Dance Moms in the Media

[cali1981]

 

I know Abby believes all attention is good attention, but in the long run, this is going to drastically hurt Maddie and the likelihood of her ever experiencing this type of success is growing smaller. She can probably make it on Broadway if she has a voice, but what acting I've seen out of her hasn't been that great---ie, getting cast for name, not necessarily being the best. If she plans to truly act, she needs some help.

We've been given no evidence that Maddie can sing a note well, let along a song. Of course, if the standard is her younger sister, why Maddie might be the next Jill Scott or Megan Hilty... NOT!   In order to make a Broadway ensemble you have to be an excellent dancer, a good singer and an OK actor.  Somehow I don't see Maddie being the Donna McKechnie OR Bebe Neuwirth of her generation.  Abby constantly blows this BS smoke up Maddie and Melissa's rear ends. 

[Lemons]

I was able to tell Kristin Wiig had dance training when she did some skits on SNL.  She's an all around talent.  And, no, not just anybody can do the choreography,  the actors and dancers who have been performing with Sia are all super talented and they make it look simple.  

 

I don't think it's possible to determine what 12 year olds will be doing in 10 years.  I do know successful actors/dancers, etc whose talent shined through at early ages, like Maddie, and there was no surprise that they made it.  I also know kids who worked professionally on Broadway and then went on to college for something else.   

 

From what I have noticed, most people seem to enjoy Maddie's performances, especially other artists.  The biggest critics are other dance moms.  You have to wonder about how much jealousy is involved.  Chloe's mom must be losing her mind!!

[sofiah]

And what happens when she's 15 and hasn't worked in years?

 

Who knows. If we're predicting she won't be working anymore (hard to predict, really)...  Maybe she'll be killing it in the convention/competition circuit? Maybe she'll have quit dance to pursue painting? Maybe she'll be back in school focussed on college?  Or maybe she'll just be dancing, going to auditions, and still pursuing a similar dream.  Who really knows what any of these girls will be doing in 3 years.

 

 

Do does Kristen Wiig have any dance training or did she just show us all that Heffington's choreography is something anyone can do?

 

 

I know you said you were kidding - but just thought I'd throw it out there that Kristin Wiig studied ballet for seven years.  I imagine she studied other forms of dance too, but I am not sure. 

 

  From what I have noticed, most people seem to enjoy Maddie's performances, especially other artists.  The biggest critics are other dance moms.  You have to wonder about how much jealousy is involved.  Chloe's mom must be losing her mind!!

 

 

The negativity towards Maddie seems to be pretty specific to Dance Mom viewers. The public at large seem to be either indifferent, or impressed with her talent.  

Edited February 10, 2015 by sofiah

[Lemons]

Didn't notice!  SOrry,  there have been so many comments that still doubt the obvious talent of a young girl, I couldn't tell.   Great sarcasm got by me, damn.

[Darknight]

The life of a successful working dancer. Much better dancers then Maddie freak out if they get the opportunity to be anonymous back up dancers at the Teen Choice Awards or So You Think You Can Dance. I suppose its just important to them regardless if anyone cares who they are. If anything Maddie gets way more recognition then the usual back up dancer -- even the fact her name is mentioned at all is significant. Also, in the case of Sia she is not exactly dancing back up - she's the only dancer on the stage and Sia's off in the corner. Plus, the magazine shoots, interviews, etc. Most background dancers get none of that. Also, competitions are definitely not free. You or your studio have to pay to enter a solo, duet or group dance -- and it's not cheap!

Honestly, I think the narrative of Dance Moms, and Abby's favoritism of Maddie, has caused many Dance Mom viewers to dislike Maddie by proxy and as a result they see these opportunities as something negative. I think it has more to do with Abby then anything else. Abby is a big obnoxious bully who has claimed all along that Maddie is "the best"... and low and behold - there she is in magazine articles and talk shows and dancing at the Grammys as a "lead". It sucks that Maddie's success inadvertently legitimizes Abby's views. Yes Abby is delusional, what Maddie is doing now has nothing to do with how Abby "trained" her - and yes Abby will probably hold this over the other girl's heads, and yes Abby's ego will get even bigger because of it -- but none of that is really Maddie's fault.

