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Abby Lee Miller: Hack Choreographer, or Evil Incarnate?

Rhondinella

By Rhondinella
in Dance Moms

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Amy

Amy

Abby is the worst.   I actually stopped watching this season after the fight with Kelly because I just can't take it anymore.  She's terrible to the girls and I don't understand why the moms let the girls be treated that way.  

Much of Abby's drama has to be fake, right?   She's not actually as awful as she is portrayed?    But what is she getting out of being portrayed as an awful person and a terrible dance teacher?    It can't be good for her dance studio, can it?  I mean, when the show is over, who is going to go to that studio to be treated horribly? 

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Rhondinella

Rhondinella

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Oh, I think you underestimate the number of people who are so desperate for fame and/or winning things that they will undergo as much humiliation as necessary.  Without them, entertainment wouldn't exist.  So I don't think Abby's studio is in danger.

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Absolom

Absolom

I know someone who knows Abby IRL and yes she's as bad or worse than on the show.  She's arrogant, egotistical, and this fellow dance teacher and choreographer says she's impossible to work with.

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Wilson Cat

Wilson Cat

To me the worst thing about Dance Moms is the blatant bullying by Abby.  And it is the textbook definition of bullying.  She finds the weakest spot in any girl (will leave the adults, the moms, out of this particular rant) and goes right for that soft spot.  I don't care if it is 'just scripted' or not.   The effect is an hour long tribute to bullying and the rewards this egregious bully reaps from her behavior.  9 wins in a row.  10 wins in a row.  11, 12.  Nobody calls it what it is, but it is nothing deeper than a bully and her victims.   As entertainment.  And as for scripted.....nobody can script the kind of hiccuping sobbing that Payton was doing in that recent episode.   She couldn't even complete a sentence she was crying so hard.  I won't even get into my second big issue with Abby.....the favoritism of one child (Maddie) over the others (in particular, Chloe.)  I actually don't have a problem with the 'f-bomb' stuff.  To me, it comes off as an expression of unbearable exasperation, but isn't actually directed at someone the way the meaner, personal attacks are aimed right at the heart.  In fact there are times when almost no other word will quite fit the moment.....but that could be me, and the fact that my dad used every obscene word he knew in French (his native language) on a regular basis.  He had a bit of a temper.  (But he wasn't a bully.)

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wanderwoman

wanderwoman

Here's the thing- Abby is not that good of a choreographer. According to multiple sources, she utilizes at least six other teachers and routinely recycles moves and combinations.  There's always some of that in routines, but abby doesn't really teach a new dance every week... she just sets the same old combinations to different music.  If I were a paying parent, I would be angry that my child wasn't learning new skills and better technique.  Abby is a large personality.  She doesn't dance.  She really never was a great dancer and from the story that she told in season 1, I imagine that she developed a serious complex because her mom was spending more time teaching dancers with talent and the right body type instead of Abby.  So, what does that girl do when she grows up?  She becomes a bully.  She tries to sabotage relationships between moms and daughters.  Imho.

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Rhondinella

Rhondinella

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Oh, well clearly she uses many of the same dance steps over and over and over again.  I know almost nothing about dance and I can tell that.  That move where the girl lays on her back on the floor and then bends up at the torso while arching her back?  Every. Single. Dance.  And for a long stretch there it seemed all her dances both began and ended with the girl on the floor.  Not a lot of originality.  Plus, boy does she like to see Maddie spin.  I mean, she's good at it, and it's a big crowd pleaser, I get that.  But still.

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Rhondinella

Rhondinella

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I moved the posts about this week's reunion episode to the newly created episode thread.  Sorry I didn't get it created in time.  In future, feel free to create an episode thread if one doesn't exist.  Thanks.

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Chairperson Meow

Chairperson Meow

I would be shocked to learn she ever danced. At first, I wasn't opposed to Abby since kids today seem to be handed awards. Then I noticed she does that as well to Maddie. I don't hate Maddie, rather I feel that girl will need tons of therapy. I wish the bio dad would sue and get custody. I'd watch that trial on htv with popcorn.

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RealityCowgirl

RealityCowgirl

(edited)

I suspect that there's more than a lot of truth to the scenario that Wanderwoman laid out above. Totally can see that playing out and leading to the beast we see today.

Here's the thing:

Many of us were the chubby, clunky girls. Probably even more of us had challenging relationships with our mothers. Some of us were bullied. A few of us might have been the bully.

