Get Fierce: My Episode 1 Recap (Dance Mom Ani)

I was a stay-at-home mom for many years before Kimmy started dancing competitively.  When I realized how expensive this “hobby” was, I knew I had to get a job to pay for it. Otherwise, it would’ve probably meant the end of my marriage.  I am very fortunate to have a supportive boss who allows me to do my job at off hours – and a spouse who tolerates it. Often times, I question my motivation and my resolve. Then I see Kimmy getting ready for dance class with that unconditional enthusiasm – and all is well in the world again.  

If Kimmy were any other child, I would say that she needs to relax. However, my daughter appears to thrive in demanding circumstances.  She is dedicated and focused because that’s what comes natural to her. I can’t take credit for that. That’s not the kind of thing that a parent can teach or require from a child.

I thought the tango duet was adorable. Although Lucas and Kimmy had worked together on previous numbers, this was the first duet for both. The maturity of the dance concerned me a little because it required some lifting that neither had experience with before.  I was surprised they placed first primarily because they had such little time to learn and practice the number.  Customarily a duet will have months of cleaning before it is considered stage ready.  Our little ones had two days.

Kimmy sometimes has trouble with choreography because she is a perfectionist.  It has nothing to do with memorization problems. She simply refuses to progress to the next part of the choreography until she has mastered the part she is working on. 

When it comes to the group of moms, I try to be the peace keeper. At the competition, Mayra and Brigette’s argument was regarding Victor. I know Brigette meant well and was just looking out for Victor’s health.  But at the end of the day, Mayra is his mother.  We, of all people, should know the weight that carries. As for Susan and Debi, I would’ve liked to have seen it handled differently. That’s easier said than done. These moms simply let their protective instincts get the best of them. Unfortunately, the results were devastating for both girls. 

Some trivia:
Tango started in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are a number of theories about how the tango evolved into the romantic, sensual dance as we know it today. One story is that the tango’s unique hold originated among the country’s gauchos who wore their hardened, smelly chaps into crowded nightclubs. When a gaucho asked a girl to dance, she danced in the crook of his arm and held her head back to avoid the stench, with her right hand held low, close to his pocket, requesting a payment for her hospitality.

Flamenco dancer José Greco took out an insurance policy through Lloyd's of London against his trousers splitting during a performance.

A male dancer lifts over 1 ½ tons of ballerinas during a performance.

Dance Moms Miami airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

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