensively questioning Brooke’s. Erika was ultimately disqualified and Brooke took home the win. When it came to group performances, Cathy’s girls appeared much older than the ALDC dancers, but the ALDC prevailed with the dance “Bad Apples.” In a series and competition world where reputation is everything, allegations of cheating were not taken lightly while also spotlighting what Cathy was willing to do to win.
8 “Queen of the ALDC” – Season 8, Episode 5
Controversy: Abby Sends Brady Home
Never did ALDC dancers think one of their own would be sent home for being too good. Two years after the original members of the series parted ways, Abby returned to Pittsburgh with an all-new team that included a few former season members. New to the series was Brady, Abby’s seemingly new favorite leading dancer. Time and time again, he delivered in group dances, solos, and duets. Leading up to episode five, Abby foreshadowed that someone would be going home, but no one thought it’d be Brady.
Abby proclaimed him the best dancer on the team and didn’t “want to put all her eggs in one basket” as she’d done before because “where did that get [her].” While that statement in itself is controversial considering her rise to fame alongside her former dancers, sending the best dancer home as punishment for being good was rightfully upsetting to Brady and his mom, Tricia. Abby was quick to remind the ALDC dancers, moms, and fans that “everyone is replaceable.”
7 “Chaos at Nationals” – Season 5, Episode 31
Controversy: Walking out on Nationals Loss
With what seemed to be a surefire win, Abby choreographed another heart-stopping, thought-provoking number that left audiences silent with “The Waiting Room,” depicting the devastating uncertainty that exists inside an emergency room. The ALDC were hungry for the National title as they went head-to-head with Jeanette and Ava’s team, but the judges awarded them second place, losing to their former teammate turned rival.
Where the controversy lies is in the poor sportsmanship from Abby, demanding her dancers leave the stage before the awards were completed. The loss divided the team as Holly and Jess accepted the loss with grace, while Melissa, Jill, Kiara, and Abby alleged the competition was rigged in a later tell-all episode. By failing to provide a unified front in accepting defeat, the ALDC foundation cracked and set a poor sportsmanship example instead of a boycott for young viewers and athletes.
6 “Hollywood Here We Come, Part 1” – Season 4, Episode 31
Controversy: Ava’s Kicked Off
Abby’s mistreatment and body-shaming toward Select Team member Ava came to a head during the week of Nationals. Having been dismissed after her solo loss in an earlier episode, Ava’s mother, Jeanette, still chose to bring her, claiming she didn’t know she’d been cut. Abby greeted Ava with a hug before slowly unzipping her competition jacket and taking it from her. Then comparing her side-by-side with Chloe, she cut Ava from the team in front of everyone. Not only was that psychologically traumatizing for Ava, but the mob mentality of the mothers in the room added controversial insult to injury.
“Ava, you’re too tall for us today. You’re cut.”
Throughout her time with Abby, Ava was subjected to multiple cruel remarks about her body type and tall, lean figure. While the professional industry can be brutal with cutting dancers, humiliating a young girl in front of her teammates on a reality series is one of the darker moments of the show. Ava would channel those emotions and negative experiences into a solo in later seasons called “Hurtful Words.”
5 “There’s a New Team in Town Pts 1 & 2” – Season 7, Episode 23 & 24
Controversy: “The Last Dance”
As the ALDC fractures into two teams, the older girls reunited with Chloe to form a new team, the Irreplaceables. The first order of business was to choreograph a dance the ALDC minis and Brynn couldn’t/wouldn’t do. Tapping industry icon Aisha Jamila Francis to coach them for the week, the girls performed a sassy, sultry Burlesque number that had everyone talking (the good, the bad, and the ugly) while the ALDC revamped the iconic “Where Have All the Children Gone.”
