Sunday, December 16, 2012
You can still watch the performance from the 'Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition' finale.
Four Pittsburgh-area dancers showcased their talents on national television earlier this week. During Tuesday evening's finale of Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition on Lifetime TV, Upper St. Clair native Taylor Ackerman—along with dancers Miranda Maleski, John Fiumara and Jesse Johnson—performed a routine to Blues Saraceno's "If You Believe." The dancers were featured as alumni from the Abby Lee Dance Company, the newly-famed Penn Hills dance studio featured on Lifetime's show, Dance Moms. Owner Abby Lee Miller went on to be a judge on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, a show where young dancers compete for $100,000 and a scholarship to the Joffrey School of Ballet in New York. Ackerman, an Upper St. Clair native, has worked in some movies…
Monday, September 17, 2012
"We're not bad people," Leslie Ackerman said.
The second season of Dance Moms, a popular reality TV show filmed in Penn Hills, came to an end last Tuesday. Upper St. Clair mother and daughter, Leslie and Payton Ackerman, again made a number of appearances in season two. "As a whole, there were a lot of changes (from season one)," Leslie said. "I'm just glad in the end (of season two) we got to see more of the girls' talent and less mom drama." Although Leslie does understand that the show is called Dance Moms. In many scenes, Leslie is shown arguing with the other mothers. "It used to bother me, but it doesn't bother me anymore," she said. But Leslie reminds viewers that the editors cut out the parts when the other moms antagonize her; they only show her reaction. "Which is me, I am …
Friday, September 14, 2012
An Upper St. Clair native reveals what it was like dancing for the MTV Video Music Awards.
If you watched Taylor Swift perform her hit single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" to close out the MTV Video Music Awards last week, one of the dancers may have looked awfully familiar to you. Click here to watch the performance. Upper St. Clair native Taylor Ackerman is the brunette with the light blue pants and white crop top. "It was a dream come true," Ackerman said. Ackerman went to Upper St. Clair High School through her junior year and finished her senior year online so she could move and chase that dream in Hollywood. Ackerman said she was one of six girls and six guys selected from a pool of 500 to dance with Swift. "In my eyes I think it's the biggest job I've gotten so far," she said. For eight hours a day for a week…
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Mother Leslie Ackerman and daughter Payton, a freshman at Upper St. Clair High School, are featured on the Lifetime reality TV show.
You've heard of soccer moms and hockey moms. Recently, a Lifetime reality TV show—filmed here in Pittsburgh—has been putting the national spotlight on Dance Moms. One of those Dance Moms is Leslie Ackerman, a six-year resident of Upper St. Clair. She and her daughter Payton, a freshman at Upper St. Clair High School, are featured on the show. Leslie has been taking her daughters—14-year-old Payton and 18-year-old Taylor—to the Abby Lee Dance Company in Penn Hills for about five years. She said she makes the two-hour drive there and back because her family is very competitive and they like the competitive nature of the studio. "Abby produces great dancers and has a great network," Leslie said. "She points the girls in the right direction." …
Deborah Miller-Gurchak
6:07 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012
I find as a trainer of dogs we don't use those teaching techniques...so why treat children this way....we are trying to stop the BULLY attitude...I won't watch this program! more ›