Polarizing TV series, “Dance Moms,” has returned after ending its original nine season run in 2019. “Dance Moms: A New Era,” filmed at Studio Bleu, a local dance company led by Glo Hampton, gave fans exactly what they wanted: a drama filled show with tantrum-throwing dancers, moms, and coaches.
Released on Aug. 7, the newest edition of the reality dance show kicked off the drama with a newly casted Junior Elite Competition Team. The Junior Elite team consists of eight talented dancers Ashlan, Audrey, Bellatrix, Isabella “Smiley,” Leilah, Lily, Gina, and Mina, and their mothers, Lisa, Tammi, Roxce, Domenica, Leslie, Corinne, Jing, and Min. The moms and daughters are all wrangled-in under the direction of dance teacher Miss Glo.
A common criticism of the original “Dance Moms” series, under Abby Lee Miller, was the negative and toxic environment the girls faced in their practice and competitions. Many of the original dancers spoke out after they left the show and shared that what should have been the experience of a lifetime for them turned out to be stressful and disappointing.
“I had more stress [on the show] than I did once I left. I have dissociated so much from that time,” original member of “Dance Moms” cast Maddie Ziegler said in an interview with “Cosmopolitan.” “It’s weird because there were really amazing times, but there were also a lot of things that were really, really not great for us kids.”
It is hard not to compare this new season of “Dance Moms” with its older iterations. One of the main aspects that jumps out to fans in this new season is the dynamic between Glo, the girls, and the moms. While Abby Lee Miller was loud and aggressive towards both the girls and moms, Glo seems to keep the girls out of the majority of the drama.
“As a child, it was a lot to endure: a lot of yelling, a lot of swearing, being put down all the time,” original “Dance Moms” cast member Nia Souix said in an interview with “Forbes.” “And not only being put down by people in your physical life, but also being put down by people on the internet.”
Miss Glo, although just as determined to win as the renowned Abby Lee, seems to take a gentler, more caring approach to teaching the girls but, like Miller, still finds conflicts with the moms.
“The kids aren’t really ever the issue, it’s the moms that are the issue.” Miss Glo said in an interview video with “Where Is the Buzz.”
However, even if the dance teacher herself is less toxic this time around, the mothers seem to be equally confrontational. Early in the first season there was already name calling, screaming matches, and a physical altercation, all of which provide a cause for concern for the young dancers safety and mental health.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health,” former “Dance Moms” star Kalani Hilliker said in an interview with “People Magazine.” “Whatever is going on in your head, it totally affects what you do in your everyday life. I’ve realized that for me. So I just really wanted to be open and honest about it.”
By nature reality shows like “Dance Moms” have a lot of over-inflated drama, but no matter how “real” the drama may be, the dancers will still be affected, some of whom are as young as eight years old. As studies on the importance of mental health continue to increase, it is important that shows like “Dance Moms: A New Era” weigh the stress and turmoil they are putting young children through against a show’s supposed profit.
“Last year [in 2022] I was having a really bad panic attack and I called my mom and things were coming up from the past, and she apologized to me,” Maddie Ziegler said in an interview with “USA Today.” “She was like, ‘I’m so sorry I put you through that.'”
