This may seem like a silly question cause I know it's a possibly very exaggerated tv show
But I was watching Dance Moms and wondering if it was actually that competitive for kids so young over in America? Cause I go to a competition school here in Australia, and we do well in comps and we've got some people who've gone on to be pros, but we're NOWHERE near as competitive a that. I don't think anyone is.

I don't know, I was just shocked, that's all.

It's not even usually that competitive for the kids on that show. No one in their right mind would teach new routines every week to a competitive dance team. The whole environment on that show was artificially created by the producers. Now, I used to be a TV producer, and everything you saw on that show was probably real and unscripted. But the unrealistic schedule was created by the producers - not the studio directors. And a lot of the argumentative situations were also created artificially by the producers. And the producers also provided lots of free alcohol to the moms - which they probably wouldn't have at a typical comp. So no, it's not actually like that for anyone anywhere.

^ Agreed. Most of it is staged.

However, I've heard from people who personally know Abby that she really is about as mean/tough as she seems on the show. But maybe that works for some dancers. (As an aside, the pyramid was suggested by the producers. Abby doesn't use that stupid thing normally.)