Melissa Ziegler | Channel Guide Magazine

“Dance Moms” recap: Bra Ma Bull

March 7, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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I actually lost sleep last night thinking up titles for this episode’s blog, for there was so much from which to choose — not the least of which of was Cathy proclaiming her husband “The Sausage King of Canton.” “My Beef With Jerkies” was a close runner-up. But for all the hoopla with “Chloe In The Dried-Meat Cat Suit” — easily Cathy’s biggest vengeance victory yet — it was pretty hard to ignore the “I See London, I See France-tastic”-ness of those “Topless Showgirl” outfits Abby dreamed up for the group dance. Which — if you’ve been watching Dance Moms [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: Faux Weddings and a Funeral

February 29, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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Does this mean we can be done with shows about Jill now? That Kendall can dance, happily, supported, victorious and unhindered by her mother’s ego? That Nia can dance happily and supported, victorious and unpunished for her mother’s work-life balance? That this show can actually become an eensy-peensy bit about dance again instead of the low blows of high-heeled moms? I’m guessing no on all accounts, but a girl can dream. Because I want my old Dance Moms back. The ones who ultimately played yakky but reasonably harmless second fiddles to their joyfully dancing daughters. I want to believe that at least [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: She Cried With Her Boots On

February 15, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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We learned something right out of the gate, didn’t we, Dance Moms Nation?! We learned that the floors in Abby Lee’s studios cost a whopping $68,000. Thus, like the dancers upon them, they are precious and heels are not allowed. Naturally, Jill shows up in gray suede boots with not-allowed heels. It’s OK, she tells Abby Lee because she’s standing on her toes. Rules dribble off Jill like water off a duck, but Abby lets it slide for now, ‘cause she’s got stuff on her mind. Namely this week’s competition, which is Dance Explosion in Secaucus, NJ. It will be riddled [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: Privates ’n’ Benjamins

February 8, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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We begin with this episode with a field trip, Dance Mom Nation! Because Brooke has invited Abby out for tea and creme puffs at a place that looks like a dollhouse and is called “Flowers In The Attic.” I’m going to take a momentary pause here for those of you in my age demographic to skeeve out over the part where someone in Pittsburgh felt compelled to name their posey-shop-slash-café after the 1979 V.C. Andrews novel that made catastrophic familial dysfunction a middle-school must-read and caused us all to be just slightly nervous about our mothers and grandmas for a [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: Bully for you! And you! And you!

February 1, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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Forgive me, Dance Moms nation, but I must begin this one with a big bucket of editorializing. I just must. Is it just me, or has this season begun to give off wafts — OK, big ol’ smoggy clouds — of having been stripped of the one thing that made all of the adult theatrics palatable (or at least survivable)? That is, the dignity of the little girls who — no matter what behavior in which their parents or the truly insufferable Abby Lee indulge — go out there and dance with preternatural grace and maturity, and treat one another with [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: Brooke turns away

January 25, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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Considering how well the gang did against the Candy Apples on the Apples’ home turf last week, you’d think everybody would be in a better mood ’round the ol’ Abby Lee Dance Studio. Not so. After Abby Lee demands the girls and Moms give themselves a big round of applause for indeed making the Apples into applesauce, the mood turns somber again. We’re going back to Starbound in New Jersey, but this time we’re going as National Champs. So let’s start on a high note and begin the journey with the Pyramid of Doom. First up in the bottom row [...]

“Dance Moms” recap: Return of the Candy Apples

January 18, 2012 | By Lori Acken
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Forgive me, Dance Mom Nation, for I am an episode behind, having been sequestered at a hotel in Pasadena covering the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. I’m all caught up now and will recap the premiere (I think. Eventually.), but in the interest of staying current, let’s forge ahead with last night’s humdinger, “Return of the Candy Apples.” • Watch “Return of the Candy Apples and other full episodes of Dance Moms online Before I dive in, let me issue a correction to early posts in which I said Brooke and MacKenzie did not return for this second season. [...]

Christi Lukasiak talks “Dance Moms” Season 2!

December 14, 2011 | By Lori Acken
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“A year ago, I was sitting on my porch with a Flip camera talking about how crazy my dance studio is,” laughs Christi Lukasiak, cuddling her toddler daughter Clara while on break from shooting a brand-new episode of the runaway Lifetime reality hit Dance Moms. “A year later, we’re on national television and heading into our second season!” • MORE: Lifetime announces plans for Dance Moms: Miami Fans recognize the bold, blond thirtysomething as unofficial leader of the posse of four put-upon mothers united by their daughters’ training at the nationally known, Pittsburgh-based Abby Lee Dance Company — and the [...]

“Dance Moms”: Chloe’s audition tape, finale fallout and a teensy teaser for Season 2

October 19, 2011 | By Lori Acken
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Even though Dance Moms’ domineering diva Abby Lee Miller swore to Reality TV World that the production company for the jaw-dropper hit auditioned moms only and the kids came aboard untested, today her co-star Christi Lukasiak tweeted a link to what she says is Chloe’s (perfectly adorable) audition tape for the series: • MORE: Read Channel Guide’s exclusive interview with Dance Mom Christi Lukasiak!

Dance Moms finale: And it’s Chloe for the win!

October 6, 2011 | By Lori Acken
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By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuideLLA I knew it! I said! Way back in episode …well, whatever episode it was where the Big New York Casting Agent came! I said this: “So now that I’ve accepted this new reality in this new reality show, I feel equally secure in tossing this prediction: Despite the fact that she has done nothing but dance joyfully, express her love for her peers and look splendid in an inappropriate pile of brown eye-shadow — Maddie is about to get her comeuppance at the hands of Chloe. I say this for several reasons. One, because that would make [...]