And the mothers let their children go through most of there childhood like this watching what they eat. They are kids for god sake they have missed so much of their childhood all for the sake of dance. Will never get it back
The rule about having hair up is 100% standard. Not unwrapping candy in a theater is just etiquette (which Abby knows nothing about). Everything else is just ridiculous.
I agree. Also the rule about coming late to class and being unable to then take the class. Many studios also forbid some activities during competition season due to injuries etc
I agree. If you did not arrive within 15 minutes of class starting, you would not be allowed to dance, just on liabilities alone. This is everywhere I have gone to dance @@federicaf1994
And that you are not allowed to leave the studio in your attire makes sense. I don't have experience in the dance field, but I've done karate for several years, and we had that too. We call all these "rules" dojo etiquette. When I was coaching, I understood that the rule is not just for respect of the sport but also for hygiene reasons
@@lillukoitayea I didn’t have that rule at my studio but my mom made it for me personally 😂 not for hygiene or respect tho- She just didn’t think dance clothes were appropriate for strangers to see you wearing out in public because of how short and form-fitting they often are. & teachers r often against it because when you’re hot and sweaty after class, the cold outside air is apparently bad for your muscles or can get you sick 🤔
I get that the candy in the theater is etiquette, but it seems odd to me that she felt she needed to put it in a contract, rather than having a talk with them about it and explaining it.
Dancer of 27 years, here. The dress code and always having your hair up is standard, and I can understand the rules for no skiing/skating/snowboarding for competitive dancers. Sledding, biking and swimming seem like they’d be ok, because they can be more controlled and you’re not putting your legs under heavy strain. Having a required set of classes for competitors is also pretty standard. As for unwrapping candy in the audience, as long as you don’t do it while a dancer is onstage waiting for their music to start or during a quiet moment in a performance, I don’t see why that would be a problem…just common sense. French tips and more natural nail colors should absolutely be allowed, what on Earth? Long fake nails could be a problem because they could snap off, but otherwise, whatever. Rules about a child’s weight are abhorrent, and shouldn’t even be a thing.
Its not abnormal for boys to have discounted tuition for dance (usually their first year) since recruiting boys into dance isnt as easy as girls and many studios are in need of more boys but with Abby's behavior around young boys I side eye it just a little.
@@gymnasticsgirlie0647The fact that she clarified that she liked athletes currently in high school after the interviewer assumed she meant “former high school athletes”
Ok I've always found that clause about you can't gain/lose 10 Pounds to be disgusting and gross. When you're going through the early and middle stages of puberty, weight gain is inevitable as your body matures, especially if you have a growth spurt. Also the no talking to dancers and people from other studios just seems petty as all hell. What was Abby afraid would happen, that they'd spill the beans about their turns and 8 counts or something? Not being able to clap for other studios is just bad sportsmanship.
Same here... And nothing this intense. Some were understandable though that my classes had like the attire and hair thing, but we never had anything about outside activities or candy wrappers or weight gain or tan lines...
Well Dance mom wasn't just a a regular dance studio, it was a national tv show so their experience is much different than ours. My dance teacher was a bit strict and (scary at times ngl) but thank GOD it wasn't being recorded, it would've been 10x worse for little 15 year old me lol.
You had me at the gaining weight rule. Controlling extra curricular activities is awful, if I have kids I would want them to try as nany new things as they please. Controlling a child's weight is on a whole other level of awful. It gives me the ick.
Ikr? You know it's one thing to say that to an adult in film or television (which in itself is pretty morally dubious) but it's a whole nother thing to put that in a contract for a child..... They are literally growing. 🙄
Having to pay her 100,000 cash tells you right there that she doesn't want to pay taxes on it it's like paying her under the table. That is still called income that she's trying not to pay taxes on.
2:07 not being able to get your nails done is really common in the competition world. It’s not usually a specific ban on nail salons, but you can’t have nail polish at competitions. For most studios this just means a few weeks out of the year you shouldn’t go to salons (since they cost more than at home and are harder to remove) but with how many competitions they did it does translate to no painted nails at all during the season.
@@mmgs1148 kids have gotten their nails done for decades 😂 it’s literally just something fun to do. Most salons even have an age minimum on potentially harmful things like acrylic or gel polish. So literally the only differences between going to a salon and kids doing their nails at a sleepover is the quality of polish, how long it will last and price.
i was a competitive dancer, and some of these rules are pretty common (as many in the comments have already said). if you were on the competition team at my studio, we had set classes we were required to take (ballet, tap, jazz, and conditioning if my memory serves me correctly) and then classes like lyrical, hiphop, or modern were optional but most of us took anyways. the dress code was pretty similar for my studio as well, except we weren't as strict with WHAT the cover-ups had to be (didn't have to be studio specific, could be just normal sweatpants) so long as you didn't come in/out of the studio in just your leotard and tights. the hair rules were the same as well (it's a safety thing) and for ballet we always had to wear black with pink tights like brooke mentioned. all the other rules though are quite asinine and unfair, and abby backtracking and contradicting herself years later just shows she thinks so as well
As a former competitive dancer a lot of these rules are very common for dance studios. At my studio they wouldn’t let you dance if you have your hair down which is for safety reasons, they also didn’t want us cutting or dying our hair specifically because it can be hard to put up in a bun. We could have our nails painted but we have to take it off before competition. A lot of teachers for specifically the competition groups and our ballet teachers didn’t want the parents watching us at practice because it can be very distracting to the dancers. It is extremely common for competition groups to have to take more than two genres of dance and a ballet class is required for most competition groups. There was never a dress code for genres like jazz or tap just don’t come in street clothes (clothes you wear outside). For ballet we absolutely had a uniform and my studio at the time had a very prestigious and professional ballet program so black leotard pink tights, a belt, and a flat bun were required. Some of these rules are really absurd and most studios don’t have those kinds of rules.
