Anyone watching the new season of Dance Moms?

[agalisgv]

I'd love to see a show called Ice Moms. I heard a rumor they were auditioning for that a while back. Is that ever going to happen?

Apparently so (posted in GSD):

The network and Dance Moms producer Collins Avenue are developing Ice Moms, a new docuseries about the world of competitive figure skating. It will center on the Dearborn, Mich.-based figure skating coaching duo of Laurie Vigilante and Adam Schmidt, who dutifully rule the rink and train their students who aspire to become champion skaters. “We’ve conquered the world of competitive dance with our hit Dance Moms and have great plans to expand the franchise to Miami,” said Lifetime’s EVP Rob Sharenow. “Now, we’re bringing the format to the intensely competitive world of figure skating and revealing the explosive dynamic between the kids, parents and coaches who all want to be the best.”

http://m.deadline.com/2012/01/lifeti...igure-skating/

[skatemommy]

^ me thinks the DSC, Canton, Artic stories would be for more interesting and less scripted...

[danceronice]

^ me thinks the DSC, Canton, Artic stories would be for more interesting and less scripted...

Possibly they have no interest in blowing training time on being on a reality show?

[FiveRinger]

I just caught up on watching my secret pleasure.....

These moms are atrocious....I didn't think it got worse than Christi and Kelly, but Jill and Leslie are too much to be believed. It's absolutely ridiculous for Peyton to even be dancing with these little girls, why her mother wants her with them so badly I don't understand.

One other question....if Kendall is replacing Vivi and they got Peyton to replace Brooke, why are they all fighting? Seems like there's enough room for everybody, unless Brooke decides she wants to come back, which is what looks like is the case from next week's previews. I can't wait to see how all of this shakes out!

[shan]

at the new moms. I guess Lifetime was trying to ramp up the

I'm irrationally irked by the way some of them pronounce the "t" in Peyton...

[Cachoo]

at the new moms. I guess Lifetime was trying to ramp up the

I'm irrationally irked by the way some of them pronounce the "t" in Peyton...

Anyone see it tonight? Is Abby that cruel?

[Karina1974]

Anyone see it tonight? Is Abby that cruel?

I don't think she should have just let Brooke come back, let alone stick her on the top of the pyramid when she hadn't earned it. Brooke showed an extreme lack of discipline in just dropping out the way she did. Doesn't matter how many years she's been on that competition team, and if that had been a professional gig, she would have been unemployed and most likely black-balled from other jobs. You want to "find yourself" you do it on your own time, not on that of your instructor and teammates.

And I agree with Abby that Peyton was 'way out of line in saying what she said in the dressing room last episode, but I don't blame her mother for being majorly pissed at her daughter being removed from the team for someone who didn't even have the decency to show up, or to tell Abby to her face that she wanted to take a break.

[Cachoo]

I thought the way the Peyton/Brooke pyramid was presented was cruel. These girls are still children. I don't think Abby understands that or doesn't care.

[ArtisticFan]

And I agree with Abby that Peyton was 'way out of line in saying what she said in the dressing room last episode, but I don't blame her mother for being majorly pissed at her daughter being removed from the team for someone who didn't even have the decency to show up, or to tell Abby to her face that she wanted to take a break.

Except that the mom and daughter didn't seem to realize Abby had never promised them a spot on the team. She was asked to come in for one dance...something her mother had screamingly requested. While I feel bad for Peyton, her mom could not have realistically expected that Abby would invite them to stay or put her at the top of that idiotic pyramid.

Putting Brooke at the top was purely for the dramatic reveal. However, it might have been more dramatic had she done it like she revealed Peyton last week...skipping over one of the lower run photos and keeping Chloe or Maddie at the top.

[danceronice]

I didn't think Abby was particularly cruel (and Brooke at least was willing, sans drama, to go in, say 'my bad, I apologize, may I come back', which demonstrates she's three thousand times more mature than ANY of the moms), and I think Peyton's mother was clearly delusional. And by delusional I mean shrill harpy. I'm sure that's what the producers were aiming for when she was brought back after her toddler-worth tantrum in the auditions. Maybe she can take Peyton to Candy Apples and they can have an Evil Alliance against Abby Lee.

