‘Dance Moms’: Abby Lee Miller Boasted She Could ‘Make a Kid Cry in 30 Seconds’
Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller has received her fair share of criticism over the years. The choreographer rose to recognition following her eight-season stint on the hit reality TV show. On the show, Miller developed a reputation for being extremely hard on her dancers. She demanded perfection from her students and would often berate and humiliate them if they fell short of her standards.
Did Abby Lee Miller play up her persona for ‘Dance Moms’?
Over the years, there’s been a lot of speculation about Miller’s true nature. Some people have stated that the choreographer played up her “tough” persona for the sake of the show.
However, some members of the Dance Moms cast assured fans that the dance teacher was just as difficult when the cameras weren’t rolling. In fact, some people even claimed that Miller was even worse off-camera.
The Abby Lee Dance Company owner boasted that she could make a dancer cry in under a minute
Miller has defended her polarizing behavior over the years. However, even she admits her intense teaching methods weren’t exclusive to Dance Moms. While speaking with TMZ, the studio owner admitted that she’d been making children cry for decades. In fact, she shared that the show would’ve been dramatic even if the producers weren’t trying to create drama deliberately.
“We don’t really need producers,” Miller insisted. “I could probably make a kid cry in 30 seconds. I know exactly what to say to a child to make them run to their mother and get their mother all ticked off. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I hate to say that, but I’ve been doing this for a long time.”
Miller indeed had a reputation for being extremely hard on children prior to being cast in Dance Moms. In fact, Jill Vertes once shared that she initially bypassed MIller’s studio, the Abby Lee Dance Company, because she hadn’t heard the best things about Miller. In recent years, many of Miller’s former students have spoken out against her treatment of them.
Miller was against ‘Dance Moms’ being overproduced
Because Miller was so adept at making children cry, she resented when Dance Moms producers tried to make the show even more dramatic. This is likely why she had moments of volatility toward the producers in later seasons. In the TMZ interview, the dance teacher spoke candidly about the inherent drama in the dance world.
“I just don’t think the show should be overproduced,” Miller explained. “I think we should just let things happen that happen. It’s competitive dance, they’re little girls. Their mothers, they’re emotional. You know, when somebody gets picked over your kid, it’s upsetting, and sparks fly. All of that happens naturally.”
Clearly, Miller had no qualms about bringing her students to tears in a natural way. Considering her behavior, it’s not surprising that all of the original members of the Dance Moms cast have cut off contact with her.