I feel like some of these are justified like some of the audience ettique and having to attend a certain number or classes to be on a competition team but the one that is craziest to me is having to pay 100,000 dollars if you leave the studio within a year of earning a title. What if a kids parents got a new job that required them to move or parent died or any numb er of finical reason they had to stop attending. Theres so many things that are out of a person's control that could cause them to have to leave. 100000 in cash is just insane
idk man. Maybe it's because i was never a competition dancer, but the idea of having a legal contract that you have to sign just to dance sounds insane to me. Yes, we had rules, including a dress code (if you were old enough to be in a ballet class not a combo class, pink tights, black leotard, and bun, hair had to be up during classes, etc) but a CONTRACT??? absolutely not
The 10% for any professional work after graduating for her training will ALWAYS be the craziest part to me because what?? Imagine college teachers excepting a 10% after graduation lmao??
As a dancer I was also banned from painting my nails, ice/roller skating, etc 😂 And dress code-wise, their studio actually seems relaxed lol. At mine everything was specific to the pt where we were only allowed to wear non-black leotards on Saturdays And parent expectations: during Nutcracker season parents either have to volunteer a certain # of hours or pay a fee ☠️ & girls pay full tuition, but sometimes boys would GET PAID by the school just to perform because they needed male dancers so desperately All I’m gonna say is if my small-scale relaxed studio that doesn’t even include competition dance had these rules, I’m not surprised at all by the ones present at the ALDC 😂😭 some r logical, but I agree that most are absolutely ridiculous. This certainly made for an entertaining & informative vid
The “No unwrapping a candy bar in the audience” rule is absolutely ridiculous! I was never really a dancer, but I was in choir at school and did quite a bit of both school and community theatre in my youth and have never heard of such a rule. I’ve heard “No flash photography” which I completely understand as that is a safety hazard and “Turn off or silence all cell phones” which I completely understand as well as it is an unnecessary and unfair distraction to both the performers and the audience but never in my life have I heard “don’t unwrap candy” 🙄
No unwrapping crinkly candy bars or other snacks in the audience during a performance is just a common courtesy; it's distracting to others around you, especially in quiet/serious moments of a performance. Musical theatre audience members (the good ones anyway) hate when people unwrap crinkly foods during a performance. Not a rule as such, but a courtesy.
No definitely not that ridiculous when you consider the arts are more in line with golf than with football. This was pretty standard in plenty of parts of the world as well in more *serious* settings. For kids its less common for obvious reasons, however definitely not unheard of. It's a distraction and comes across rude to a lot of people. I remember seeing a lot of parents pack their kids snacks in ziplock bags specifically, the bags dont make noise and the kid can still eat most snacks without issue(less likely chips and more likely a popcorn or cheese its, stuff that isnt so LOUD)
@@emmyjo720 yes, but in a plastic tub that doesn’t make noise. And it wasn’t necessarily okay for her to do it either, but that’s Abby being a hypocrite for you.
lol the only contract i ever signed at a dance studio was an attendance compliance letter, which basically said that i agreed i would attend all classes i signed up for unless i was reasonably absent (sick, family issue, emergency, etc.). i've heard of missed payment contracts. we had rules for acceptable attire for each class and we knew hair and nail rules for performances and the competition dancers had stricter rules, but nothing like the ALDC's, that's fucking ridiculous.
Can’t believe Abby would just be so controlling. Imagine you’re a dancer at that place and you’re signing contract and you can’t even open candy bars those poor kids.
To be fair, not being able to do class after showing up 10 minutes late might make sense (to not get hurt) for a 60 minute class. I only do ballet, but the first 10 minutes of class is warm up, pliés, and tendu from first position, which are foundational to class. Not being able to gain or lose 5-10 lbs is crazy for preteens and teens. Maybe OK for a professional company, but kids get bigger and grow until they are 18-21 years old.
Some of those rules were unbelievable- like I get thr injury ones and clothes cuz it dance classes but abby tried getting A LOT more Power over the girls/moms
some of this stuff as a dancer, makes sense to me. like the dress code(mostly), having to take every style, and a couple other things. like Brooke kinda made it seem like having to wear a black leotard and pink tights for ballet is strict but it’s rlly not.
I love listening to these, they’re so good, it’s cool to know but also it’s perfect for when you need something to listen to when you’re falling asleep thanks for being great these past 5 years!
When I was a dancer we had pretty strict rules. Some you would expect like proper attire and hair. You couldn’t wear nail polish or jewelry during a performance and your nails had to be short if you worked with a partner. We had to submit to weigh ins and were severely scolded in front of everyone if we gained any weight. I’m 5’5” and used to weight 115 (was expected to be 95-100lb) was called fat in every class and told choreographies had to be adjusted to my excessive weight. Had class every day and this included ballet and contemporary. Saturdays were though, classes started at 9 and ended at 3. This included 1.5 hours of contemporary, 1 hour of alegro and 3.5 hours of pointe. No lunch time and no snacks were allowed.
Those are super controlling. I could understand no skating or sledding due to safety concerns but no biking or swimming? Granted no swimming in chlorinated water before a competition due to damaging hair or it turning green, but you can take some preventative steps. But a lot of professional dancers would probably have other training (I am not a dancer so I am not sure) but no friendships with other dancers? I don’t know maybe they have some truth in the dance world but I think Abby was super controlling.
some of these do have some truth to them. like the french tips thing. you obviously shouldn’t have painted nails for versatility reasons when you’re competing a different routine every week. and as far as the seniors thing goes, even french tips look super distracting on a little girls hand
Nah those rules are unfair too. My gymnastics coaches were literally raised in the USSR and even they never tried to limit our activities outside of gymnastics, rarely commented on our weight, and never got involved in our friendships in or out of the gym. A coach's place is to help you improve for competition, not to control your every move. My male coach actually once caught my teammates and I biking on the side of the road after practice and just called out to us and waved. Ultimately, they still get paid whether you are injured or not, able to compete or not.