She's 12 and a dancer, and she got to perform at the Grammys. These girls are all probably going to fade into obscurity soon anyway - at least she's getting some cool experiences out of it.

I don't dislike Maddie, and I thought u meant attending a competition which is free. I'm talking about be well known and successful. Maddie isn't successful yet. Heck she hardly broke into the dance world. I don't really see her as a successful working dancer. Just someone who got picked for a role and now trying to do anything to get noticed. Heck she's not even known for dancing. Again nobody, well me anyway is hating on Maddie. Good for her that's she's going to awards shows and meeting celebs. Must be nice to have 15 min of fame. I guess 3 years of hell was worth it.

[Loves2Dance]

I'm sure Abby will leave the ALDC to Maddie upon her death. 

 

Honestly, I don't think Maddie is the most amazing dancer. I think, for her age at 9 and 10, she was above average but as she's aging...there are girl's who are profoundly better. What I think Maddie has going for her is her acting and her emotional emote during her solos. Without that, I don't think she would get the praises she does. Not to say I don't want her to succeed, but I can honestly see her crashing and burning because of the enormous amount of pressure she's under now and has been under since she was like 8 or 9. 

 

As for the Sia video, I don't think just any dancer could do it, but I also don't think that only Maddie could do it. It's not easy, but not a Maddie only thing either.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Loves2Dance

[tessa]

I wondered about how Maddie actually got the original part. I wondered if there were auditions or if Sia was a fan of Dance Moms and Maddie was her first pick, which happened to work out with the producers.

 

I remember Chloe having the lead in that other singer's video  - and Melissa and Abby saying she got picked just because she was blond like the singer. I thought Chloe did well in that but the song never went anywhere and is just flaoting around on the intenet.

 

I agree, that Maddie is talented, but that talent was more in the forefront when she was younger. Other dancers have caught up with her as they've aged and come into their own. My fear is what about after Sia? Every star goes through a popularity spurt but few last longer than a couple of years in the forefront. Oh, they'll still record but few have the longevity like a Beyonce, Whitney, Brittany.  She has fabulous opportunities now but we could see in the one Dance Moms episode where she was with her aunt in LA, how much she missed everyone and felt lonely. She's still a kid but with the schedule she has nowadays - does Melissa even let her have down time. And poor Mac - relagated to 2nd place again.

[Loves2Dance]

I wondered about how Maddie actually got the original part. I wondered if there were auditions or if Sia was a fan of Dance Moms and Maddie was her first pick, which happened to work out with the producers.

If you listen to how Maddie says it, Sia tweeted her because she was a fan of her on the show; however, I'm pretty sure other countries are behind us so not sure what season she was on when she tweeted her.

[sofiah]

I don't dislike Maddie, and I thought u meant attending a competition which is free. I'm talking about be well known and successful. Maddie isn't successful yet. Heck she hardly broke into the dance world. I don't really see her as a successful working dancer. Just someone who got picked for a role and now trying to do anything to get noticed. Heck she's not even known for dancing. Again nobody, well me anyway is hating on Maddie. Good for her that's she's going to awards shows and meeting celebs. Must be nice to have 15 min of fame. I guess 3 years of hell was worth it.

 

I don't know if you are being sarcastic - but she's pretty unanimously only known for dancing.  Even when the media doesn't mention her name, she's still "the little girl dancer in Sia's videos".  I do agree with your comment about not necessarily being a successful working dancer yet though.  I know kids and teens who have a lot more experience in the actual dance world then Maddie.   They are not as well known to the general public though - they are back up dancing, going on tour with artists, etc.  We'll have to see what happens with Maddie.

 

My original point was that the entire experience of being in Sia's videos , getting to perform in different venues, getting to go to the Grammys, etc. -- regardless of weather it constitutes her 15 minutes of fame or is indicative of the start of a longer career - is probably a cool and positive experience for Maddie and not something imbued with the negativity I see on this thread.  That's just my opinion.  Since the arguments seems to have evolved into  weather Maddie is/isn't the best dancer for her age I think it's probably time for me to leave the discussion now! 