Abby walked out of the auditorium mid-number, while the reactions and judgments from the remaining ALDC moms caused a screaming standoff outside. Audiences watched the little girls of the ALDC grow up into young women over the seven seasons, prompting divisive opinions on whether “The Last Dance” was age-appropriate. This wasn’t the first number in ALDC history to push performative boundaries, but was one of the many that blurred the boundary between sexualizing its stars and creative expression.
4 “Wildly Inappropriate” – Season 1, Episode 2
Controversy: “Electricity” Dance
The second episode of the series not only left the ALDC moms stunned, but audiences too. On the road to Nationals, Abby was determined to win with a “hot” number. “Electricity” featured the group in costumes more risqué than usual and choreography that was much too mature and sexy for little girls. Christi, Kelly, and Holly vocalized their discomfort and disapproval, but Melissa maintained that Maddie didn’t know what “sexy” meant and was happy with the dance.
The dance failed to place against numbers that appeared less polished than the ALDC’s, but was it because the dance was too inappropriate for the age category? “Electricity” opened up a wider discussion among parental viewership on sexualizing young girls in competition sports like dance, and where the line should be drawn.
3 “Big Trouble in the Big Apple” – Season 4, Episode 7
Controversy: Kelly versus Abby
With the soundbite gaining a second life on social media, the infamous Kelly versus Abby physical altercation was one of the biggest moments in Dance Moms history. Tensions between the pair had risen significantly over the seasons, but reached a boiling point when Abby began searching for a new team. When Kalani arrives at the competition to perform a duet with Maddie, directly competing with Chloe and Paige’s routine, Kelly’s patience ran out. In the argument heard around the reality world, the first physical altercation at the ALDC took place.
“Did you just sit here and say that my daughter looks miserable, so maybe we should put Kalani in her place?”
What also sparked internal controversy among the girls was whether Maddie lied to Chloe when asked if she was performing that day. It was evident from that day on that the pair’s relationship was fractured. For long-time fans who favored the Hyland girls, it was a controversial move for Abby to intentionally put Kalani and Maddie in to beat Chloe and Paige, while for some they understood the surefire win mentality Abby never hid. The time and personal commitment Abby made to certain dancers was evident in every episode but was a major factor in Kelly’s outrage.
2 “Night of the Living Dancers” – Season 2, Episode 15
Controversy: Maddie’s CD Skips
Arguably the most successful dancer to come out of Dance Moms, Maddie’s perfectionist mindset and undeniable musicality kept her dancing through the infamous skipped CD. Two episodes earlier, while performing her solo, “In My Heart,” Maddie froze and ran off-stage, sparking another controversial moment with Abby’s reaction. She accepted Maddie’s embarrassment and tears with open arms, a stark contrast to her anger and condescending punishments when it happened to others.
Maddie’s next shot at performing the solo again sparked debate and cheating allegations from the moms when the CD skipped, and she danced through without missing a beat to win her division. Kelly alleged Melissa told her Maddie practiced the skip, but when confronted, Melissa backpedaled. The rift spilled over to Abby, infuriated that her reputation and Maddie’s were being tarnished by the insinuation. The desire for an even playing field and jealousy were always at the root of the biggest controversies at the ALDC.
1 “Topless Showgirls” – Season 2, Episode 9
Controversy: “Burn in Your Name” Dance
Of all the scandalous dances, costumes, and moments on the reality series, this episode takes the cake. Pulled from Lifetime’s streaming archive, “Topless Showgirls” featured a group dance inspired by just that in a number called “Burn in Your Name.” The girls rehearsed with the bright pink showgirl feathery props, but performed in nude tops and bottoms, giving the illusion they were Vegas showgirls without any clothes on.
The concept was a red flag from the start, especially when the girls confided to their moms that they were uncomfortable, a stark difference to their on-camera interviews where they said it was fun. Depicting young girls ages seven to thirteen as topless showgirls was a new controversial low for reality TV and the dance community. The episode certainly raised questions as to why the mothers didn’t become louder advocates for maintaining a level of innocence to their daughters’ dancing.
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