I wasn't allowed to run (too much strain on the knees) and cycling was discouraged because it tightens hips. Cyclists do also build big thighs which isn't the look a dancer wants. Her goal was to turn out professional dancers, so these rules are logical. Cross training is way more of a thing these days but I'd say Pilates would be more desirable, or low-impact cardio - idk why she didn't want them to swim, but it seems more like she didn't want them messing around in the pool rather than that she didn't want them swimming laps as exercise.
@@gymnasticsgirlie0647 Yeah, they get paid, but you get nowhere. And it's unfair to put yourself at risk before a competition if you can't be replaced and your entire group needs to either rechoreograph around your empty spot or not dance at all.
@@bamberoo90 All the other kids were putting themselves "at risk" too (by just doing normal kid things and not letting their entire lives be dictated by the sport) so it's not like it wasn't equal. And I'm not trying to say my coaches didn't care about us or that they didn't want us to improve; they just recognized their place as coaches who were a big part of our lives, but only one part, if that makes sense. It wasn't their job to dictate our every move outside of the sport.
i love your channel! Can u make a video on abby’s love life? like how she was supposed in love with some gay guy and in one season she went on a date and she says she has a long distance and she had a vegan boyfriend in season 7🤣 it would be a funny video
In the ballet world, you can’t wear nail polish, dye your hair, cut your hair (if you don’t have a wig for the ballet or piece like Osipova😅) wear a lot of makeup for the classes, etc
In terms of dress code - strict regulations on hairstyle/underwear/uniformity in class and not going out in public without adding cover ups are all very normal, at least in my experience in ballet
I’ll never get over how Abby thinks it’s ok to tell a kid to disobey their parent or to go behind their parent’s backs! …AND THINKS THE KID WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE WITH IT!! NO CONFLICTED THOUGHTS AT ALL!! 😵💫
I would love it if you made a deep-dive video on how toxic Gianna was and all the times she went beyond being Abby’s lackey by saying or doing something snarky or rude. The way she treated Chloe and talked about her with Abby always made my blood boil and while she’s of course nowhere near as terrible as Abby, I feel like she often gets overlooked or is given a free pass when it comes to her own behavior.
When my daughter was in Company dance, the main rules were: proper dancewear in class...hair up, out of face...had to take all classes offered for her age group. We didn't sign a contract and we certainly didn't have a weight gain clause...that's outright stupidity. As for the other activities...shoot, the studio owner had a pool party one week prior to the recital for all company members. She also encouraged outside activities. I believe that Abby's contract was way too controlling.
Anything Abby says is hypocritical, contradictory, or asinine!! I don’t know how she’s not embarrassed Edit: I love Brooke’s interviews!! She’s pretty funny. They have all grown up to be so gorgeous Edit: I’d LOVE to see that contract fought out in court
I was a competitive dancer my whole life and we had the same rules. Some of them were really insane looking back at it and others made sense! What’s crazy is that the contract I had to sign was the same as theirs!
I had a studio that said activities like skiing and skating are at your own risk and if you hurt yourself doing it you still owe tuition for the season. This was a fair risk/reward for the families and kids
With the french tips, i think that its possible that since the teens werent on a competition team so didnt have to go to dance competitions every week, they were allowed to wear them but bcus brooke and paige were on a competition team and went to competitions every week, they werent allowed them since you will get points off for having any kind nails and jewellery with the exception of earrings and makeup depending on which competition you go to (coming from a dancer myself)
Also, a lot of these things about weight, nails, etc. are standard in professional contracts, but are kinda ridiculous for kids. Especially when they're still growing like the Dance Moms girls were when they were on the show.
The nails and hair are actually pretty common in the dance world. My studio allowed us to have our nails done just not for competitions or recitals and the long hair was so we could do a bun.
Titles can also be taken away from the competitions themselves. Gavin Morales won The Dance Awards in 2015 put forfitted his abilities to tour and perform as title holder when he left The Rage after McKenzie had to leave due to being bullied
Some of the rules were fair such as dance clothes and hair out of your face were fair, but some rules such as forcing kids to gain or loose weight is really unfair.
I was a competitive figure skater as a kid & my coach didn't want me swimming. There are legitimate reasons, however, she never forbade me or yelled at me for it. So I get it, but I also don't.
A lot of these rules are standard across studios. Idk why you think it's a big deal. The rule about not participating in high risk activities is to protect all the competition dancers - if one dancer gets injured because they were doing something they shouldn't have, then multiple numbers might have to be changed and smaller groups might be pulled from competitions completely. It's not always possible to just replace injured people. That means every other dancer who worked hard either misses the opportunity to dance or has to make last minute changes and that's not fair. Abby was insane in a lot of ways but 99% of these rules aren't a bad thing. Dancing at a high level is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.
When are you going to upload season 5 episode 15 production notes? The link with the episode was incorrect and points to episode 1 notes, not 15. Please fix it.
one thing i can definitely understand is the rule of not having nails done. i am a competitive dancer and we are not allowed to paint our nails. its too distracting while dancing stage and we can lose points as well.
That dress code was not strict it’s actually for safety reasons since it’s in America. Sorry not sorrry it’s not a safe country here, where you’re at might be different. Here tho starting at rules sections, it’s for safety
The general studio rules like hair and clothing are standard for any studio that is strict. Anything other than that portion of studio rules is ridiculous though
hey mackzboss did abby really pinch maddie until she bled during her privates???? someone said it was written in production notes ive been hearing about this for almost 2 years now
Some of these rules, I understand because of the injuries. And with nails I understand that too, because I wasn’t allowed to have fun nails for performances because of distractions. The hair also makes sense. You can’t have your hair in your face because it’s also dangerous if you can’t see for spotting, for example ex.
I played competitive softball. Before or during our tournaments we were not allowed to swim at all. It was so we werent exhausted to play our games. Some of these make sense. But not all of them.