[NextIteration]

Since the arguments seems to have evolved into  weather Maddie is/isn't the best dancer for her age I think it's probably time for me to leave the discussion now! 

 

I'm not quite sure where you got that impression, I'm pretty sure it's widely accepted that Maddie is a very good dancer, just perhaps not the best dancer in the country in her age cohort, which is pretty demonstrably true in a number of ways.

 

My concern is much more about her total well being.

 

I'm sure she's having the time of her life, who wouldn't be?  I think It would be a shame if tens year from now all she's known for is being "that little dancer with Sia" and/or "the pet dancer from that awful reality series Dance Moms".

[momofsquid]

As a card-carrying member of the uneducated public, I'm going to throw my opinion out there. I haven't seen many episodes of Dance Moms and my lack of knowledge of dance is profound. I can't dance, I don't "get" dance, it doesn't usually move me and I wouldn't know a great dancer from a mediocre one. But I love to watch Maddie. She's just got something that I find compelling and whatever she does, I want to watch it. I think that whatever it is she's got, that's why she's getting more attention from the rest of the uneducated public. Maybe Abby recognizes that, whether she's conscious of it or not.

[sofiah]

I'm not quite sure where you got that impression, I'm pretty sure it's widely accepted that Maddie is a very good dancer, just perhaps not the best dancer in the country in her age cohort, which is pretty demonstrably true in a number of ways.

 

 

Oh, totally.  I myself have argued exactly that many times (that Maddie is really good but obviously not "the best", I personally think even some younger dancers are stronger then her).  That wasn't meant as a criticism towards anyone... I really did mean that since I've had that discussion before on here I just didn't want to be repeating myself :)

Edited February 10, 2015 by sofiah

[DoctorWhovian]

The thing that really drives me crazy about this Sia thing is the way it seems to validate Abby's line of bullshit about making kids into stars. I'm one of those people who maintain that even the best dancers are rarely recognizable and known by name outside the industry or true afficionados--so I feel like Abby is making a very empty promise and also conveying a warped idea of what dance success would look like. So even though I like Maddie as a dancer it makes me crazy that her collaboration with Sia is playing right into Abby's 'star' bullshit.

 

That's exactly how I feel! Abby makes a big talk about her students on Broadway... but who are they? Are they backup dancers? That's awesome for them but that doesn't make them stars, and it's not great money or even something you can do for life. Also, as someone else pointed out, you better be able to sing, and sing well.

 

I have a relative who occasionally does some theater (bigger than local, but not Broadway, at least that I know of, but he gets paid). He became pretty well known for a particular role, to the point that the got called by directors around the country to specifically do this part, no audition needed. The original performer of the role even came to see him at one point. But it's not his day job. It's not even a side job. It's a hobby he does for fun, did it more when he was younger but now maybe a role a year. HIs girlfriend acts/dances in theater as well, and she does it more often than him, but again, it's a side job. She has another job that actually pays the bills. 

 

With Abby filling these parents' (and girls') heads up with all this "you'll be a star!" crap, hopefully they aren't pushing everything else aside because chances are, they won't be. And, I really hate to think this about pre-teens, but their only other option is to be marrying into money (or inheriting it). Unless they're all going to be dance teachers/studio owners.

[NextIteration]

With Abby filling these parents' (and girls') heads up with all this "you'll be a star!" crap, hopefully they aren't pushing everything else aside because chances are, they won't be. And, I really hate to think this about pre-teens, but their only other option is to be marrying into money (or inheriting it). Unless they're all going to be dance teachers/studio owners.

 

This is what I keep harping about.  And you know what?  The irony is that these kids for the moment are stars and are getting that 15 minutes of reality show fame. Ultimately, the question is whether this will launch them into a lifetime of triple threat work, or acting, but really, not one of these girls imho has what it takes to be a star based solely on dance.  I don't see the next Britney coming out of this crop, or a prima ballerina, but I'd happily be proven wrong.

[Darknight]

How can they be stars with with training? And what does Abby expect? A whole Broadway show dedicated to her one dancer? There's no such thing as stars in the dance world. Well know yes. Making millions of dollars, getting magazine covers, being famous doesn't happen to dancers

[cali1981]

I don't think that most are saying that Maddie is not a good dancer.  She obviously is.  The problem is that Abby's stank has rubbed all over her and that she says nothing when Abby uses her to constantly and publicly denigrate the other girls.  Maddie may only be 12 but that doesn't mean that she shouldn't a have an early moral compass and some ability to put herself in the other girls' shoes. It's really quite simple "Maddie how would you feel if Abby used another girl to repeatedly tear you down and make you doubt your own abilities?" Any 12 year old should be able to give the correct answer to that. What this also means is that Melissa hasn't reached the level of a 12 year old yet because she would probably wouldn't even understand that question and would sit there with the typical smirk on her puss. It makes you wonder about how Melissa would act if her kid wasn't the teacher's pet and was being verbally assaulted all of the time. 

[tessa]

Well I had to google Misty Copeland and Alvin Ailey. Paula made it big due to her singing - even though she choreographed before than for Janet Jackson - the man on the street would not have known who she was. Mikhail - now he's another story - excellent dancer turned actor - but his fame came at a time when not many men were stars in the ballet world.

 

We could include Max, Julia and Derek Hough ect.. but their fame came from Dancing with The Stars - that's the only reason someone outside of the dance world knows of them. It's the same with Maddie and the rest of the girls - the show has brought them to the forefront but how long will it last? If they can't capitalize on dance, singing and acting - I give it 2 years before people are asking Maddie who?

[DoctorWhovian]

I personally only know four of those names. And don't forget those are a handful of people out of how many that have tried? Abby talks a big game. But worse is, she talks down about these girls being involved in other activities and, more importantly, school. They're lucky that they have this, but there's also a reason that when we think of child stars, we think of the negative stories. And these girls aren't major stars, aside from "the girl in the Sia video", they are in a low ratings reality show that 95% of the population likely knows little, if anything, about.

[Darknight]

Misty Copeland. Mikhail Baryshnikov. Paula Abdul. Alvin Ailey.

But most dancers don't go out looking to be "stars" I know who all of these people you mentioned are but the regular people walking down the street doesn't (besides Paula ) Dance isn't like acting, singing,sports, or modeling, Dance is a world in its self. Which is why I don't understand what Abby or the moms mean by "stars" Unless they mean breaking into show business with amazing acting skills or having the look. But even then it's hard.

Edited February 11, 2015 by Darknight

[Marcus]

Maddie's  success with Sia, not just the  videos but  numerous tv appearances, mean that she has secured a place within the American pantheon. Whether this will translate into  success as an adult celebrity remains to be seen.

[tessa]

Loved the comment at the end of the article! "Pretty sure you only need to watch "Dance Moms" for 5 mins to understand that Sia is the least of this child's problems."

 

Elle's sales must be down as Maddie hasn't a clue about fashion, other than what she sees on TV or in magazines like Teen Vogue, Tiger Beat or M - if she even reads those. I hope Maddie actually has someone to keep her grounded and help her keep everything in perspective. We know that neither Melissa or Abby will. As much as I disliked Holly's outbursts - I think both she and Christy would do a good job with their girls. Both Nia and Chloe had other interests.

[NextIteration]

I'm taking my responses about "dance stars" to the girls thread since it's not particular to any media.  I did hear about Maddie being a correspondent for Elle at Fashion Week, it makes no sense to me at all, has she been under the tutelage of Tim Gunn without our knowledge?

[Gianthambeast]

I don't dislike Maddie, and I thought u meant attending a competition which is free. I'm talking about be well known and successful. Maddie isn't successful yet. Heck she hardly broke into the dance world. I don't really see her as a successful working dancer. Just someone who got picked for a role and now trying to do anything to get noticed. Heck she's not even known for dancing. Again nobody, well me anyway is hating on Maddie. Good for her that's she's going to awards shows and meeting celebs. Must be nice to have 15 min of fame. I guess 3 years of hell was worth it.

I think Maddi is great, but in a very narrow context.  Abby filling her head with delusions of grandeur and having her doing fake competitions every week isn't helping her any.  I know this is a different genre of dance, but the link shows  an example of what it would really mean to be the best for one's age and tested in rigorous international competition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4dL78-sezw

 

Silver medal at IBC at only fifteen-- can you imagine?!

