Review

Dance Moms: Miami

Common Sense Media says

Reality spin-off goes South with parents behaving badly.
Age
10
Quality
 
  • Positive messages0
    The series makes sport of the cattiness and competitive nature of the moms, which interferes with the kids' ability to excel in the studio and to enjoy dancing itself. While there are some positive points in the dancers' dedication and their ability to conquer adversity to be successful, ultimately the show's message is that the surest way to achieve fame is by being so obnoxious that the camera -- and the people around you -- can't ignore you if they tried. Self-image is a recurring theme, as the dancers' images are wrapped up in their success at dance, and failures are a blow to the ego. A multicultural cast reflects the racial diversity of Miami.
  • Positive role models1
    The series plays up the moms' infighting and power struggles, casting them in an extremely negative light as role models for their kids. On the whole, they value winning over everything else and sometimes drive their kids far beyond the kids' own desires. The teachers are a little better, pushing the students to work hard and perfect their craft, but also having slightly more realistic -- and less biased -- expectations for them. On rare occasion, the coaches are known to punish unsportsmanlike conduct from their dancers, thereby underscoring the team dynamic and placing value in each person's contribution to it. As for the dancers, their dedication to their craft is admirable, and they reap the benefits of their hard work with competition victories and the satisfaction of a job well done.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Some dance moves are a little suggestive, and the dancers' tight lycra outfits often are on the skimpy side.
  • Language2
    "Hell," "suck," "bitch," and "pissed" are frequent choices.
  • Consumerism2
    As the show's venue, Stars Dance Studio gets a lot of publicity from the show.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Drugs and alcohol come up in conversation more than in consumption, as when a woman tells another mom to "take a Valium" to calm her down.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this spin-off of the popular reality series Dance Moms is more of the same the cattiness, bickering, and competitive temper that viewers came to expect from the original by casting loud, opinionated women who love to mix it up backstage while their kids match skills on the dance floor. Besides the geographical relocation, a couple of other aspects have changed over the original: There are men involved, in the forms of the two dance instructors and one student, which changes the group dynamic; and the kids are older in this show, which means more revealing costumes, "grown-up" dance moves, and additional encouragement to dress and act to a certain image. What hasn't changed, though, is the moms' infatuation with living vicariously through their kids and their determination to catapult their respective kids to the top of the podium at any cost. Language ("bitch," "hell," etc.) and negative messages about healthy competition and sportsmanship are a major concern for tweens in this over-the-top reality show.

This review of Dance Moms: Miami was written by
Age
15
Based on 5 parent & educator reviews:
  • 40% say language is an issue
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Educator and Parent of 6 and 11 year old
May 11, 2012
10
OK for kids & up
 
Dont listen to the other posters...fine for pre-teens
These other reviews are clearly written by the same dipstick who wants to sabotage the page for some odd reason.....But this show is actually fine for kids over 10 if they can handle occasional swearing. The kids are positive role models that stick with their practice even when the going gets tough. Perseverance is lacking in today's youth so I think it is good to show kids who are doing things besides eating twinkies & playing video games.
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Helped me decide (10) | Had useful details (8) | Read my mind (18)
Parent
May 1, 2012
18
Not for Kids
 
Metiocure teachers and dancers..let's keep it real
These parents are deluginal to think that any of these kids will go on to the pros. The kids can't dance. They are flat footed and the routines are metiocure. This is a disappointment from the original Dance Moms. How do these kids win competitions? They just aren't good enough..sorry.
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Teen, 14 years old
June 3, 2012
8
OK for kids & up
 
Rating not opinion
This show is fine from 8 and up. This website is for age appropriate ratings, not how much you like it. Just because you don't like what goes on, doesn't mean it's not age appropriate. You want to rate it on bad opinion, open a column in the newspaper, not a parent website.
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Helped me decide (9) | Had useful details (9) | Read my mind (13)
Teen, 13 years old
May 29, 2012
10
OK for kids & up
 
AWSOME!
Its absoulutly terrific i have no idea why people put "not for kids" because the only thing bad is very not often or bad swearing it might even be good for a 9 year old
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Parent
April 11, 2012
18
Not for Kids
 
Bad kids, parents, instructors and SHOW.
My daughter is a dance and I would allow her to watch the original Dance Moms, dance numbers ONLY. Now that I've watched this Miami spin off I can't believe how 'made for tv' this is. The dance numbers are not even good enough to show my daughter. The kids are nasty and dressed foolishly. I hate to say it but some don't look healthy at all for dancers. The instructors don't seem to instruct? The mothers are in another world. Nothing about this show is family friendly and viewer friendly if you like realism in your "Realty" Tv.
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Teen, 17 years old
May 29, 2012
13
OK for kids & up
 
Dance Moms
I love this show. the moms can be a little much though. Ani however seems to be the only adult out of the moms. Hammett weight overshadows her dancing. Lucu is an inspiration to boys to do what they love. There is obviously favoritism in the group. The dance teachers can be tough but it is only because they want them to be better. Most of the cuss words are bleeped out. The biggest problem to me are the commercials inbeween. They is even a commercial where a women gives another a vibrator.
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Helped me decide (14) | Had useful details (8) | Read my mind (6)
Parent
May 4, 2012
18
Not for Kids
 
An Unnecessary Dilution of the Original
IMHO, this series is more of a pastiche of the original Dance Moms. In an all-too-common scenario, the show's creators have tried to "improve" the original, but ended up extracting its soul. It's too bad neither show is truly worthwhile for kids - there are actually some good lessons in them. I know a lot of viewers feel both shows are outrageous. And I agree. Need to realize, however, the "reality" is synthetic - in both cases. What appeals to me is the striving-for-greatness motif. And regardless how nutzoid the instructors may get, what is true is this: Without hyper-supreme dedication, "success" is just a word.
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Teen, 15 years old
May 2, 2012
9
OK for kids & up
 
Awesome for Dance Moms fans like me!
Me and my mom and my 10 year old sister (im 15, girl) love this show. it's awesome. I love how there are boys, and the dancers are more competitive on this show. i would say that under 9 will not be interested at all, which is why i reccommended for older people. lets be clear, the good messages and good role models are the teachers and kids, their wonderful. the moms are way crazier than abby lee, be warned. the originial is still better, but an honest effort. i like it. not for a nonfan of reality tv.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 15, 2012
10
Pause for kids & under
 
Dance Moms Miami: A great show whittled into a bad spinoff
This hasty South Side spinoff of Lifetime's classic reality show does nothing but take our perspective of the series canon and throw it around. Peppy arguments, skimpy outfits, and even the alcohol use returns from the original, but this time it takes it to a whole other level. And besides that, the show itself isn't very good; despite its occasional humor or drama, the show really doesn't care for anything else than dance. Dance Moms (the real one) saw way more than that, from visiting bars and clubs to even some leisure. But this time, it's just another bare-minimum look at the "real world".
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Parent of 5, 6, 7, and 11 year old
December 4, 2012
9
OK for kids & up
 
Mildest of Dance Moms
Less raunchy and objectionable than Dance Moms and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, but still there is sexy dances and it gives Star Dance a bad name, but language is rare.
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