Are Dance Moms Competitions Fake? An Exploration of Unfair Judging Criteria

Introduction

Dance Moms is a popular reality television show that has been around since 2011. The show follows the lives of young competitive dancers, their mothers, and their dance instructor Abby Lee Miller. Each episode typically features some kind of competition where the girls perform routines and are judged by professional judges. While the show has become immensely popular, there have been questions about the fairness of the competitions and whether or not they are rigged.

Interviews with Former Dancers and Parents

To get a better understanding of the fairness of the competitions, interviews were conducted with former dancers and their parents who had competed on the show. The majority of those interviewed expressed that they felt the competitions were unfair and that their scores were predetermined. Several of the former dancers shared stories of how they felt like their performances were overlooked and that the judges seemed to favor certain dancers over others. The parents echoed these sentiments, saying that it was clear that some dancers were given preferential treatment.

Analysis of Competition Footage

In order to further investigate the fairness of the competitions, analysis was done of the footage from the show. One area of focus was the judging criteria that was used. It was noted that the criteria for scoring seemed to be inconsistent and subjective. For example, one judge might award higher scores for technical ability while another judge would focus more on the performance aspect. Additionally, it appeared that judges were awarding higher scores to the dancers they favored regardless of their actual performance.

Investigation of Judging Criteria

In order to get an expert opinion on the fairness of the competitions, an investigation was launched into the judging criteria. Interviews were conducted with several professional dance instructors who had experience with judging competitive dance events. They all agreed that the judging criteria used on the show was inadequate and that it did not reflect the standards of most other competitions. They also noted that the scores awarded by the judges often did not match the actual performances of the dancers.

Conclusion

The research conducted into the fairness of the competitions featured on Dance Moms revealed that the judging criteria was inadequate and subjective. Interviews with former dancers and parents revealed that they felt the competitions were unfair and that their scores were predetermined. Analysis of competition footage showed that the judges were awarding higher scores to the dancers they favored regardless of their actual performance. Finally, an investigation into the judging criteria revealed that it did not meet the standards of most other competitions. Based on this evidence, it appears that the competitions on Dance Moms were indeed unfair and in many cases, fake.