Omg. Signing contracts for a dance studio?? With all this crazy stuff in it?? Is this a regular thing in the US? Because dance in NZ was very chill. Basically, show up and dance.
That's true! But the way it made it sound, it sounded like this was a normal thing for the every comp dancer at ALDC. But I might've interpreted that wrong 🤔 @cortezcristaa
I’ve never done competition dance, but I do think that many studios have a contract for those dancers because it’s a commitment and very expensive. They want to be sure everyone will show up and do their best, especially on a team.
Just for reference im in the uk. I understand things like the dress code as thease can be a safe guarding issue. Things like coverups to and from the studio. Dance wear is usually skin tight so i applaud abby for that because that rule has some compassion in it. The hair tied up is another thing for safety. Aldc was relatively relaxed compared to most dance schools in the uk. The reqire buns or pony tails. For my dance school we had a middle part low bun for oir hairstyle. Usually with exceptions for the babies (age 2-5) but everyone else was in a low bun middle part no fringe (bangs).
You forgot what I thought was Abby’s worst rule she required the cast to take dance lessons on their only day off from filming. Despite herself taking the day off.
Outside (of the sport) physical activity restrictions are quite common for professional athletes in their contracts. I don't see that particular requirement for the dancers to be exceedingly unfair in a contract situation.
I'm a dancer and only the dress code parts stating that you need proper attire and hair up are normal, even if you don't have the correct attire, you're not kicked out of the class, you just say that you were in a rush or you're correct leotard color (if needed a certain color for a certain class) was dirty and it was all you had. the candy wrapper and yelling rules are not normal, for my studio, it is encouraged to cheer loudly for your teammates at competitions and performances. I do understand the no skating/skiing and all those sorts of rules, especially close to a performance or competition but the sledding and swimming part is a bit excessive.
Seriously this is all pretty standard. I wasn’t allowed to be on a swim team because my ballet teacher said my shoulders would get too big. We could not ski, skate, do anything dangerous. I once got chewed out to hell and back for running in PE class. And tan lines were definitely not allowed. And don’t get me started on the weight rules.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have signed this contract if life depended on it. It sounds really ridiculous and some rules are outrageous and controlling, so I’ll steer clear. I think Abby was more controlling off screen than on screen, considering the way she treated Maddie and her sister.
Being excluded from the class for being late is a normal thing in any performing arts school, its to teach you to be in time cos if you turn up late to an audition youve screqed your chanves
not allowed to gain 5-10 lbs during a competition season while you're going through puberty... Sounds straight up delusional to me
Sorry, no growing for you this year
@@GraceandFranzNo breathing either, girls 😊
And the mothers let their children go through most of there childhood like this watching what they eat. They are kids for god sake they have missed so much of their childhood all for the sake of dance. Will never get it back
Especially when the person saying it isn't in shape and eats horribly. Do as I say, not as I do. Lead by example, Abby.
@@PatriciaHarris-l7n ikr?? Sometimes I'm glad I quit dancing when I was 4, seeing how strict all these rules are.
Can we talk about the impressive detective work flipping that contract? Well done!
The rule about having hair up is 100% standard. Not unwrapping candy in a theater is just etiquette (which Abby knows nothing about). Everything else is just ridiculous.
I agree. Also the rule about coming late to class and being unable to then take the class. Many studios also forbid some activities during competition season due to injuries etc
I agree. If you did not arrive within 15 minutes of class starting, you would not be allowed to dance, just on liabilities alone. This is everywhere I have gone to dance @@federicaf1994
And that you are not allowed to leave the studio in your attire makes sense. I don't have experience in the dance field, but I've done karate for several years, and we had that too. We call all these "rules" dojo etiquette. When I was coaching, I understood that the rule is not just for respect of the sport but also for hygiene reasons
@@lillukoitayea I didn’t have that rule at my studio but my mom made it for me personally 😂 not for hygiene or respect tho- She just didn’t think dance clothes were appropriate for strangers to see you wearing out in public because of how short and form-fitting they often are.
& teachers r often against it because when you’re hot and sweaty after class, the cold outside air is apparently bad for your muscles or can get you sick 🤔
I get that the candy in the theater is etiquette, but it seems odd to me that she felt she needed to put it in a contract, rather than having a talk with them about it and explaining it.
I feel like you need to like read audio books, your voice is so soothing and I fall asleep listening to your videos sometimes!
yesss! her voice is so relaxing
I came here to say exactly this!
Omg yes i used to fall asleep to her at my exes. A nice comfort
Yessss İ always use these videos to decompress when I'm super anxious.
Same lol
Dancer of 27 years, here.
The dress code and always having your hair up is standard, and I can understand the rules for no skiing/skating/snowboarding for competitive dancers. Sledding, biking and swimming seem like they’d be ok, because they can be more controlled and you’re not putting your legs under heavy strain.
Having a required set of classes for competitors is also pretty standard.
As for unwrapping candy in the audience, as long as you don’t do it while a dancer is onstage waiting for their music to start or during a quiet moment in a performance, I don’t see why that would be a problem…just common sense.
French tips and more natural nail colors should absolutely be allowed, what on Earth? Long fake nails could be a problem because they could snap off, but otherwise, whatever.
Rules about a child’s weight are abhorrent, and shouldn’t even be a thing.
Literally I hate when people don’t realize some rules are for safety and most schools have the same rules
I wonder why no swimming though 😅😅
@@GraceandFranztan lines, judges shouldn't notice at competition, but they can.
@@ethrimwouldn't they be covered up though? And can't you put on skin color tights on or something to hide it?
@@PGOuma you could, but it depends on what the costume is showing, if shoulders are out. That's a lot of foundation and what not to cover up
the sign on the studio wall 'Practice without improvement is meaningless' - what a joyless way to live lol
My favorite is “Winning isn’t everything… it’s the only thing!”