 

I think Gisele's passion is to dance, not to be a star.  I think Maddi has that passion, but not the training, or the technique and now she is thoroughly contaminated by Abby's star-making mania.  I fear she'll end up as a broadway backup dancer (which is great, but prolly a disappointment for someone who Abby has filled with grandiose dreams).

Edited February 16, 2015 by Gianthambeast

[Darknight]

I heard of this dancer you posted about. She's gorgeous. And I'm so glad she turned down that dance contract.

Maddie needs to get away from her mother and Abby. They're toxic. I feel bad for the child along with Kenzie. Imagine if Maddie wanted to quit dance or go a different route. Or she really does want to be a dancer but can't because ALDC is holding her back. I see maddie as another Gianna or being burned out before she graduates from high school. I can't wait for the 5-10 year dm reunion

[NextIteration]

I know this is a different genre of dance, but the link shows  an example of what it would really mean to be the best for one's age and tested in rigorous international competition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4dL78-sezw

Silver medal at IBC at only fifteen-- can you imagine?!

I think Gisele's passion is to dance, not to be a star.

 

Wow, she is a superstar at ballet for her age.  The passion part, I think is true of all young committed dancers, which is what I commented about in the other thread.  So, Giselle's world renowned teacher thinks it was the right thing for her, to turn down ABT for now, can you imagine Abby Lee with her baloney Joffrey School (not Joffrey Ballet) auditions (anybody can audition for summer intensives, it really isn't anything that special - though it is admirable to get a scholarship as Chloe did) telling any of these girls that it would be okay to turn down anything?

 

Laughs, my daughter wears Grishkos, that's as close as she'll get. ;)

[DoctorWhovian]

Speaking of the Joffrey auditions, it's still do depressing that Chloe wasn't able to go. Because of something with ALDC right, some conflict? Almost as if they should have known the dates before they went to the audition or something.

[tessa]

I tuned into Lifetime last night at supper when they were rerunning episodes of Dance Moms. The episode they showed was the one 4 weeks before Nationals where Paige is having anxiety attacks when faced to perform - be it in the studio or on stage in front of Abby. Looking back with all that is going on now - it's really sad that all these girls are and were under so much pressure. Paige forgot her dance - Kendall had a breakdown before going on stage and Abby's comeback is I'm preparing them for the future.

 

I get all that - but these kids are 10,11,12 yrs old. Preparing them and scaring and making them more anxious are two different things. I was scared that at both competitions and recitals that I would forget my routine - but I never had the added pressure that my dance teacher would yell at me and criticize me - expecially in front of others. Miss Bev, who taught A Chorus Line creator Michael Bennett and choreographer-director Sam Viverito, was always constructive but nice. She was always grateful for all the help she had from the moms on the costumes and the dads for the recital backgrounds they constructed.

[sofiah]

Speaking of the Joffrey auditions, it's still do depressing that Chloe wasn't able to go. Because of something with ALDC right, some conflict? Almost as if they should have known the dates before they went to the audition or something.

 

Yeah, Chloe didn't go because it conflicted with "Nationals". They didn't air it to amp up the rivalry, but Maddie also got a scholarship to the modern dance/Jazz program and also didn't go because of "Nationals".  

 

It's funny that the show tried to kind of pass it off as Joffrey Ballet though. 

Edited February 17, 2015 by sofiah

[DoctorWhovian]

Yeah, Chloe didn't go because it conflicted with "Nationals". They didn't air it to amp up the rivalry, but Maddie also got a scholarship to the modern dance/Jazz program and also didn't go because of "Nationals".  

 

It's funny that the show tried to kind of pass it off as Joffrey Ballet though. 

 

it was basically a summer camp held by Joffrey right? I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

[NextIteration]

it was basically a summer camp held by Joffrey right? I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

 

Joffrey School Summer Intensives.  Chloe received a scholarship to NYC, Maddie to LA West.  It really depends what you consider a summer camp experience, these are dance training intensives - where you train for 6-8 hours a day and usually have rehearsal for a show at the end.  Length of time varies, but usually for the younger set it's 2-3 weeks but can run as long as 6.

