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Who puts fake nails on an elementary schooler? Although I say that and I've rolled my eyes at the things I've heard rich mothers talking about for their kids. Getting their second grader highlights because school is starting. . .

Next week Abby choreographs a "sexy" dance for the tweens and dresses them like strippers complete with thigh high socks. That's honestly my biggest complaint about dance competitions is that while they have rules saying that they are supposed to be family friendly and claim that they will penalize routines that don't use age appropriate choreography or costumes they don't. The last competition I went to I was amazed by the number of crotch thrusts I saw in the mini division (under eight). I've got no problem with a belly provided the top looks more like a sports bra than real bra or a bikini top(and the kids are thin, jiggly bellies are distracting) but when you skank that costume up so it looks like lingerie and knee socks and combine that with a routine full of boob and crotch thrusts (or even have those moves with appropriate costuming) it's completely inappropriate and the competitions (not to mention the parents when they're rehearsing) should make it clear it's not appropriate. When the kids get older it doesn't seem to be as prevalent as when they're little.

I'm sure there is a huge list of rules that is clear as day. It's spelled out in our contract that nails are to be natural and unpolished (and we generally get an extra warning) for competition. We have specific makeup/eyelashes/tights/hair ect so they all look the same (I've been known to loose track of my kid onstage because they move around so much and look so alike when they're done up and on stage). There's no question as to what is allowed.

I agree that they looked like bratty teenagers. It also seemed very staged. I'd bet the producers suggested that the two ladies go off to get drinks. The bunny dance teacher lady coming in and wanting to get right on the team was obviously staged.

So, apparently Chloe and Maddie weren't competing against eachother at that competition. Maddie was competing as a petite and won a title award (which you have to pay extra for) and Chloe was competing as a Jr (a much more difficult age division) and she won her division (but not the title which she apparently didn't enter because she scored higher than the title winner). So both of the girls got first place and Maddie didn't beat anyone.

Neither the duet or the group placed at all.

And that's a very small competition that the heavy hitters generally don't go to. It caters to small studios. Several of the competitions have come out against the show and Abby as over the top and harmful and proudly stated that they won't let them tape at their competitions.

Some competitions have money awards or jackets for the top routine. The prizes are not much (A $100 prize when you paid a $60 entry fee for your solo, or $150 for a group when every girl paid $35). Most generally crown a top soloist combining the scores from multiple solos and some give a dorky crown or jacket for that title.

The competitions aren't like sports competitions, they're more like high school music competitions. Each routine performs and is awarded a score which is translated into a certain award (silver, gold, high gold, platinum -- although some have gotten absurd with double sparkly pink platinum) generally only the top two or three awards are given. This is what most dancers care about because when you do 12 routines you're not going to expect them all to place. They then rank the top 3-10 routines (depending on how many are there) in each age group and division (so top large group, top solo, top small group and top duet/trio) these are the "winning" routines. Some competitions that are award heavy also award a first place award to the top routine in each category (regardless of how many there are in a category and often there are just two or three, this is what the girls won last week) so if you're the best six year old tap routine you get an additional trophy (this allows for more bragging to parents who don't know anything) and generally there are special awards and every studio generally gets one of these. Some are talent based (technique award, tap award) and some aren't (best costume, intensity award, performance award) which allows for the less competitive studios to feel like they did well. The dancers are provided with video critiques from the judges.

Almost everyone that competes at regionals qualifies for nationals. Generally you have to be awarded a gold to qualify for nationals and there were not any awards lower than gold awarded at any of the competitions I went to this year so everyone qualified for nationals. Generally a studio will go to 3-5 local competitions and one national competition either every year or every other year (although sometimes individual soloists will attend an additional nationals). National competitions may or may not be more difficult competition depending on which area of the country you're coming from and how popular the competition is and how many nationals they have (A competition like Starquest doesn't attract the same kind of talent as others) and they also have master classes taught by popular choreographers (there's always a SYTYCD alum at these).   My studio takes about 200 routines to each competition with each individual child being in 3-15 routines.

Apparently the winning routines they showed were from the mini division (the under eight's) while these girls were in the Jr division (9-12). So the editors are going out of their way to tell the story they want regardless of what actually happened.


from the dance board I post on

Abby does not have a flourishing studio of dancers. Once upon a time she had over 120 company members and easily over 200 recreational dancers. Her poor managing skills, fights with parents of "she's right~ you're wrong" mis-managing money, lack of paying the dance instructors (so the goods ones don't return) has put her on a sinking ship. Currently she has approximately 20 (you called it) company members and not positive of the count, but I would imagine less than 20 recreation members. Her studio and house is in jeopardy of being repossessed, she owes back taxes, her car has already been repossessed, and one of the cast members Melissa has bailed her out of debt repeatedly. Police officers have entered her building to arrest her for monies that were due on the spot. I know economic times are hard, but really? Is she in the position to tell anyone to LEAVE/GET OUT? That is hardly a flourishing studio! This guy from CA, John Corella is a long time friend of hers. Lifetime is throwing her a life preserver, and Abby is thinking she is going to get new dancers from all over the PGH area. Problem is her reputation proceeds her and she has far more enemies from parents and dancers that have left her studio and people who know her from reputation.
Touching on one other subject... Abby claims to put out employable dancers. Fact is yes, some are dancing...SOME! Like the Las Vegas pussy cats (I think that is what they are called). Another one that worked at the "Box" (Strip club) in NYC... Sliding down a banister in a thong / topless of coarse (which was posted in a national magazine). Abby is preparing her dancers to work regardless of where. The costumes are a prime example. Beautiful, funky, Jazz, or dances of any nature can be done without exploiting children in sexy clothes. I'm curious as to how many legal professionals, State Representatives, CPS, are watching this show that have balls enough to say... These ARE children, you are crossing a legal line and you and the parents can be held responsible. If photos of these children were found on some creepers computer, he would be called a pedophile and be escorted out of his home in handcuffs!

Did you notice she couldn't even get up to demonstrate Vivi's solo. I'm sure she would have learned twice as fast if she didn't have to listen to "no that's not what I meant" every three steps.

There's a very overweight dance teacher at my daughters studio but she can and does dance. She demonstrates and shows the kids what to do ect. . . Abby is so obese that she can barely walk.