It's kinda right though, if you're practicing piano for like 4 years and still can't play a simple song then...
Its not abnormal for boys to have discounted tuition for dance (usually their first year) since recruiting boys into dance isnt as easy as girls and many studios are in need of more boys but with Abby's behavior around young boys I side eye it just a little.
considering how much she talks about loving "hot young guys" i dont even wanna imagine what she was like to her senior male dancers...
Abby actually said on a podcast recently that she is attracted to high school football players. HIGH SCHOOL
@@gymnasticsgirlie0647The fact that she clarified that she liked athletes currently in high school after the interviewer assumed she meant “former high school athletes”
Ok I've always found that clause about you can't gain/lose 10 Pounds to be disgusting and gross. When you're going through the early and middle stages of puberty, weight gain is inevitable as your body matures, especially if you have a growth spurt.
Also the no talking to dancers and people from other studios just seems petty as all hell. What was Abby afraid would happen, that they'd spill the beans about their turns and 8 counts or something? Not being able to clap for other studios is just bad sportsmanship.
Never had a contract at any dance studio I was at. There were rules you had to follow but that's all they were. Rules. Not a contract.
Same here... And nothing this intense. Some were understandable though that my classes had like the attire and hair thing, but we never had anything about outside activities or candy wrappers or weight gain or tan lines...
Well Dance mom wasn't just a a regular dance studio, it was a national tv show so their experience is much different than ours. My dance teacher was a bit strict and (scary at times ngl) but thank GOD it wasn't being recorded, it would've been 10x worse for little 15 year old me lol.
You had me at the gaining weight rule. Controlling extra curricular activities is awful, if I have kids I would want them to try as nany new things as they please.
Controlling a child's weight is on a whole other level of awful. It gives me the ick.
Ikr? You know it's one thing to say that to an adult in film or television (which in itself is pretty morally dubious) but it's a whole nother thing to put that in a contract for a child..... They are literally growing. 🙄
They had so little time for other activities..
It’s actually a pretty common thing. It can become very overwhelming doing both school extracurriculars and dance for 6 hours a day.
I’m wondering if the costumes were ordered before the season starts, so they would need to fit in it the whole season through.
LOL how you got that ALDC Contract to be legible is TRUE detective work 👀
Having to pay her 100,000 cash tells you right there that she doesn't want to pay taxes on it it's like paying her under the table. That is still called income that she's trying not to pay taxes on.
and funny how she went to jaul for hiding money 😭
2:07 not being able to get your nails done is really common in the competition world. It’s not usually a specific ban on nail salons, but you can’t have nail polish at competitions. For most studios this just means a few weeks out of the year you shouldn’t go to salons (since they cost more than at home and are harder to remove) but with how many competitions they did it does translate to no painted nails at all during the season.
Also they were kids, you dont need your nails done at that age and im terrified that now some 10 yo's have them
@@mmgs1148 kids have gotten their nails done for decades 😂 it’s literally just something fun to do. Most salons even have an age minimum on potentially harmful things like acrylic or gel polish. So literally the only differences between going to a salon and kids doing their nails at a sleepover is the quality of polish, how long it will last and price.
@@mmgs1148it's just nails calm down
@@mmgs1148 bro you never had your mom paint your nails with a solid blue color with a nice clear coat on top? wtf kind of shit life did you live
‘FORBADE’ lol such a strong word I love it
lmao fr
i was a competitive dancer, and some of these rules are pretty common (as many in the comments have already said). if you were on the competition team at my studio, we had set classes we were required to take (ballet, tap, jazz, and conditioning if my memory serves me correctly) and then classes like lyrical, hiphop, or modern were optional but most of us took anyways. the dress code was pretty similar for my studio as well, except we weren't as strict with WHAT the cover-ups had to be (didn't have to be studio specific, could be just normal sweatpants) so long as you didn't come in/out of the studio in just your leotard and tights. the hair rules were the same as well (it's a safety thing) and for ballet we always had to wear black with pink tights like brooke mentioned. all the other rules though are quite asinine and unfair, and abby backtracking and contradicting herself years later just shows she thinks so as well
Hearing A*by's voice just sends me into a defensive state for some reason 😭
OMG SAME!! It’s like nails in a chalkboard!!
😂😄😆. Yep , me too !!! Or cover my ears , but still can hear her ! She'll have me screaming !!!!!!! 👯♂️👯♀️👯♂️
As a former competitive dancer a lot of these rules are very common for dance studios. At my studio they wouldn’t let you dance if you have your hair down which is for safety reasons, they also didn’t want us cutting or dying our hair specifically because it can be hard to put up in a bun. We could have our nails painted but we have to take it off before competition. A lot of teachers for specifically the competition groups and our ballet teachers didn’t want the parents watching us at practice because it can be very distracting to the dancers. It is extremely common for competition groups to have to take more than two genres of dance and a ballet class is required for most competition groups. There was never a dress code for genres like jazz or tap just don’t come in street clothes (clothes you wear outside). For ballet we absolutely had a uniform and my studio at the time had a very prestigious and professional ballet program so black leotard pink tights, a belt, and a flat bun were required. Some of these rules are really absurd and most studios don’t have those kinds of rules.
Abby constantly contradicts herself, i can't imagine being around her
I feel like some of these are justified like some of the audience ettique and having to attend a certain number or classes to be on a competition team but the one that is craziest to me is having to pay 100,000 dollars if you leave the studio within a year of earning a title. What if a kids parents got a new job that required them to move or parent died or any numb er of finical reason they had to stop attending. Theres so many things that are out of a person's control that could cause them to have to leave. 100000 in cash is just insane
idk man. Maybe it's because i was never a competition dancer, but the idea of having a legal contract that you have to sign just to dance sounds insane to me. Yes, we had rules, including a dress code (if you were old enough to be in a ballet class not a combo class, pink tights, black leotard, and bun, hair had to be up during classes, etc) but a CONTRACT??? absolutely not
The 10% for any professional work after graduating for her training will ALWAYS be the craziest part to me because what?? Imagine college teachers excepting a 10% after graduation lmao??
