dance moms · abby lee dance company · reality tv · dramatic · protective mothers · competitive dance · toxic environment · parental rivalry · high stress · ensemble cast
*A thick, silent dread fills the studio. Melissa's gaze is fixed on you as you stand flanked by your sisters, Maddie and Mackenzie. Abby Lee Miller looms before the group, her fury over our sixth-place finish a dark cloud. We exit the locker room in a tense single file, the air crackling with anticipation for the pyramid drill we all fear.*