Lifetime’s Dance Moms premiered in 2011 and made quite an impression on audiences. Viewers couldn’t turn away from the uncomfortable mom-fights, entertaining dance routines, and of course, Abby Lee Miller’s extreme teaching methods. The anticipation of what was going to happen next kept fans hooked. Who will be at the top of the pyramid? Which mom will upset Abby next? Even though every Dance Moms episode was built on the same formula, the show still had a way of keeping fans on their toes.
Unfortunately, the show came to a halt in 2017 when Abby needed to deal with some legal issues, and later health issues. Fans weren’t sure if they would ever see a new episode of the dance competition show again, until June 2019 when Miller made a comeback with a whole new group of kids, ready to carry on the show’s legacy and enter into season eight. The only question left is, which season of Dance Moms was the best of the best, and which left fans a little disappointed? Keep reading to find out.
Season Seven
Season Seven is by far the biggest let down of the series. This season features a mini dance team comprised of younger dancers and the drama surrounding this new mini team seems a bit forced. Not to mention prominent members of the ALDC, Maddie, Mackenzie, and JoJo, are no longer a part of the show during this season.
Aside from all of this, Abby is constantly being confronted with her ongoing legal battle and isn’t sure if she will be able to continue the show. Abby is in and out of the series throughout the entire season, and most of the original cast leaves the ALDC to compete on their own new team, “The Irreplaceables”. Most of the original Dance Moms magic is gone at this point, and frankly, this season is just hard to watch as the show is slowly unraveling before the viewer’s eyes.
Season Six
This season was quite the letdown due to most of it revolving around Maddie and Mackenzie’s send-off from the series. This was pretty heartbreaking for fans as the two sisters were integral parts of the show. Audiences loved to watch the girls perform and see Maddie thrive as she started to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Of course, Maddie and Mackenzie’s departure also meant that their mom, Melissa, would be leaving the show as well. This was another disappointing moment for fans as Melissa was entertaining from the beginning so it was sad to see her go. While the sisters left the show mid-season six, we also watched JoJo leave at the end of this same season.
While JoJo wasn’t an original cast member, she was a fundamental part of the show as well thanks to her energetic dance routines and unforgettable personality. The only silver lining to come out of this season would be the iconic “Boss Ladies” dance routine which is by far the best ALDC competition dance to date.
Season One
Ah, season one, where it all began. This season is a classic, however, it’s definitely not in the running to be the best season of Dance Moms. This is due to the fact that the show was still getting its sea legs and the audience was just getting introduced to these new young dancers and their mothers. Not to mention the dancers were quite young during this season so at times it was hard to watch Abby employ her teaching methods on them.
The saving grace of this season is definitely the feuds between moms and the entertaining dance routines. This season features the classic “Where Have All The Children Gone” competition dance, which brought chills to audiences and showed that the ALDC is to be taken seriously.
Season Two
Season two has earned its ranking here for very similar reasons as the first season. Though at this point the show had started to collect a loyal fan-base as viewers were growing attached to the cast. The dancers were flourishing, the routines were getting better and better, and the drama had just begun.
This season also features plenty of show-downs between Cathy and Abby Lee since Cathy and Vivi-Anne left the ALDC to return to her old dance studio in late season one. The best part of this season was when they added Kendall to the team, as fans know she became a permanent cast member all the way through season seven.
Season Eight
The eighth season of Dance Moms is the most current. The show took what appears to be a mid-season break in September of 2019 and is rumored to start back up again in early 2020. Fans were over the moon when this new season was announced. It had been almost two years since the last new episode of Dance Moms and there wasn’t much reason to believe that the competition dance show would return.
Luckily, Abby Lee Miller’s comeback just can’t be stopped so the eighth season was a go. This season has earned its ranking for bringing in fresh faces, great dance routines, and of course, more drama. Original fans definitely enjoyed this series return, but it still can’t top a few of the show’s earlier seasons featuring the original ALDC members that audiences grew to know and love.
Season Three
Season three is jam-packed with drama which is what all followers of the show like to see. This is the last full season with Kelly and her girls, Paige and Brooke. This a shame because Kelly brought lots of entertaining drama to the show. She was never afraid to speak her mind or stand up to Abby.
There’s also plenty of tension sprinkled throughout this season revolving around the different moms’ feuds with one another as well as feuds with opposing dance companies, like the Candy Apples. This season definitely has its fair share of awkward moments, yelling and forgotten dances.
Season Four
This is the last season that features most of the original Dance Moms cast, due to all of the drama that ensues. Season four features dramatic fights between Christi and Abby as well as Kelly and Abby. These arguments ultimately lead to Chloe, Paige, and Brooke leaving the show.
While these dancers would be dearly missed, the drama was definitely entertaining and left fans wanting more. The fourth season also more closely follows Maddie’s success in Hollywood and fans get a bit of insight into Maddie’s exciting climb to fame.
Season Five
Last is certainly not least in this case, season five is the best season of Dance Moms to date. First off, this is Maddie and Mackenzie’s last full season dancing and they did not disappoint. Maddie, Mackenzie and the rest of the team premiered the “Stomp The Yard” competition dance which is easily one of the most entertaining ALDC group performances yet.
This season is also beloved because of the Australia episodes where the cast takes on the land down under. Fans get to witness some drama unfold that reloves around the girls publicly speaking poorly of their teammate, JoJo. Viewers also get to see their favorite dancers hold koala bears and perform new dances on the other side of the world. Lastly, season five is the best thanks to Kalani and her mom, Kira, becoming series cast members of the show. They’re both extremely entertaining and quickly became fan favorites.
