Abby Lee Miller revealed in an instagram post her decision to sell her original dance studio in Pittsburgh. Fans were also able to purchase auctionable and infamous items this past weekend.
By Portland Tidwell
SAN ANTONIO – Dance Moms reality star, dance instructor and owner of the Abby Lee Dance Company LA (ALDC LA), Abby Lee Miller, opened up about her decision to sell her original Pennsylvania based dance studio for $300,000, and since then, has auctioned off memorable items from the show that fans have now purchased.
Dance Moms ran for eight seasons, and the original dance studio is known to be one of the successful reality shows’ landmarks.
“It is very bittersweet for me,” Miller said on Jan. 25 on a Instagram post.
“I didn’t sell my name. I didn’t sell my brand,” said Miller. “I didn’t sell my life’s work, I sold brick, mortar, cinder blocks and an amazing dance floor that is still in mint condition.”
Miller also made it a point to mention in the video that she is not just teaching in Pittsburgh, but all over the world, yet she still loved every moment in that studio–including some of the most heartbreaking ones that were shared with the world on camera.
Reportedly, the studio is going to now be turned into a daycare.
On Feb.8, Miller began the live auction via TikTok and Instagram where it began with the highest pre-bid amount for each Dance Moms and ALDC pieces of memorabilia.
Six of the items were props that were used in group routines, the original ALDC pyramid chalkboard, and costumes worn by dancers on the show.
The one that was most requested by fans to be auctioned was the bench from the studio’s entrance bought and signed by Jill Vertes, Dance mom and Lifetime reality star. The bench is known in the fans’ community as “The Irreplaceables bench.”
A week before the auction, Vertes posted a video of herself signing the bench and saying one last goodbye to the ALDC original studio.
Yesenia January, the director of the Rio Grande Valley Snake Charmers and the Venom Hype Squad weighed in on her opinion on Miller, Dance Moms, and the auction.
“Abby Lee’s studio has produced some of the greatest dancers of our time, but at what cost?” January said.
It can be said that Miller is known for her intense teaching methods, which is what could have made the show such a success.
“Some of her dancers have gone on to have wonderful careers but for the majority of the dancers, they were subjected to verbal ridicule”, January said.
January has been a dancer for 25 years, and grew up in the dance world due to her aunt owning her own private dance studio.
Receiving her background in competitive jazz, hip-hop and contemporary dance was only the beginning. After this, January realized choreographing was her calling, and is very familiar with the reality show, as well as Miller’s famous dance routines and dancers.
“I think Abby selling her props and costumes is a smart financial move,” January said when asked about Miller selling popular items from the show. “There will always be huge fans of the show who will see value in owning these items, so why not make a profit?”
January feels that aside from Miller’s outlandish teaching methods, she is an incredible choreographer who has multiple viral routines that not only show off the dancers’ technical skills, but their ability to act and tell a story through dance.
Dance Moms has had an impact on fans globally, and January believes that the show is still relevant today to this day because the children Miller taught have now grown up to have platforms and opportunities and are attributing their successes to the show.
Maddie Ziegler, one of the most notable dancers and a fan favorite has had several career opportunities pertaining to dance throughout her time on Dance Moms.
Ziegler may have even become a household name because of dancing for pop-star Sia in multiple music videos and being known as Abby Miller’s “favorite,” according to the Dance Moms on the show.
One of Millers’ most popular quotes from the show is “everyone’s replaceable”. January believes this alone reflects her teaching methods.
January’s philosophy is less about winning, but more about providing a safe space for her students in and out of the dance studio. She feels that the most important part of her job as a dance director and coach is to make her dancers better individuals.
January and the Rio Grande Valley Snake Charmers, the official dance team for the G-League RGV Vipers.
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Portland Tidwell is a full time student at Our Lady of The Lake University aiming to obtain her bachelors in Mass Communications with a specialization in Multimedia Journalism and a minor in Criminal Justice.
She has interned at the age of fifteen for KENS5, and has acted in a short film titled “What is Love?” and a music video titled “insane” by the band, White Rabbit.
At the age of fifteen, Portland started her own business and LLC, a singing princess party business where she works as the main actress, singer, and owner and operator.
She has obtained over 18,000 community service hours working as a spokesperson for the non-profit, the 100 club of San Antonio, an organization that aims to provide funds for families and children of fallen first responders.
Portland has nine consecutive pageant titles under her belt and has held responsibilities such as Miss Texas, Miss San Antonio’s Outstanding Teen for the miss America organization, Miss Teen United States, etc. In this, Portland has travelled to continue her service work and has proven herself multifaceted in her speaking and writing abilities as well as her knowledge in social media.
On TikTok, Portland has thousands of followers and her content specializes in story telling as well as acting bits. She is a vocalist, actress, impressionist with natural on camera talent as well as a proactive activist that specializes in public speaking and public relations. She can edit videos, write articles, and has a passion for anchoring and reporting on-camera.
Her goal is to work alongside Chris Hansen as an investigative journalist for Inside Editions true crime sector, True Crime Daily.
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