[Darknight]

Maddie and Chloe scholarship doesn't even require and audition only $$$$ Jeffrey gives out scholarships like water

[sofiah]

Maddie and Chloe scholarship doesn't even require and audition only $$$$ Jeffrey gives out scholarships like water

 

Chloe got a partial financial scholarship, and Maddie's was full - so she would have had to pay nothing.  

 

it was basically a summer camp held by Joffrey right? I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

 

I don't know that much about it either.  I know that the Jofrrey Ballet, the Company and the Dance Academy - which is very prestigious and not what the girls got scholarships to - moved in 1995 from NYC to Chicago.  Joffrey School of Ballet is what remained in NY.  From what I've heard, while its still a great place to get quality training, it is no longer directly affiliated with Joffrey Ballet or that hard to "get into".   I could be wrong though, this is just my very limited knowledge!

[Darknight]

Chloe got a partial financial scholarship, and Maddie's was full - so she would have had to pay nothing.

I don't know that much about it either. I know that the Jofrrey Ballet, the Company and the Dance Academy - which is very prestigious and not what the girls got scholarships to - moved in 1995 from NYC to Chicago. Joffrey School of Ballet is what remained in NY. From what I've heard, while its still a great place to get quality training, it is no longer directly affiliated with Joffrey Ballet or that hard to "get into". I could be wrong though, this is just my very limited knowledge!

You are correct about Joffrey NY. Compared to other ballet schools they're not up to participate anymore. Good instruction yes but not really strong. As for the scholarships I would think both girls would've been too young to go anyway. Especially for an intensive, if it was an intensive.

[realdancemom]

You are correct about Joffrey NY. Compared to other ballet schools they're not up to participate anymore. Good instruction yes but not really strong. As for the scholarships I would think both girls would've been too young to go anyway. Especially for an intensive, if it was an intensive.

The jazz intensive is from ages 10-25.  The ballet intensive starts at age 12 for Joffrey NYC.  A lot of ballet intensives have different levels so they can start at ages 10-12.

 

If you win a scholarship, that only pays for tuition.  The parents still have to pay for room, boarding, food, plane tickets, etc.  Dance is just a very expensive hobby.

[Lemons]

Some scholarships pay for room/board and transportation.  It depends on how talented they think you are.  And Joffrey NY year round program turns out professional dancers, it doesn't matter that the professional company moved to Chicago.  It's year round program also trains younger students to go on to top BFA programs and training programs at ballet companies. 

 

 If you are a talented and a well trained dancer, you will thrive at a Joffrey summer intensive.  If not, you can get kind of lost and ignored and not have a great time. 

[tobysmom]

https://gma.yahoo.com/meet-girl-maddie-ziegler-133943312--abc-news-celebrities.html

 

Good Morning America ‏@GMA  · 11m11 minutes ago 

Day in the life of the newest "it" girl: @maddieziegler. http://abcn.ws/1GxuhKD

[Clemgo3165]

I saw that! Did it seem weird to you? Kind of like a paid promotional piece? I know Disney and ABC are connected so maybe Disney pushed it, though there was no mention of Austin and Ally. Maddie looked great and seemed very self-assured, made me feel a bit better about her well-being once the fame train rolls away.

[Darknight]

Good Morning America ‏@GMA · 11m11 minutes ago

Day in the life of the newest "it" girl: @maddieziegler. http://abcn.ws/1GxuhKD

"It" girl? Why do I have a feeling Abby is going to throw this in everyone's faces. Even if had nothing to do with Maddie booking jobs

[Absolom]

Did anyone else see ET last week where they had a bit on children in reality TV?  They talked about the lack of protections, the long hours, the retakes, making little kids work into the night or be awakened at 4 AM.  They also had a guy who said they'd dangle candy behind the camera trying to get kids to say the exact words the producer wanted and that they'd cue the kids to scream and do other things.  One of the people interviewed said a mouse or a spider would have more protections in filming than a child on reality TV and Brooke added except in California.

[Higgins]

I think they needed a lot more ballet training to be great dancers. None of them have the extension or control that they should.  They should have trained in ballet exclusively until age 11.

[NextIteration]

I think they needed a lot more ballet training to be great dancers. None of them have the extension or control that they should.  They should have trained in ballet exclusively until age 11.

 

NYCB Principal Tiler Peck might disagree with you.  The thing is, these girls aren't spending any extended time training in ballet, so you still have a point.

[WildFlower87]

'Dance Moms' Cast Accused Of Being Mean Girls [VIDEO]

 

There's a controversial video surrounding a recent Q-and-A session in Ireland, four of the Lifetime reality-television series’ stars -- Maddie Ziegler, Mackenzie Ziegler, Kendall Vertes and Kalani Hilliker making fun of and mocking newest teammate JoJo Siwa. However, their remarks about the 11-year-old performer are not getting the best reactions from some viewers.

 

You can read the full article here.

"http://www.ibtimes.com/dance-moms-cast-accused-being-mean-girls-after- speaking-out-about-jojo-siwa-tour-1837160"

 

Personally, I found the video immature and unprofessional yet, not surprising. The kids definitely learned this behaviour from their horrible mothers (Kira mocking Jojo's speech impediment a few weeks ago "I got this fuh fwee, I got this fuh fwee"). And they completely left out where Maddie jumped out of her chair jerking and flopping with her imitation of Jojo. How could they make it sound like she is a little hero and defending Jojo? Yes, she said we love her after making fun of her, maybe..after realizing how mean they were sounding.

[tessa]

Thanks for the link - I agree with you - totally uncalled for and it's not the first time they did it. Maddie did try to calm it down but only after she did her Jojo hyper energy impression which was also uncalled for. I love Mac and thought she was just a brat in this video. The show portrays her as the sweet, shy one and yet we see she is anything but. These girls have been doing these tours for 3-4 yrs now and should know what behavior is appropriate and which isn't. The video did not show any of them in a good light.

[KaveDweller]

And they completely left out where Maddie jumped out of her chair jerking and flopping with her imitation of Jojo. How could they make it sound like she is a little hero and defending Jojo? Yes, she said we love her after making fun of her, maybe..after realizing how mean they were sounding.

 

Maddie seems like the only one who was aware that they shouldn't be making comments like that.  But she still did that thing where she jumped out of the chair, so I think she must have thought it was all funny, just that it was a bad place to be saying those things. That being said, these girls are 11-12, right? Girls can be really nasty to each other at that age, even the nice ones.

 

Someone should tell Maddie not to sit with legs legs wide open like that.

[WildFlower87]

That being said, these girls are 11-12, right? Girls can be really nasty to each other at that age, even the nice ones.

Mackenzie is 10, Kendall and Maddie are 12, and Kalani is 14 

[Tasya]

Some people (adults) who have had nothing good to say about JoJo and have often mentioned how much of a brat she is are so outraged that KIDS who are working directly with her are annoyed by her. If any of them were my kid, would they get talked to? Yes, and sternly as well. However it's not as if they committed some heinous act. Maddie did her floppy impression of her energy but at least she didn't keep talking about her; at one point she even tried to take the mic from Mac.

Edited March 9, 2015 by OnceSane
deleted disparaging others' opinions

[NextIteration]

I agree, reactions to this are completely overblown, this is typical hyper teen/pre-teen behavior/talk, IMO. That said, I do think that perhaps Abby should have attempted to put a lid on it and certainly should not have furthered the pile on when neither JoJo nor her mother were there.

Edited March 9, 2015 by OnceSane
added "IMO"

[OnceSane]

Let's remember that everyone has a right to express their opinions whether or not you agree with them.

[RedFire2000]

My opinion the whole thing was pretty mercilois. The words were mean, the flopping was mean, the imitation of the lisp was mean. Yeah, they only corrected themselves after they saw the reaction they were getting but, this was too much. It doesn't matter if you throw in "haha, you know I love you" after an insult. 

 

I think they are all old enough to know better and should all be ashamed of themselves.

[leighroda]

I can see both sides, yes they are young and it is normal for girls to not always be nice... But it is also not normal for little girls to get a reality show where they have lots of other girls looking up to them, so there is a little extra responsibility that goes with that.