The Big Picture

Coach Glo takes the lead in the
Dance Moms
reboot, facing mama drama while pushing dancers to excel.
Glo Hampton’s tough-love approach differs from Abby Lee Miller, focusing on love and success.
Dance shows like
Dance Moms: A New Generation
highlight the importance of diversity in the dance world.

Dance Moms is back and without Abby Lee Miller. This time, Glo Hampton, who appeared in Miller’s iteration, is leading the charge in the new Hulu reboot of the beloved reality series, A New Era. Hampton has her own group of dancers and bigger mama drama. But she’s dedicated to taking her students and the dance school, Studio Bleu to the next level. There are some similarities, as viewers will see the dancers compete weekly. But the road to glory won’t be an easy one.

Coach Glo is dealing with instructing talented dancers with intricate choreography, their overbearing moms who believe their daughter deserves top billing, and many meltdowns. She teaches with a hard fist, but it ultimately pays off. Collider spoke with Hampton about what to expect as she ushers her dancers to victory. She also dishes on the controversy from the original show, and the scandals that have ensued.

Dance Moms A reality TV series follows the intense and often dramatic experiences of young competitive dancers at a prestigious dance studio, under the guidance of a notoriously demanding instructor. The dancers and their mothers navigate the high-pressure world of competitive dance, where ambition, rivalry, and the pursuit of perfection collide.Release Date July 13, 2011 Seasons 8

Glo Hampton Says ‘Dance Moms: A New Generation’ Is Her Time to Shine
Hampton isn’t a foreign face to the Dance Moms fandom. She first appeared in Season 3, when Miller called her and her daughter, Kaeli Ware, to join the replacement team. She and Miller would clash, as Miller would with most of the moms. Hampton has her own impressive resume as a dance teacher. In her career, she has helped guide students to dance professionally on Broadway, in music videos, on tours, and in movies. She’s anxious for viewers to see her in this realm.

Related The Moms are the Real Reason for ‘Dance Moms’ Success Dance Moms has been off the air for five years, so why is it still such a cultural phenomenon?

“I am now in my element. I’m a dance teacher. I’ve done this for 40 years, and I’m very excited to take it to the next level and show the world what I do and what I’m good at. I’m just anxious for everyone to see that,” she shares. But she says there are challenges. “On this show, you’re going to see a lot of great dancing. You’re going to see a lot of fabulous faces. There are some tears. This experience was much quicker-paced than what the dancers are used to,” she admits. “So I think that just puts a lot of pressure on everybody. But we kind of pluck through together. I think the audience is going to fall in love with these children.”

Glo Hampton Dishes on Her ‘Tough-Love’ Approach Versus Abby Lee Miller
Image from A+E Networks

A lot of controversy has taken place since the original series, and much of the backlash has been about Miller’s coaching style. Many dancers say they are traumatized from their time with Miller on the show, so much so that some took a hiatus from dance. Miller has doubled down on her teaching technique, saying the dancers are where they are because of it. Hampton understands both sides.

“I think every single one of the original cast members has said that they would do it all again. Do I agree with certain teaching styles? Absolutely not. And I think the answer for everyone wondering how this show differs is in the title of the show: It’s Dance Moms: A New Era,” she asserts. “So this is a new era, and it’s a new teaching style. I teach from a place of love. And, am I tough? Absolutely. But I have the success rate to back it up.”

Hampton says there’s a difference in how her students receive her also. They aren’t afraid of her. Some of Miller’s students have spoken against Miller’s tactics. “Every teacher has their own teaching method. I demand a lot of my students. I’m tough, but I think it’s more of a tough-love situation. My kids definitely want to please me. They hate to disappoint me. And I think that drives them to work hard for me,” she asserts.

‘Dance Moms’ Gives the Art Its Flowers
Image via Lifetime

Dance shows remain popular today. With shows like Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, or even documentaries like America’s Sweethearts expose the rigorous training dancers go through. Hampton says A New Era is an extension.

“Dance is just huge. Dance competition is a huge industry. We’re a hometown studio. All of my kids have been trained by me. People can look at them and be able to look at them and say, ‘I could be like that.’ I think that’s so important for young dancers to have these people to look up to.”

Glo Hampton Says Diversity in Dance Has Improved

One criticism of the dance world has always been the lack of diversity, specifically in classical genres. The first iteration showed the challenges Nia Sioux faced under Miller’s tutelage. She was often given choreography and costumes deemed ethnic by her mother, who complained to Miller about not taking time to train Nia as she did the other girls. It’s a common occurrence in the dance world. But Hampton says there has been some improvement.

“I do think that there’s been progress, thank God. I was talking in another interview about Misty Copeland. She is such a huge idol to my daughter and not just as a woman of color, but because she has a different body type,” Hampton explains. “She is muscular and, I think finally, for Misty to get the recognition that she deserved when she got promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre was huge. I think the face of dance has changed. My daughter has struggled with it herself in the ballet industry. She’s nearly six feet tall. So that’s not an ideal situation for a ballet dancer. But fortunately, she’s found her place. I hope that everyone is able to do that.”

Dance Moms: A New Era can be streamed on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu