'Dance Moms' Gets Dose of Local Dancers' 'Dynamics'

By Jason Koestenblatt

In 1889, Oscar Wilde famously wrote “life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”

Dance Dynamics of Long Valley encountered just that recently at a competition in Lancaster, Pa., where dancers 11 and younger competed against students and cast members from Lifetime’s reality show “Dance Moms.”

The inaugural “Star Power” competition included teams from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio and various parts of New England. On top of that, teams from the show included the Abby Lee Dance Company and the Apple Cores from the Candy Apples Dance Center.

“Dance Moms” is now in its third season, and focuses on Abby Lee Miller of Pittsburgh who runs a successful dance studio and has turned out professional performers now on Broadway and in productions across the globe.

Dance Dynamics, run for nearly three decades by Karen Lanzara, received an email in May about the competition, which was being billed as a special event for the reality show, and despite just three week’s notice, the program wouldn’t be missed.

“It was a bit difficult trying to make it work on such a short schedule,” said Nicole Hudson, Lanzara’s daughter and one of Dance Dynamics choreographer/directors. “But the kids talk about the show all the time. There isn’t anyone in the world they’d rather meet… they really look up to the dancers on the show.”

And despite what “reality” may portray, Miller was much nicer in person than her character shows on television.

“[Abby] has a reputation of being tough but she was really nice to the kids,” Hudson said. “She took time to take photos with the students and talk to them. It was a really great experience.”

But how would the heavily decorated Dance Dynamics studio – comprised of performers from Long Valley, Chester, Hackettstown and other parts of the region – stack up against the competition under the lights and hustle and bustle of a television show filming?

Long Valley’s locals were impressive, to say the least.

The team “Womanizer” came in first overall in the junior line competition; “Marry You” took second overall in the junior large group category; and “Domino” placed third overall in the junior large group section.

Danielle Bogdan and Deanna Cohen of team “Bullet” took ninth in junior duet trios, and Bianca Hudson placed third overall in the eight and under category.

The Studio hasn’t been told when the show will air, or how much of the competition will be included in an upcoming episode, but the experience was more than enough.

“The whole experience made the kids more excited not only for the show but competing,” Hudson said.