Future Dance Stars, or Abused Pawns?: The Girls

[spanana]

Yeah she can turn, she can kick, and she can roll around the floor contorting her body. Good routine if the kid was dancing at a dance recital. Not even close to being professional dancer quality. This is the real tragedy of "Dance Moms". Mediocre talents are celebrated.

 

Has Chloe ever really been pushed as professional dancer quality though?  Admittedly I stopped paying attention to Dance Moms once the Hylands and now Chloe hightailed it out of there, but it seems kind of obvious to me that Chloe isn't professional dancer quality.  But that's also largely because any real dance training these girls may have gotten pretty much ended when Dance Moms began.  Instead of being trained, they spent all their time filming and on buses to their weekly staged competitions.  The only way any of these girls would have gotten training is if they did what Melissa did, and pulled their children out of school so they could spend every waking hour at the dance studio.

 

At this point all I want for Chloe is for her to enjoy dance, which is something she seemingly hasn't in a long time.  Beyond that, who cares.

Edited January 16, 2015 by spanana

[RealityCowgirl]

At this point all I want for Chloe is for to enjoy dance, which is something she seemingly hasn't in a long time. Beyond that, who cares.

Me, too. And I'm pretty sure we would be the only ones in a room of you, me and Chloe's own mother. For all the jabbering she's done over the years, I've not gotten the strong sense that what Chloe really wants is anywhere on Christi's priority list. Actions and words frequently do not match with that one.

Chloe strikes me (as a total stranger watching a TV show [until this season], of course) as someone who would blossom to her best abilities in an environment where she is stretched, valued and supported. What her "best abilities" might be, well, who knows. And who cares, at least in the context of this fake competitive nonsense. She may or may not want a dance career (pretty sure she's talked about other paths when asked), and that's okay. I've never believed Chloe was all that vested in the fame thing. That's all on her mother. To the extent that she has lost any enjoyment of dance itself, Abby AND Christi are both at fault.

Chloe deserves the best support possible to reach whatever her dreams may be. So do all children. Some accomplish that in spite of their parents.

Edited January 16, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[torus351]

I think Maddie has the best chance of achieving continued success in her lifetime, but not necessarily as a dancer. I just wish the best for her.

[NextIteration]

@gimipizzauoldtroll - all I can say is that at least she is over her box.  chuckles.

 

The tummy and bum sticking out in either direction speaks for itself.

[BlackQueen]

While channel hopping today I came across Dance Moms. As I watched with horror as the grotesque Abby Miller destroyed those girls I started wondering if this show was scripted. I watched on...

 

I cannot fathom for the life of me why the dance mums would allow their girls to be verbally abused and on national TV. Then I thought do they get paid for allowing this barbaric treatment that will turn their girls into quivering wrecks? I thought, no, no amount of money can compensate for the damage being done to these girls. So that must mean it's scripted and Abby, the girls and their mothers must be really close friends once the cameras stop rolling. If not then why is Abby allowed to abuse these girls? Why do the mums allow their girls to be abused? Why would the TV company be complicit in the damage and destruction of the girls? Why does Abby inflict damage to get back at the mothers? I think the answer to that last question is that Abby is nothing short of a playground bully she and her ilk have no business being anywhere near children. The mums seem intelligent enough so what on earth motivates them to put their kids through this barrage of abuse?

 

Please, someone, tell me this programme is scripted and fake but if this programme is for real then the adults need to be reported to child protective services although researching the programme it appears it's been going on for a long time. I hope that the adults who permit this outrageous child abuse find a good psychiatrist because those girls are going to need some heavy duty counselling!

[Booger666]

Sine Chloe has left ALDC has she come up against them in any competitions with Her new studio?

[NextIteration]

 

Well I had to google Misty Copeland and Alvin Ailey

 

Well, that's surprising!  In my world these are household names, and they are famous based solely on dance.

 

I think that most kids that want to dance past the age of 18 do so because they absolutely have to to live and breath, if they gain any sort of fame it's the cherry on top.  What's troubling about Abby who has had success launching careers for some people in dance is that on the show, fame has become her sole focus.

 

If you know any young dancers, ask them why they dance, and what their future plans in dance are.  Unless they are true triple threats or extremely talented in ballet, they dance just to dance because it's their way to express themselves, they may want to do small company work or major in dance in college and see where it goes but it's not about fame, it's about personal accomplishment and satisfaction.  I don't see Abby nurturing this in the girls at all.

 

What I see now and this isn't how the show started, is exploiting these girls for fame at any cost, to extend this 15 minutes of reality fame into something more.  If it works out and the girls are individually happy and complete I don't have any complaints, I just feel like some real emotional harm has come to each and every one of them somewhere along the way and that's why I ask, at what cost?

[tessa]

Not sure if this is old news but just foud this on youtube. Chloe looks so mature! Miss her dearly~

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/chloe-lukasiak-finds-success-after-dance-moms-lands-starring-role-fool-me-once-music-1827848

Edited February 26, 2015 by tessa

[Tasya]

The problem I've always had with Chloe's dancing, that is showcased again here in this video is that it just seems so dance by the numbers. I just don't feel anything when she dances. I think Chloe is a fine dancer, but I don't think that at most studios she would be a featured dancer past the Mini division. When I see the videos from her new studio, even though they are deliberately showcasing Chloe, her dancing is still not anywhere near as captivating as several other dancers. Sadly, she bores me. 

[MadLove]

Not sure if this is old news but just foud this on youtube. Chloe looks so mature! Miss her dearly~

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/chloe-lukasiak-finds-success-after-dance-moms-lands-starring-role-fool-me-once-music-1827848

Thanks for sharing. Great to see Chloe, but the choreography for this is very boring. If I had my way Chloe would concentrate on Ballet and Pointe work. She has a Ballerina's body and I think she would do well in that.Of course it doesn't really matter what I think. Chloe must do what she wants to do.

[Loves2Dance]

The problem I've always had with Chloe's dancing, that is showcased again here in this video is that it just seems so dance by the numbers. I just don't feel anything when she dances. I think Chloe is a fine dancer, but I don't think that at most studios she would be a featured dancer past the Mini division. When I see the videos from her new studio, even though they are deliberately showcasing Chloe, her dancing is still not anywhere near as captivating as several other dancers. Sadly, she bores me. 

I feel the same way about Maddie. 

[tessa]

I only feel that way about Maddie because as with all of them - we see the same moves - routine after routine. That's why despite not really enjoying the Sia videos - it showcased that Maddie can do more than what Dance Moms shows. Maddie was really good and I didn't have to keep seeing the Maddie face but different expressions and moves.

[Darknight]

I think none of these kids are going to dance past dance moms. Once the show is over they are going to be another Eden Woods never heard from again.

Maddie needs better training. But since Melissa is her mother that will never happen. Melissa is on the stage mom train. And the only reason why Maddie is getting all these opportunities suddenly is because of Sia. Sia probably hooked her up with a talent agency, which is why Maddie is doing fashion week and interviews. Abby had nothing to do with anything.

[Loves2Dance]

I think none of these kids are going to dance past dance moms. Once the show is over they are going to be another Eden Woods never heard from again.

Maddie needs better training. But since Melissa is her mother that will never happen. Melissa is on the stage mom train. And the only reason why Maddie is getting all these opportunities suddenly is because of Sia. Sia probably hooked her up with a talent agency, which is why Maddie is doing fashion week and interviews. Abby had nothing to do with anything.

Eden had a movie come out last year and is doing more film this year. 

[cali1981]

Thanks for sharing. Great to see Chloe, but the choreography for this is very boring. If I had my way Chloe would concentrate on Ballet and Pointe work. She has a Ballerina's body and I think she would do well in that.Of course it doesn't really matter what I think. Chloe must do what she wants to do.

Maybe, maybe not but for once you got to see Chloe with a real choreographer who cared about her and wanted her to be as good as she could be.  He was completely supportive of the kid and was able to have his assistant demonstrate how he wanted certain movements done.  This fairly tale about Abby Lee Miller being a great choreographer is sheer nonsense and is proven time and time again when  you see true professional choreographers ply their trade.

[Lemons]

  This fairly tale about Abby Lee Miller being a great choreographer is sheer nonsense and is proven time and time again when  you see true professional choreographers ply their trade.

 

The same can be said for all dance competition studio owners.  Of course professional choreography will showcase dancers talent better than a dance studios.  Live music from talented artists also help. That video looked like great fun!

[Darknight]

Eden had a movie come out last year and is doing more film this year.

Ugh, another stage kid that has a stage mom.

[MadLove]

Maybe, maybe not but for once you got to see Chloe with a real choreographer who cared about her and wanted her to be as good as she could be.  He was completely supportive of the kid and was able to have his assistant demonstrate how he wanted certain movements done.  This fairly tale about Abby Lee Miller being a great choreographer is sheer nonsense and is proven time and time again when  you see true professional choreographers ply their trade.

Thank goodness George Balanchine didn't live long enough to see the monster that is Abby Lee Miller. She's a disgrace to the dance world.

[NextIteration]

The same can be said for all dance competition studio owners.  Of course professional choreography will showcase dancers talent better than a dance studios.

 

...except that most quality competition studios (and consequentially their owners) bring in widely acclaimed and recognizable choreographers and master teachers (real ones, not the latest SYTCD winners) to set some of their pieces for competition on their elite teams.

 

@Taysa

 

The problem I've always had with Chloe's dancing, that is showcased again here in this video is that it just seems so dance by the numbers. I just don't feel anything when she dances. I think Chloe is a fine dancer, but I don't think that at most studios she would be a featured dancer past the Mini division. When I see the videos from her new studio, even though they are deliberately showcasing Chloe, her dancing is still not anywhere near as captivating as several other dancers. Sadly, she bores me.

 

Firstly, I love this song so there is that.  The choreography here, for me, is what is dance by numbers - it's not compelling or fresh at all, it reminds me of Gianna/Abby choreo that way; the choreographer is known for Hip Hop and Street - not Lyrical/Contemporary. Chloe, much like Maddie suffers from lack of technique training (ballet) and it's caught up to her, and not for nothing, this Studio 19 is not the answer for her - though it does appear in her videos with the group she's in at the studio that she is dancing with Senior team.  Studio 19 seems to be over-focused on Chloe and unable to pay their bills, they've lost their website!

 

As far as expression whilst dancing and getting feeling from a dancer, I always got more from Chloe than the constipated Maddie faces and "dance by numbers" feeling that she (Maddie) brings for me and bores me, until Abby started to beat her (Chloe) down. Don't get me wrong, I hold Kristi every bit as responsible for this as Abby, especially for not getting Chloe the training that could have made her a real competitor on the national dance scene.  All that said, apparently Maddie is much more charismatic/compelling in person than she comes across on television.

 

I wish that Abby/Gianna would choreograph the groups more evenly across the dancers to see if Maddie "pops" w/o constantly being in the lead and relegating the rest of the girls to back up dancers.

 

When these girls are spending 60 hours a week in front of a camera to get 43 minutes of a reality show, there is no time for proper technique training.  In my experience, in order to have enough ballet and technique time to be in the top 50 at that national level, dancers must be spending at least 20 hours a week in the studio - a good 7-10 of them with a ballet master/mistress, with more in stretching, Pilates and leaps and turns on top of that.  Of course, lol, there are exceptions to this that mystify me and I won't call out the studios where I know this is the case - but a lot of those girls get their ballet outside of their competitive studio.

Edited February 28, 2015 by NextIteration

[Darknight]

I agree. Chloe isn't up to participate with kids her age. The show and her mother really set her back. She should just get away from everything for a while and try to play catch up. Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. Being in class vs learning choreography is very different.

[britt3292006]

Chloe's new duo that placed first this weekend. https://youtu.be/Up2IBMIfXwg

[sofiah]

Chloe's new duo that placed first this weekend. https://youtu.be/Up2IBMIfXwg

 

From what I can tell Madelyne Spang is really, really good and definitely one of Studio 19's "stars".  This duo is beautiful, thanks for posting. I love Shannon Mather. I hope this comes out in normal footage, just onstage, so we can see it without all the lighting/editing etc. Lovely to see Chloe competing successfully and enjoying dance with her new studio.  Such a difference from the Hylands who were basically done with dance (not that there is anything wrong with that if thats what they wanted!) as soon as they left the show. 

Edited March 18, 2015 by sofiah

[NextIteration]

Clearly, Blake (and Shannon) saw something in Chloe that Abby never managed to.

[tessa]

Dramatic piece and just beautiful! It's so refreshing to see Chloe in something so mature and more artistic than Abby gave her.

[sofiah]

Clearly, Blake (and Shannon) saw something in Chloe that Abby never managed to.

 

Yeah, I think Blake also probably has a history of disliking Abby.  Let's not forget he choreographed several dances for the Candy Apples that ended up (probably unfairly) loosing.  

[NextIteration]

It's worth searching out the AfterBuzz with Blake - he quit the whole thing due to the needless drama and possible harm to the kids.

[tessa]

I really love Nia's song and singing. She has much more potential than Brooke or MacKenzie has. Can't wait to see the video!