[FiveRinger]

Peyton was never promised a spot in the group.....she and her mother had been told repeatedly that she was on probation. But, I don't think that Abby should have made the announcement in from of the group during the "big reveal." This could have been done in private....and I have to agree that Peyton is too big to be competing with these little girls. Brooke is almost too big, and she's a lot smaller than Peyton.

Hats off to Brooke for putting on the big girl panties and going to Abby and asking for her spot back.

Jill is just bat-sh*t crazy and definitely needs to come back to reality. Solos? Really? I'm not sure that she's to the level of any of the girls in the group. That remains to be seen, as far as I'm concerned. And watching Abby rip her a new one even after all of the gifts and that ridiculous massage was hilarious. She needs to go....she's the reason for the dissention.

I, personally am glad that Maddie isn't at the top of the pyramid anymore, if for no other reason than her and Melissa get on my nerves. Mackenzie was too cute, however. I'm glad that she's finally getting to do something other than pose.

Am I the only one wondering why Holly keeps Nia there? She's got more class than any of these folks. Although Holly should have slapped the hell out of Jill for calling her an absentee mother? I don't know too many women who don't have anything to do besides watching kids from dance class. Holly has two sons, a husband and career, and just completed a doctorate. That is a lot to be proud of. I'm glad she's teaching her daughter that there is more to life than these pissy dance classes.

[Nan]

Am I the only one wondering why Holly keeps Nia there? She's got more class than any of these folks.

I was really pleased when she pulled Nia out of the "bully" role for the group dance and stuck by her decision, too.

[hirshey girl]

I was really pleased when she pulled Nia out of the "bully" role for the group dance and stuck by her decision, too.

I especially liked the fact that even after Abby tried to provoke her (saying to Nia several times, "your mom kept you from a starring role"), Holly kept her cool and didn't react. She tends to be the calmest mom there.

[Garden Kitty]

Tweet today from Nicole Bobek:

Lol! Dance moms are going to be at my circus school today!

[julieann]

Did Brooke ever say why she didn't like cheer?

[FiveRinger]

Did Brooke ever say why she didn't like cheer?

No, she didn't. But I'd like to know why she left.

[Karina1974]

No, she didn't. But I'd like to know why she left.

I'm surprised she even got picked for the team. During the try-outs the judges keep repeating that they can't hear her. My guess is that she made it more for her acro ability than for her personality, because she doesn't come across as having the boisterous, outward-projected personality of the cheerleaders I knew in high school. One word that comes to mind when I watch her solos (LOVE her acro!) is "ethereal" - definitely NOT a word that applies to cheerleading!

[ArtisticFan]

Some seem to think that the cheerleading tryouts were a staged event to give Brooke and out or a storyline. The argument being that schools rarely have cheerleading tryouts in the middle of the school year.

That being said, I think the whole Peyton being ousted was a bit fishy. Peyton and her mother would have to be pretty stupid to think that Abby would have placed her at the top of the pyramid. Teenager/child or not, Peyton should be able to understand that she was at the bottom of the list prior to the competition and unlikely to rise to the top after placing the kick me sign wrong (per Abby) and responding to Abby the way that she did.

However that is not what gets me the most about that particular scene. Kelly was standing there looking as shocked as the rest of them that Peyton was being ousted. But didn't she know her own daughter was waiting just outside the door to come in and surprise the group. Didn't she drive her there?

I don't have children, but I think that if I did I would maybe question my daughter on why she was going to a dance class that she had just quit. Not to mention, Kelly probably had to pay some of the tuition if she really had quit and returned.

Spoiler

I also noticed that the description said that Peyton's mom takes her to Candy Apples. I guess that is supposed to be next week?

[kwanatic]

Apparently so (posted in GSD):

http://m.deadline.com/2012/01/lifeti...igure-skating/

OMG! I'd LOVE it if they did this show and I really hope it takes form. Along with the Kardashians, Dance Moms is one of my guilty pleasures.