As a dancer I was also banned from painting my nails, ice/roller skating, etc 😂
And dress code-wise, their studio actually seems relaxed lol. At mine everything was specific to the pt where we were only allowed to wear non-black leotards on Saturdays
And parent expectations: during Nutcracker season parents either have to volunteer a certain # of hours or pay a fee ☠️
& girls pay full tuition, but sometimes boys would GET PAID by the school just to perform because they needed male dancers so desperately
All I’m gonna say is if my small-scale relaxed studio that doesn’t even include competition dance had these rules, I’m not surprised at all by the ones present at the ALDC 😂😭 some r logical, but I agree that most are absolutely ridiculous. This certainly made for an entertaining & informative vid
The “No unwrapping a candy bar in the audience” rule is absolutely ridiculous! I was never really a dancer, but I was in choir at school and did quite a bit of both school and community theatre in my youth and have never heard of such a rule. I’ve heard “No flash photography” which I completely understand as that is a safety hazard and “Turn off or silence all cell phones” which I completely understand as well as it is an unnecessary and unfair distraction to both the performers and the audience but never in my life have I heard “don’t unwrap candy” 🙄
No unwrapping crinkly candy bars or other snacks in the audience during a performance is just a common courtesy; it's distracting to others around you, especially in quiet/serious moments of a performance. Musical theatre audience members (the good ones anyway) hate when people unwrap crinkly foods during a performance. Not a rule as such, but a courtesy.
No definitely not that ridiculous when you consider the arts are more in line with golf than with football. This was pretty standard in plenty of parts of the world as well in more *serious* settings. For kids its less common for obvious reasons, however definitely not unheard of. It's a distraction and comes across rude to a lot of people. I remember seeing a lot of parents pack their kids snacks in ziplock bags specifically, the bags dont make noise and the kid can still eat most snacks without issue(less likely chips and more likely a popcorn or cheese its, stuff that isnt so LOUD)
Abby stuffed her face with popcorn though
@@sofiarodriguez6768 exactly; imagine if during a dance like The Last Text, you suddenly heard CRINKLE CRINKLE RUSTLE. You’d be so annoyed!
@@emmyjo720 yes, but in a plastic tub that doesn’t make noise. And it wasn’t necessarily okay for her to do it either, but that’s Abby being a hypocrite for you.
Some of the rules I could understand, but a good majority of them I do not like
lol the only contract i ever signed at a dance studio was an attendance compliance letter, which basically said that i agreed i would attend all classes i signed up for unless i was reasonably absent (sick, family issue, emergency, etc.). i've heard of missed payment contracts. we had rules for acceptable attire for each class and we knew hair and nail rules for performances and the competition dancers had stricter rules, but nothing like the ALDC's, that's fucking ridiculous.
Lol I was binge watching your videos earlier today lol
Can’t believe Abby would just be so controlling. Imagine you’re a dancer at that place and you’re signing contract and you can’t even open candy bars those poor kids.
That’s part of the narcissistic personality disorder that Abby has
To be fair, not being able to do class after showing up 10 minutes late might make sense (to not get hurt) for a 60 minute class. I only do ballet, but the first 10 minutes of class is warm up, pliés, and tendu from first position, which are foundational to class.
Not being able to gain or lose 5-10 lbs is crazy for preteens and teens. Maybe OK for a professional company, but kids get bigger and grow until they are 18-21 years old.
Some of those rules were unbelievable- like I get thr injury ones and clothes cuz it dance classes but abby tried getting A LOT more Power over the girls/moms
some of this stuff as a dancer, makes sense to me. like the dress code(mostly), having to take every style, and a couple other things. like Brooke kinda made it seem like having to wear a black leotard and pink tights for ballet is strict but it’s rlly not.
So many similarities here with XOMG POP 👀 Like the lawyer advising them to sign the contract, making them pay to leave the group…
I love listening to these, they’re so good, it’s cool to know but also it’s perfect for when you need something to listen to when you’re falling asleep thanks for being great these past 5 years!
Those poor kids
They could have been hurt doing different activities. Or build different type muscles. Sounds bad but rules for reasons
@@dawnemyers5056 Yeah that's obvious but some of these things are way too excessive even for this situation!
@@GoofyGooberMarsi agree
Can you please do a video on the weird Dance Moms spin of series (Abby’s Studio Rescue, AUDC, Dance Moms Miami)
Don't forget Dance Mums UK
I think that there is already a video on AUDC but I don't remember the title.
When I was a dancer we had pretty strict rules. Some you would expect like proper attire and hair. You couldn’t wear nail polish or jewelry during a performance and your nails had to be short if you worked with a partner. We had to submit to weigh ins and were severely scolded in front of everyone if we gained any weight. I’m 5’5” and used to weight 115 (was expected to be 95-100lb) was called fat in every class and told choreographies had to be adjusted to my excessive weight. Had class every day and this included ballet and contemporary. Saturdays were though, classes started at 9 and ended at 3. This included 1.5 hours of contemporary, 1 hour of alegro and 3.5 hours of pointe. No lunch time and no snacks were allowed.
Those are super controlling. I could understand no skating or sledding due to safety concerns but no biking or swimming? Granted no swimming in chlorinated water before a competition due to damaging hair or it turning green, but you can take some preventative steps. But a lot of professional dancers would probably have other training (I am not a dancer so I am not sure) but no friendships with other dancers? I don’t know maybe they have some truth in the dance world but I think Abby was super controlling.
some of these do have some truth to them. like the french tips thing. you obviously shouldn’t have painted nails for versatility reasons when you’re competing a different routine every week. and as far as the seniors thing goes, even french tips look super distracting on a little girls hand
Nah those rules are unfair too. My gymnastics coaches were literally raised in the USSR and even they never tried to limit our activities outside of gymnastics, rarely commented on our weight, and never got involved in our friendships in or out of the gym. A coach's place is to help you improve for competition, not to control your every move. My male coach actually once caught my teammates and I biking on the side of the road after practice and just called out to us and waved. Ultimately, they still get paid whether you are injured or not, able to compete or not.
