Dance Moms season 1

The first season of Dance Moms, an American dance reality television created by Collins Avenue Productions, began airing on July 13, 2011 on Lifetime's television network. The season concluded on October 12, 2011. A total of 13 episodes aired this season.

Overview
The first season introduces the leading dancers of the Abby Lee Dance Company, and their mothers. Throughout the season the dance team competes at various dance competitions around the US, finally reaching Nationals and competing for the title of overall top dance studio in the country. This season does feature the infamous Pyramid, however, it does not have as much an impact until the final episodes of the season. It also does not have a reunion special.

Cast
The first season featured 13 star billing cast members with various other dancers and moms appearing throughout the season.

Dancers

 * Maddie Ziegler
 * Chloe Lukasiak
 * Mackenzie Ziegler
 * Nia Sioux
 * Paige Hyland
 * Brooke Hyland
 * Vivi-Anne Stein (Episodes 1-8)

Moms

 * Melissa Gisoni, mother of Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler
 * Christi Lukasiak, mother of Chloe Lukasiak
 * Kelly Hyland, mother of Paige and Brooke Hyland
 * Holly Hatcher-Frazier, mother of Nia Frazier
 * Cathy Nesbitt-Stein (Episodes 1-8), mother of Vivi-Anne Stein

Guests

 * Brandon Pent and mother Diane Pent (Episode 8)
 * Justice McCort (Episode 10)
 * Taylor O'Lear (Episode 10)

Dance Coaches

 * Abby Lee Miller, head choreographer for the Abby Lee Dance Company
 * Gianna Martello, assistant choreographer to Abby Lee Miller
 * Cathy Nesbitt-Stein (Episodes 9-10), head choreographer for Candy Apple's Dance Center

Cast Duration

 * Episode 13 is Abby showing clips of the season.

Reception
Dance Moms received heavy criticism upon its premiere in 2011. On Metacritic, the first season holds a score of 54 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". "Once you get past the reality-TV grabbers, you realize that while there is some of that, more importantly there's a lot of Miller. It is great to watch her work."

"The new worst show on television debuted Wednesday night on Lifetime—Dance Moms, an ugly docu-circus featuring a megaton bully of a Pittsburgh dance instructor, the little princesses she costumes as lunatic street whores, and a quorum of strenuously pathetic stage mothers, one of whom warbles that she would slit her wrists if her daughter even thought of trying out for softball."