[RedFire2000]

Maddie's episode of Austin & Ally aired last night and her acting was extremely flat and one note. Her line delivery lacks emotion.

 

She however, did an excellent job with the dancing duet with Ross Lynch in the last 5 minutes of the episode. She really shined.

 

She needs to stick to dancing.

Edited March 30, 2015 by MoonWalker

[Tasya]

Differing perspectives and all that, but I thought Maddie did ok on Austin and Ally. I unfortunately watch a lot of Disney/Nickelodeon shows and I think Maddie fell right in the middle of the acting that is showcased on them. She wasn't close to the best but also not the worse I've seen. The thing is, I watched the show with a 10 year old girl who was going nuts the entire time. I'll be curious to see what the ratings were for the episode. If there is a noticeable bump over normal episodes, I could predict seeing Maddie on Disney again soon. They'll give her a few acting classes and she'll do just fine. 

[Loves2Dance]

Chloe's new music video

[Darknight]

I have a feeling Maddie and Chloe are going to be compared for the rest of their lives. Who has the bigger house? Whose more successful? Who has more money?

[Loves2Dance]

I have a feeling Maddie and Chloe are going to be compared for the rest of their lives. Who has the bigger house? Whose more successful? Who has more money?

 

Yup---they'll likely be like a Britney/Christina rivarlry---and if they each every actually go big...oh dear Lord.

[tessa]

Well - I didn't like the song but at least I understood this video and I thought Chloe did well. Alot of expressions I never saw her have before. But - has she been gone a year yet. I thought according to the Lifetime contract that they couldn't do any type  material like this or the other dance video for at least a year?

[sofiah]

I'll admit to being confused by Chloe's "PR" post show.

 

I thought we'd get to see her dancing - through footage of her dancing at her studio, maybe on stage at comps, etc.  but not these weirdly produced and glossy "music videos".  

 

She must have a publicist, right? I wonder what they're going for.  Not criticizing her - I know she has a following - I just think its all a bit weird. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by sofiah

[Loves2Dance]

Chloe's weekly thing has been a mixture of stuff at her studio, extra stuff, and Q&A type things...I think she posts what people want to see.

 

I know the Jess video was done because she was asked to do it; not clue about this one, but I surprisingly liked it. It helps that I actually like this song, but I don't tend to like pop art and found this one entertaining. 

 

It seems like Chloe is branching out wherever she wants to go and isn't stifled under the ALDC anymore. Also, the same director did both videos so maybe after doing the first he thought she'd be a good fit for this one?

 

As for the one year thing---I don't think Chloe could have legally signed to that stipulation. The contract may say Christi can't do another show, but I doubt it covers Chloe. Unless you mean the ALDC contract, in which case, Christi hasn't signed that since Season 2 ended...I know she wasn't under a contract for the ALDC at all Season 4; not totally sure about Season 3. 

Maddie's latest video

 

 

I'm not trying to sound completely anti-Maddie but I found it to be boring and I didn't sit through the whole thing. 

[Absolom]

The first TV contracts people sign are multi-year.  Once those expire, then one to two year options are more normal.  Christi and Chloe were committed for several seasons up front.  Of course, lawyers can negotiate people out of contracts.

[spanana]

There's nothing wrong with the new Maddie Sia video.  But as it's basically three minutes of Maddie making faces, I did turn it off part way through.  I do hope somebody has prepared Maddie for the fact that there is going to come a time when she is no longer the face of Sia and all of this is going to end.  I'm not saying people should be all doom or gloom to the poor girl, but this is going to end soon enough.  Sia will move on to a new artistic phase that doesn't include Maddie being her stand-in.  I'm not sure how many more videos Sia can make with Maddie before the audience has had enough.

 

On the Chloe stuff, what I have seen are mostly dance videos, both from her studio and otherwise.  I assume Chloe is just working with other dancers that show interest in working with her.  A lot of LA based dancers make these sort of glossy videos as side projects and just to get their work out there.  I admit the dancers I'm familiar with that do this sort of thing are more the hip hop type dancers, but I recognized several faces/names from that last Chloe video, again more from the hip/hop world.   Plus I'd imagine there are some up and coming dancers/choreographers that would love to choreograph for Chloe knowing she has a following because what they really want more than anything is to get their work out there and seen by the masses.  More people are going to watch a video with Chloe in it than random dancers nobody has heard of before.