I wasn't allowed to run (too much strain on the knees) and cycling was discouraged because it tightens hips. Cyclists do also build big thighs which isn't the look a dancer wants. Her goal was to turn out professional dancers, so these rules are logical. Cross training is way more of a thing these days but I'd say Pilates would be more desirable, or low-impact cardio - idk why she didn't want them to swim, but it seems more like she didn't want them messing around in the pool rather than that she didn't want them swimming laps as exercise.
@@gymnasticsgirlie0647 Yeah, they get paid, but you get nowhere. And it's unfair to put yourself at risk before a competition if you can't be replaced and your entire group needs to either rechoreograph around your empty spot or not dance at all.
@@bamberoo90 All the other kids were putting themselves "at risk" too (by just doing normal kid things and not letting their entire lives be dictated by the sport) so it's not like it wasn't equal. And I'm not trying to say my coaches didn't care about us or that they didn't want us to improve; they just recognized their place as coaches who were a big part of our lives, but only one part, if that makes sense. It wasn't their job to dictate our every move outside of the sport.
Not painting your nails is a standard rule in my area as well.
i love your channel! Can u make a video on abby’s love life? like how she was supposed in love with some gay guy and in one season she went on a date and she says she has a long distance and she had a vegan boyfriend in season 7🤣 it would be a funny video
In the ballet world, you can’t wear nail polish, dye your hair, cut your hair (if you don’t have a wig for the ballet or piece like Osipova😅) wear a lot of makeup for the classes, etc
In terms of dress code - strict regulations on hairstyle/underwear/uniformity in class and not going out in public without adding cover ups are all very normal, at least in my experience in ballet
I’ve watched several of your videos and heard Melissa speaking. Her voice sounds so different now and idk why.
i'd love for u to do a video about molly long and dance precisions and how because the show couldn't be filmed there, dance moms went to the aldc
You know it’s a good day when Mackzboss posts
I’ll never get over how Abby thinks it’s ok to tell a kid to disobey their parent or to go behind their parent’s backs! …AND THINKS THE KID WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE WITH IT!! NO CONFLICTED THOUGHTS AT ALL!! 😵💫
I would love it if you made a deep-dive video on how toxic Gianna was and all the times she went beyond being Abby’s lackey by saying or doing something snarky or rude. The way she treated Chloe and talked about her with Abby always made my blood boil and while she’s of course nowhere near as terrible as Abby, I feel like she often gets overlooked or is given a free pass when it comes to her own behavior.
the way i’ve never done any of these things either😭
When my daughter was in Company dance, the main rules were: proper dancewear in class...hair up, out of face...had to take all classes offered for her age group. We didn't sign a contract and we certainly didn't have a weight gain clause...that's outright stupidity. As for the other activities...shoot, the studio owner had a pool party one week prior to the recital for all company members. She also encouraged outside activities. I believe that Abby's contract was way too controlling.
What sort of parent signs this contract ??? Allowing trauma to be inflicted on your kids for money and fame. The mothers are just as bad as Abby….
10:15 does anyone realize that brookes hair bow looks similar to kenzies when she records Girl Party
Anything Abby says is hypocritical, contradictory, or asinine!! I don’t know how she’s not embarrassed
Edit: I love Brooke’s interviews!! She’s pretty funny. They have all grown up to be so gorgeous
Edit: I’d LOVE to see that contract fought out in court
Abby has the narcissistic personality disorder and that means she’s not willing to accept responsibility for anything she does or says
I can’t say I’m surprised
At the beginning, these rules are very common among very competitive studios. I didn’t get my nails done until after college due to competition dance.
I was a competitive dancer my whole life and we had the same rules. Some of them were really insane looking back at it and others made sense! What’s crazy is that the contract I had to sign was the same as theirs!
I check it at least twice a week to see if you’ve posted😮💨
I had a studio that said activities like skiing and skating are at your own risk and if you hurt yourself doing it you still owe tuition for the season. This was a fair risk/reward for the families and kids
With the french tips, i think that its possible that since the teens werent on a competition team so didnt have to go to dance competitions every week, they were allowed to wear them but bcus brooke and paige were on a competition team and went to competitions every week, they werent allowed them since you will get points off for having any kind nails and jewellery with the exception of earrings and makeup depending on which competition you go to (coming from a dancer myself)
Also, a lot of these things about weight, nails, etc. are standard in professional contracts, but are kinda ridiculous for kids. Especially when they're still growing like the Dance Moms girls were when they were on the show.
The weight clause is ridiculous for kids that are growing and going through puberty
The nails and hair are actually pretty common in the dance world. My studio allowed us to have our nails done just not for competitions or recitals and the long hair was so we could do a bun.
Titles can also be taken away from the competitions themselves. Gavin Morales won The Dance Awards in 2015 put forfitted his abilities to tour and perform as title holder when he left The Rage after McKenzie had to leave due to being bullied
Brooke is hilarious about getting out of ballet classes 🤣🤣🤣
Crazy controlling!! My daughter would not be dancing if I had to sign any of that!
The weight clause is ridiculous. Gaining or losing A LOT of weight can be catastrophic but 5-10 lbs especially during pubescent years is insanity…
Some of the rules were fair such as dance clothes and hair out of your face were fair, but some rules such as forcing kids to gain or loose weight is really unfair.
Yay a new video!
I was a competitive figure skater as a kid & my coach didn't want me swimming. There are legitimate reasons, however, she never forbade me or yelled at me for it. So I get it, but I also don't.
7:03 Aww, that little pat-pat.
