Dear Abby Lee Miller,
Your show, Dance Moms has been on for three years now. We’ve been watching your dancers grow up before our very eyes. It’s very clear to the rest of us how talented, kind and beautiful they are. Many of us wonder why you can’t see it for yourself. It seems you will never be happy until you have broken them, with the obvious exception of your favorite one. What kind of a teacher does that? How can you justify setting your own students up to fail…on national TV?! Doesn’t it kill you to see your own students suffering from panic and anxiety because of your actions?
Do you realize what a huge impact you’re having on those girls’ lives? Do you realize that they look up to you? Do you know how much they seek your approval (for whatever reason). And it comes across that you are abusing that privilege every chance you get. As a former dancer, I know that the things you are teaching them (about dance and life) are going to stay with them well into their adult lives. What a privilege! Are you using that influence for good?
Are you aware that the world is watching you? You’re giving competitive dance a bad reputation. You’re giving real life dance moms a bad name. There are people out there who think you embody our experience. I grew up dancing competitively, and now my daughter is starting her journey at my old studio. It can be an intense atmosphere sometimes. Our teachers don’t hide the fact that they have very high expectations for their dancers (and their dance moms.) But it is all done with love and respect. We know we are a part of a family when we walk through those doors. Our teachers push our kids to be the very best versions of themselves. They would never find joy in watching our kids fail. They genuinely love our kids. That’s why they’ve been in business for over 60 years.
I can only assume that the moms on your show are keeping their girls with you because of contractual obligations. And I can only assume you would have replaced them by now if it wasn’t for those contracts. (After all, you tell them several times each episode how “replaceable” they all are.) How would you feel if somebody had talked to you that way when you were growing up? You’ve got girls lining up to be a part of your team, and I can’t understand why anybody would want to step into such negativity. The need for fame obviously clouds some people’s judgement.
For now, I think it’s time to take your show off my DVR list. It’s not fun to watch kids be torn down and never built back up. It’s not fun to watch verbal arguments turning physical. It’s not fun to watch your team deteriorate before our eyes. It’s sad. It’s not an honest representation of what it’s really like in the dance world. I don’t want any part of supporting that. I wish your dancers well.
Sincerely,
Marie
