Tag Archives: Ryan Heffington
My meeting Dance Moms, Abby Lee Miller and Parenting
My meeting Dance Moms, Abby Lee Miller and Parenting Abby Lee Miller, star of Dance Mom's is the ultimate tiger mom with heart and insight on how to employ tough-love to inspire children to achieve success. “If you want to help your kid reach the top, you can find no better coach than Abby Lee Miller. Some may criticize her methods, but no one argues with her results. Her kids excel, (at what price) her teams win and her alumni go on to Broadway careers,” reads the publisher’s description about her new book.
I was curious to meet Abby Lee too. After hearing the good the bad and the ugly about Abby Lee from my daughter and her friends. I wanted to meet AbbyLee in person, to see what she was really like. We purchased tickets $75.00 each, which includes meet and greet, T-Shirt, introduction and photo. The pictures tell the story, but I will tell you my personnel read on Abby LeeMiller. She looked fabulous, slimmed down, weight loss was well over 50 lbs. She was tanned and very friendly and a beautiful smile. We chatted a bit about parenting and kids. I liked her style, very direct, truthful and upfront. My daughter had her picture with Maddie Ziegler and Mackenzie Ziegler the girls, "put her feet together" she instructed . I think she has the knowledge, experience and the drive to push her "BRAND" to a new frontier.
HOWEVER as a mother I do have a problem with depersonalization of girls being depicted or treated as sexual objects. I was gobslapped watching the video of Maddie Ziegler in a cage. I know Abby Lee did not choreograph but still, uncomfortable to watch.
I am all for the arts and creativity, but I do not like inappropriate imageries imposed on girls through marketing or products directed at them that encourages them to act in adult sexual ways. Why, after the video "Elastic Heart" starring Shia LaBeouf and Maddie Ziegler, choreographed by Ryan Heffington. As a mother I am mad! After the video was made & launched then everyone saw the light and realized is was wrong? They knew exactly what they were doing when making this video. The girls I know who love Dance Moms said this video was "uncomfortable to watch, and who is the old guy?" The public has spoken, the kids like the dances and AbbyLee yelling at the mothers, the girls who watch do not want to see the sexualization of " Dance Moms" girls.
Check outs The hardcover edition of “Everything I Learned about Life, I Learned in Dance Class” is available for pre-order, retailing for $22.99 ($12.99 for eBook) on HarperCollins.com.