Dance Moms will either rock your boat or come across as patently distasteful

Lifetime's "Dance Moms" fills a specialty niche in reality programming that you either love or you hate. Season One was a surprise hit for the network, Season Two has further exploded in the ratings, and the network even launched a totally unnecessary spinoff in Miami. (I mean really, how many stage mothers does one need to see highlighted on national television?) That's just it, I'm not a huge fan of putting children into stressful situations on TV and watching their parents straddle the line into exploiting them for profit. I know it's a fact of the world, but it doesn't always qualify as entertainment for me to see people behaving poorly. At least "Dance Moms" features talented young performers, a strong instructor in Abby Lee Miller, and a no-nonsense approach to some of the sillier mom-related shenanigans. There is an unpleasant underbelly to this world of competitive dance. "Dance Moms," in large part, capitalizes on an unsavory aspect of child rearing. But for the right reasons, it also showcases talent and drive. For those distinctions, it's not nearly the purposeful train wreck of the popular "Toddlers and Tiaras" which is even more distressing and over-the-top.

As a guilty pleasure, as I said, "Dance Moms" will either rock your boat or come across as patently distasteful. In a given episode, you can expect Abby Lee Miller to push the children (as young as six). Depending on your viewpoint and experience, you'll think she is motivating them or berating them. If they want to compete at a national level, this is a fact of competitive sport. For me, it's hard to be too squeamish about Miller's techniques so most of my disdain is with the parents. At least one parent will object to her methods and confront her in a staged battle with plenty of bleeped foul language. I don't particularly like the aspect of the dance world and the show that sexualizes children either (some of the moves are designed for provocation and sexiness). To have their kids participate in Miller's program is a huge physical, emotional, and financial stress to the families involved. The ultimate question in "Dance Moms" tends to ask if it is worth it.

Season One is comprised on 12 real episodes and a Most Outrageous Moments special. On four discs, this comes to just over 9 hours of programming. The Bonus Features also include additional footage, but I'm not sure that anything included will actually enhance your viewing experience. If you know what "Dance Moms" is and you love it, obviously you'll want to pick up the release of Season One. While my rating straddles the middle ground, my comments are made to give new viewers an idea of what the show is and how it plays out. If you're on the fence about whether it is right for you, I suggest you find a rerun on Lifetime or even check out an episode on on-demand (they have it here on instant video) to see if you like it. As a train wreck guilty pleasure, there are certainly worse shows on TV but I still don't like getting kids involved.