[sofiah]

On the Chloe stuff, what I have seen are mostly dance videos, both from her studio and otherwise.  I assume Chloe is just working with other dancers that show interest in working with her.  A lot of LA based dancers make these sort of glossy videos as side projects and just to get their work out there.  I admit the dancers I'm familiar with that do this sort of thing are more the hip hop type dancers, but I recognized several faces/names from that last Chloe video, again more from the hip/hop world.   

 

Yeah, I know they are dance videos - I just find it weird that most of them are so edited (not all, but most) even when its just her doing a combo or something.  It makes me feel like I don't actually get to see what her solos "really" look like because there are always so many cuts and some weird pink backlighting for effect. 

I've seen a lot of LA based choreographers make the glossy videos of their classes, but not so much individual dancers. Larsen Thompson, Kaycee Rice,  even Zack Venegas himself (who I guess choreographed this)- you can see them in glossy Brian Friedman or Willdabeast videos, but if you go to their youtube channels it is mostly unedited raw footage of them in class, at conventions, etc. 

Anyway, I guess I am in the minority in what I'd like to see... and Chloe is more of a "star" then those other dancers since she was on tv for a long time.  I like seeing what she's up to, I just wish I could see more straight up dancing as well :)

 

ETA: I've been a big fan of Maddie and the Sia videos so far, but I have to admit I don't love this latest one either... I found it a bit boring. 

Edited April 2, 2015 by sofiah

[RedFire2000]

Wow... I'm over this concept now. I'm hoping the rumors about this particular concept being just three videos is true. That was such a dumb video imo. I wasn't too crazy about the other two, but this one was the worst.

 

This just cements it that Maddie will be 'that girl from the Sia videos.

[leighroda]

I liked chandelier (although I just like the song so it may not be so much Maddie and the video I like). I like the song Elastic Heart, but not so much the video, not because I felt like it was wildly inappropriate, but more because it was essentially the same as chandelier with a slightly different theme. But this video, I couldn't even watch the whole thing, not because anything is "wrong" with it... But it's boring. It looks like most on here have the same opinion. I feel like they have beat a dead horse with this concept.

[Absolom]

I think the latest one is even worse.  I lasted less than 15 seconds and had zero interest in seeing more.  I found no entertainment value for me. 

[Loves2Dance]

The latest video is boring and repetitive,

[NextIteration]

The recent was a relief actually - no drama!

 

Boring though - just a repeat of the Chandelier facials.

[Darknight]

The first TV contracts people sign are multi-year. Once those expire, then one to two year options are more normal. Christi and Chloe were committed for several seasons up front. Of course, lawyers can negotiate people out of contracts.

But I read that after season 1 they all signed new contracts for season 2.

Melissa and Maddie look desperate

[Absolom]

That isn't how it works.  People post erroneous info on the internet every day.  TV contracts are usually for four to eight seasons or years in case the show is a success.  Six years is the most common number.  They have a contract initially for one year with normally five option years.  What people are talking about "signing" for season two was probably the network exercising the option for season two.  It's mostly a one sided business unless the person a true star.

[CoolMom]

That video was just....strange.  One day if Maddie is lucky (or not lucky) people are going to hear her name and say, "Was that the little girl in those really weird Sia videos"? 

[Absolom]

Some people already are.  We went to a dinner party after the second video came out and someone brought it up and that's basically how one of the moms referred to Maddie.  

[Darknight]

That isn't how it works. People post erroneous info on the internet every day. TV contracts are usually for four to eight seasons or years in case the show is a success. Six years is the most common number. They have a contract initially for one year with normally five option years. What people are talking about "signing" for season two was probably the network exercising the option for season two. It's mostly a one sided business unless the person a true star.

I read it from the moms themselves. But thanks for the info.

[Absolom]

If the contracts were only one year at a time the moms wouldn't have been hiring lawyers to get them out of them.  They'd have expired within a few months.  Further we've never ever heard the moms lie or say what the network told them to say either, have we?  

Edited April 4, 2015 by Absolom

[Absolom]

In regular TV seasons and years are synonymous.  Reality TV it can get messy.  They could theoretically go either way, but even so there is a calendar date for when each contract period ends.  So if it's years, it's easy.  If it's seasons then they have to set a date with each option.  Also when the initial contract is signed, the number of episodes and such is left open even in regular prime time.  You've seen the networks order 2 to 4 extra episodes from some shows.  The price for extra episodes is included in the original contract.  It's a fairly established structure.  Where reality TV messes with the system is sometimes having two seasons in a year.  They can exercise the options early if it's in the contract. 

Edited April 4, 2015 by Absolom