Ever since it wrapped its hit first season shrouded in sequins, costumes and fiery catfights, die-hard fans have been clamoring for more of Lifetime’s fast-rising docu-series Dance Moms. Last summer’s most talked about show, featuring infamous dance instructor Abby Lee Miller, her world-class students and their mothers, Dance Moms will take its long-awaited leap back into the world of competitive dance – this season alongside several new faces — on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, at 9:00pm PT/ET. Dance Moms will debut prior to the premiere of Lifetime’s new fashion competition series 24 Hour Catwalk, hosted by global style icon Alexa Chung.
Once again set in Pittsburgh’s renowned Abby Lee Dance Company, owned and operated by the notoriously demanding and passionate Miller, Dance Moms follows children’s early steps on the road to stardom and their doting mothers who are there for every rehearsal, performance and bow…all under Miller’s discerning eyes. Presenting a powerful cast of characters that has inspired water-cooler talk across the country, the show immerses itself in the highs and lows surrounding dance competition season, delivering a captivating and dramatic look at the cast’s intense pursuit of National Dance titles. Centered on the devoted Miller, who runs her school with an iron tap shoe as she instructs her young, talented students while also dealing with impassioned mothers who go to great lengths to help their children’s dreams come true, Dance Moms will continue to pose the tough questions many people have been asking since the show’s launch about what really goes on behind-the-scenes in the fast-growing and controversial sport of competitive dance.
Dance Moms uniquely captures the outrageous and dynamic interplay among teacher, student and parent as Miller commits herself to bring out the best in her students – and their mothers – willing to dedicate themselves to be part of one of the best dance teams in the nation. Constantly on edge from Miller’s strict discipline and at times harsh ‘my way or the highway’ style of teaching, her students and their mothers are pushed to the limit emotionally, physically, socially and, in some cases, financially as they tirelessly rehearse every day and travel for weekly dance competitions throughout the U.S. Some students and mothers buy into Miller’s methods, while others crack under the pressure as they all battle each other for her attention.
With a median age of 37, Dance Moms is Lifetime’s youngest skewing series, as well as its fastest-growing program. The last four weeks of its first season averaged 1.7 million Total Viewers (up 70 % vs. its debut week) and was up 42% in Adults 25-54, 82% in Adults 18-49, 81% in Women 18-49 and 47% among Women 25-54. Online, the Dance Moms site on myLifetime.com has attracted 1.3 million unique visitors, 3 million visits, 11.2 million page views and 10.4 million video views season-to-date, according to Omniture. Since its July 13th premiere, Dance Moms has been viewed by more than 60 million viewers across all platforms, including linear, online and VOD.
Dance Moms is produced by Collins Avenue, with Jeff Collins (Fly Girls, Outrageous Kids Parties), Bryan Stinson (High Society) and John R. Corella (Dance Flick) executive producing, along with Rob Sharenow, Gena McCarthy and Kimberly Chessler of Lifetime.
(Source: Lifetime)