But in general, most of us grew the hell up and became reasonably functioning, even successful, adults. We don't wallow decades after the fact. We don't relive old slights and hurts and take them out on innocent people - especially children. We picked ourselves up, found our ways of functioning, and moved on.

This creature did not. And children are the collateral damage. Their parents allow it, clearly. But she's the furthest thing from a stable adult I've seen in a very, very long time. A big part of that was, and continues to be, within her control. What we see is largely her choice. She can't even claim to be unaware. It's there on (multiples seasons of) tape.

Edited by RealityCowgirl
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Absolom

Absolom

I know people who have tried to work with Abby in Los Angeles. They all despise her. Several have refused to work with her again. I agree she has never grown up and she carries the perceived injustices of her childhood around with her still and takes them out on children who had nothing to do with it. She's a sad, lost human who hasn't a clue. I think she show has only fed her ego and her belief that she is always right in what she does. That basically to me makes them responsible for her further decline in mental health.

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darbar

darbar

I have a question. Abby, with her size and inability to move (when she walked out on stage for the Wendy Williams show last week, she had an obvious hard time just walking) how can she possibly teach dance moves?

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Absolom

Absolom

She uses Gianna.  Gianna (might not be spelled right) choreographs and teaches a lot if not most of the dances.  Also the girls know the names of the steps so Abby shouts them out and they perform them.  They would only need demonstration learning new moves or steps. 

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Rhondinella

Rhondinella

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Yeah, she has a number of teachers under her that do the hard work of actually teaching the dances, correcting positions, stuff like that.  Abby seems to "choreograph" (read: rearrange the same 10 dance moves into different sequences) and come in to watch rehearsal and yell at people.  That seems to be about it.

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dmmetler

dmmetler

Abby's book was available for digital check out from my local library, so I checked it out for a trip yesterday. All I can say is that she has a good ghostwriter, because the book actually makes sense as far as training the small percentage of kids who actually want a professional dance career and have the natural abilities to make it a possibility. Too bad what she's done on her shows is so different from what her book is proposing.

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Taylorh2

Taylorh2

(edited)

I just read  on another board that she is engaged to be married.

 

Someone wants to marry her ?!

 

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!   , I just saw a picture of him and he is SMOKING HOT!!!!!! 

 

So all I have to say is WTHever.

Edited by Taylorh2
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momofsquid

momofsquid

I'm coming late to this train wreck. I realize I've arrived as the last embers are fizzling out, but I needed a crazy mom fix after losing Toddlers & Tiaras and Cheer Perfection. Can somebody please explain Abby's pyramid stunt? Is it simply a way to announce her favorites at that moment and smack down anyone who has displeased her, or does it have some logic and/or practical purpose? After my first episode I thought it actually had some meaning, but having watched a couple more I now think it's just middle school mean girl nonsense.

 

As for how she could stay in business, I'll bet she's overrun with crazy moms who are desperate to get their kids into the studio that's on the teevee. It always amazes me how many people will subject themselves to all kinds of crap to have contact with someone they see as a celebrity, even if it's just some loser on a reality show.

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Darknight

Darknight

I'm coming late to this train wreck. I realize I've arrived as the last embers are fizzling out, but I needed a crazy mom fix after losing Toddlers & Tiaras and Cheer Perfection. Can somebody please explain Abby's pyramid stunt? Is it simply a way to announce her favorites at that moment and smack down anyone who has displeased her, or does it have some logic and/or practical purpose? After my first episode I thought it actually had some meaning, but having watched a couple more I now think it's just middle school mean girl nonsense.

As for how she could stay in business, I'll bet she's overrun with crazy moms who are desperate to get their kids into the studio that's on the teevee. It always amazes me how many people will subject themselves to all kinds of crap to have contact with someone they see as a celebrity, even if it's just some loser on a reality show.

The pyramid is for show and drama. It's use to see who dances what week after week, but it's a total waste of time

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Rhondinella

Rhondinella

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According to the ALDC website, there are some past students who are now or have been on broadway, or working professionally in some way.  None are exactly household names, though.  Although one guy apparently guested on Glee and is also in the movie Rock of Ages.  So that's not nothing.  (See link above for more details.)  Although, for every one on the list with such a resume, there are also several who are working on cruise ships, at Disney theme parks, or in commercials.

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