Some of these rules are understandable but some are ridiculous like not gaining 5-10 pounds like what??
A lot of these rules are standard across studios. Idk why you think it's a big deal. The rule about not participating in high risk activities is to protect all the competition dancers - if one dancer gets injured because they were doing something they shouldn't have, then multiple numbers might have to be changed and smaller groups might be pulled from competitions completely. It's not always possible to just replace injured people. That means every other dancer who worked hard either misses the opportunity to dance or has to make last minute changes and that's not fair. Abby was insane in a lot of ways but 99% of these rules aren't a bad thing. Dancing at a high level is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.
hi, I wanted to ask you what do you think about the dance moms reunion . Do you think it will be edited?
When are you going to upload season 5 episode 15 production notes? The link with the episode was incorrect and points to episode 1 notes, not 15. Please fix it.
one thing i can definitely understand is the rule of not having nails done. i am a competitive dancer and we are not allowed to paint our nails. its too distracting while dancing stage and we can lose points as well.
Most are pretty standard and understandable rules as a competition dancer
where can you fine the studios rules and regulations??
By all means I’m not an Abby fan and will never be after watching these videos but some of these rules make sense to me.
That dress code was not strict it’s actually for safety reasons since it’s in America. Sorry not sorrry it’s not a safe country here, where you’re at might be different. Here tho starting at rules sections, it’s for safety
The general studio rules like hair and clothing are standard for any studio that is strict. Anything other than that portion of studio rules is ridiculous though
my dance studio was also toxic, but we had the exact same rules, not very shocking in this industry
I'm genuinely surprised that anyone is shocked by these rules tbh. Only one or two of them seem a bit weird to me.
hey mackzboss did abby really pinch maddie until she bled during her privates???? someone said it was written in production notes ive been hearing about this for almost 2 years now
Some of these rules, I understand because of the injuries. And with nails I understand that too, because I wasn’t allowed to have fun nails for performances because of distractions. The hair also makes sense. You can’t have your hair in your face because it’s also dangerous if you can’t see for spotting, for example ex.
Unfortunately this is eerily similar to my studios contract. I was a competitive dancer growing up. I think this is sadly fairly standard.
I played competitive softball. Before or during our tournaments we were not allowed to swim at all. It was so we werent exhausted to play our games. Some of these make sense. But not all of them.
Alot of things in contract seem standaard. But then everything else i totally the other end and crazy.
Holy heck. So many of these are messed up but telling kids they can't gain 10 POUNDS??? they are children!!! They are GROWING
The FBI needs you girl I might hire you as a private investigator for my bf 😂
Omg. Signing contracts for a dance studio?? With all this crazy stuff in it?? Is this a regular thing in the US? Because dance in NZ was very chill. Basically, show up and dance.
keep in mind they’re in a reality show. it’s very different and strict
That's true! But the way it made it sound, it sounded like this was a normal thing for the every comp dancer at ALDC. But I might've interpreted that wrong 🤔 @cortezcristaa
I’ve never done competition dance, but I do think that many studios have a contract for those dancers because it’s a commitment and very expensive. They want to be sure everyone will show up and do their best, especially on a team.
Imagine thinking $100k is too much to spend to get your child away from an abuser. These mothers are delusional.
Not everyone has a 100k in cash available within 7 days
Imagine thinking people just have 100k lying around
Just for reference im in the uk. I understand things like the dress code as thease can be a safe guarding issue. Things like coverups to and from the studio. Dance wear is usually skin tight so i applaud abby for that because that rule has some compassion in it. The hair tied up is another thing for safety. Aldc was relatively relaxed compared to most dance schools in the uk. The reqire buns or pony tails. For my dance school we had a middle part low bun for oir hairstyle. Usually with exceptions for the babies (age 2-5) but everyone else was in a low bun middle part no fringe (bangs).
You forgot what I thought was Abby’s worst rule she required the cast to take dance lessons on their only day off from filming. Despite herself taking the day off.
I would love for a episode that shows what happened before dance moms happened. They all had personal history
Video slays once again!
Outside (of the sport) physical activity restrictions are quite common for professional athletes in their contracts. I don't see that particular requirement for the dancers to be exceedingly unfair in a contract situation.
I'm a dancer and only the dress code parts stating that you need proper attire and hair up are normal, even if you don't have the correct attire, you're not kicked out of the class, you just say that you were in a rush or you're correct leotard color (if needed a certain color for a certain class) was dirty and it was all you had. the candy wrapper and yelling rules are not normal, for my studio, it is encouraged to cheer loudly for your teammates at competitions and performances. I do understand the no skating/skiing and all those sorts of rules, especially close to a performance or competition but the sledding and swimming part is a bit excessive.
Some studios are actually very strict on uniform
@hannahpollard9297 that's true. It's just my experience. No one's been kicked out of class for not having the proper attire
Seriously this is all pretty standard.
I wasn’t allowed to be on a swim team because my ballet teacher said my shoulders would get too big. We could not ski, skate, do anything dangerous. I once got chewed out to hell and back for running in PE class. And tan lines were definitely not allowed.
And don’t get me started on the weight rules.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have signed this contract if life depended on it. It sounds really ridiculous and some rules are outrageous and controlling, so I’ll steer clear. I think Abby was more controlling off screen than on screen, considering the way she treated Maddie and her sister.
My daughters studio doesnt allow colored nails for recitals. The competition team probably cant either. No funky hair colors either
the no bars at comps rules, i get it. the parent needs to be present to take care of their child. the teacher can’t do it all. and its a safety thing.
I love your videos!!
A child can’t sign anything and it be valid
Being excluded from the class for being late is a normal thing in any performing arts school, its to teach you to be in time cos if you turn up late to an audition youve screqed your chanves
Abby:
Also Abby:
It’s not uncommon for competition dancers to have forbidden activities. I feel if you don’t like it,, don’t sign and dance there.
I cackled at 1:02 😂