Dance Moms: A new Era
Dance Moms: A New Era aired on August 7th 2024 and was met with mostly good reviews. Despite this, I have some thoughts. The new Abby Lee is Gloria Hampton, known as Glo. We’ve seen Glo before, she was a recurring character on the OG Dance Moms as both a competitor and potential team member of the ALDC. Her daughter, Kaeli, was liked by Abby Lee because of her dance talent. Glo’s elite competition team does not include her daughter but does showcase a new group of 8-12 year old girls. From the getgo it is clear that Glo is competing with Abby Lee’s record of success, while trying to stray away from her abusive teaching style.Â
og Dance Moms was a product of it’s time
The early 2010’s was a prime time for reality television. Shows like Jersey Shore and the Real Housewives were at their peaks. Toddlers and Tiaras first aired in 2009 and created space and demand for child-centered reality television. Dance Moms aired in July 2011 and was originally meant to serve as a docuseries about the crazy world of competition dance. The show was received so well that the docuseries turned into a full on reality show, with the young dancers and their moms as stars. The world of reality TV was new and exciting for everyone as it was the first time anyone was able to see into the lives of others. Hindsight is 2020, and in the year 2025 I think it’s safe to say that shows like Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras are forms of child exploitation. Filming children in both compromising positions and in moments of trauma for entertainment of the masses is definitely not acceptable according to today’s standards. So, the new Dance Moms just seems unnecessary and in bad taste. Also, something about the low quality production of the early seasons of OG Dance Moms is comforting. The new Dance Moms lacks that same charm.Â
it Feels Forced
Since the shows ending the cast has come out on social media saying that a lot of the drama on the show was forced or set up by producers. This came as a shock to fans, as the fights between moms and moms and Abby seemed natural. The conflicts in the new Dance Moms however are extremely obviously forced and awkward to witness. Another thing to note about the OG Dance Moms was that life in the ALDC did not stop for the show. Abby’s dance studio was still fully functioning and had students and parents in and out all day long regardless of if they were filming or not. The new Dance Moms differs, Glo’s dance studio seems empty besides the girls featured – which takes away authenticity.
Can we stop focusing on kids?
When I first saw the title, Dance Moms: A New Era, I assumed that a lot of things would be different. Seeing as the show aired recently in 2024 I assumed it would focus less on pitting children against each other or private emotional moments. I assumed wrong. Only minutes into the first episode we see tears from one of the girls. The ages of 8-12 are an extremely pivotal time in a young girl’s life and is typically the time of onset of puberty. These girls should not be subjected to situations that create emotional moments, but better yet it should definitely not be filmed and then put on streaming services for anyone to watch. It was weird when the OG Dance Moms did it, and it’s weird now.
As of 2025, almost all of the girls featured on the OG Dance Moms have spoken out in one way or another about how the show negatively impacted their mental health. Yes, the show did open a universe of opportunities for those girls and elevated their careers. However, the show is to be blamed for enabling the behavior of Abby Lee. There’s not a reason for another Dance Moms revival other than a cash grab.Â