Having debuted in 2011, the American reality television show “Dance Moms” follows the lives of the dancers of Abby Lee Miller’s Dance Company. Set in Pennsylvania, “Dance Moms” depicts the careers of children in dance, and the competitive dynamic of the girls and their mothers. It has proven to be extremely popular, with its fourth season having been released last January on Lifetime with solid ratings. However, a new show on Lifetime has recently caught the attention of “Dance Moms” lovers everywhere. It’s called “Bring It!”, and features dance battles.

“Bring It!” is a show set in Jackson, Miss., and features Coach Dianna Williams, known as Miss D, and her Dancing Dolls troupe, who were founded in 2001 by Miss D. The troupe has over fifteen Grand Champion titles and more than one hundred trophies. The team consists of children aged seven to seventeen. The team competes in hip-hop majorette competitions. When examining “Bring It!”, the show may be similar to Dance Moms, but offers a much better influence on it’s viewers.

1. The girls have raw talent. Unlike “Dance Moms”, the Dancing Dolls were found on YouTube. They were noticed by Lifetime on the basis of their talent alone. They were not promoted by the company, but discovered. The show is not about the crazy moms, but instead the hard work of the talented performers.

2. The moms are respected. The show does not make fun of the moms of the dancers. Instead, Williams treats all the moms well, and makes sure to value their efforts. The moms are painted as good mothers in a positive light instead of being made fun of for entertainment purposes, something that is often done on “Dance Moms”.

“The thing I hate about ‘Dance Moms’ is how crazy the moms are. Its funny at first, but it  just makes me hate that there are people like that in society,” commented junior Caroline Hogan.

3. It’s different. “Bring It!” features hip-hop majorette competitions, a dance that is not widely known. It features dance battles, “bucking”, and “stands” (different routines they have to use on the spot). The battles use a lot more improv, and on the spot judgement by the leader of the battle group. Overall, it is a more complex and different kind of dance that is extremely interesting.

4. The team is humble. Williams promotes healthy values in her girls. Instead of pitting them against each other, she has them work as a team, and they support each other. She teaches the kids not to be rude when they beat another team under no circumstances.

“The girls are all such good people, they’re so sweet to their coach and you can tell that they really love each other,” said junior Madi Cooperman.