I agree, Peyton's mom was insane but Jill is seriously delusional. That's Kendall's mom, right? Kissing Abbey's ass will only get you so far and apparently, no one explained that to her. I can't believe she spent the entire episode whining about how Kendall didn't have any featured parts. Get over it and get over yourself. Kendall wasn't complaining. But that's the funny thing about this show: 90% of the time it's the moms complaining, not the dancers. These 9, 10 and 11 year old girls make their 30 and 40-something moms look like the children. Jill is going to get her face cracked more than once on this show...I can sense it.

I was happy for little Mackenzie. It was nice to see Abbey being nice for a change too. She rarely pulls out the gentle words but when she does, they're usually for Maddie or Mackenzie. I do notice whenever Chloe dances Abbey rarely gives her a 100% positive review. I don't have an eye for catching mistakes so maybe her criticisms are justified; but you rarely hear her criticize Maddie's performances...maybe Maddie really is that good. I like Maddie though. She knows she's good, she knows she's the favorite, but there's a certain humbleness about her that I find appealing. She could be a nightmarish diva given her status at that studio but, from what I get from her, she doesn't let her success go to her head. She expresses her desire to be number one but she also seems content to step aside and let others shine. Maybe that's all for the cameras but from what I see, she's a sweet, humble, and very talented girl. Those are admirable qualities in someone so young in such a competitive field.

Good to see Brooke back. Sorry but I don't understand why Peyton (who looked like she was 17 years old dancing with a bunch of little girls) would want to be on that team. Other than the fact that the competitive dance team is the team featured on the show...that's the only reason I can think of. She stuck out waaay too much. Brooke is bigger than the other girls but not by much so she blended in well. I'm glad she's back; I didn't think the cheerleading thing was going to work out anyway. Her acro routines are gorgeous...insane flexibility.

Next week is going to be crazy. More drama plus it looks like Maddie's going to get hurt!

[Smiley0884]

Some seem to think that the cheerleading tryouts were a staged event to give Brooke and out or a storyline. The argument being that schools rarely have cheerleading tryouts in the middle of the school year.

Actually, most schools do have mid season tryouts, since cheerleading spans through two seasons, football and basketball (and sometimes three seasons if the cheerleading squad is competitive, so they attend competitions during the spring season). Most schools have tryouts after each "season" fall, winter, and spring if that season applies. Some cheerleaders only cheer for one season if they also play another sport like swimming, basketball, softball, or soccer. They also have to keep up a certain GPA, so they also need to fill spots in lieu of anyone who flunks off or gets injured. Every school is different but many schools have their "main" tryout late summer/early fall and then have another smaller tryout right before the winter season starts.

Of course given how many situations on this show seem to be staged, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of producer manipulation witht he cheer tryouts. The whole thing with Brooke seemed so staged. I thought her tryout was mediocre, and she looked like a deer in headlights. Of course she probably has much better acro ability than most of the girls there. It just didn't make sense that she "quit" for a couple of weeks, and of course she quit in the most dramatik fashion possible. A lot of girls do tryout for cheerleading thinking it's an easy way to get the football players to notice them, and to meet friends, ect. It's possible Brooke really wanted to do it for social reasons, then realized she was too introverted, and didn't enjoy the hyper peppy aspect.

Brooke is coming off as very flaky. She bailed on her dance team a few days before a competition, and didn't even have the decency to tell Abby to her face. The after two weeks, quits cheerleading and wants to come back to dance? If I were her mom I would have told her she has to finish the season with cheerleading. Not only did she take the spot of someone who may have appreciated the opportunity to cheer more than Brooke, but once again she lets down another set of teammates. Sometimes you just need to suck it up and follow through with commitments. It doesn't even seem like she gave cheerleading much of a shot anyway.

I realize she's only 13, so of course she's going to be fickle, but this is when her mom needs to step in and actually offer some parental guidance. I do give Brooke credit for going to Abby on her own to ask for her spot back, but that was probably staged too.