The long-running reality show Dance Moms has ignited a firestorm of controversy with a recent episode that featured an 11-year-old dancer performing a routine inspired by the tragic death of JonBenét Ramsey. The episode, part of the series Dance Moms: A New Era, has drawn widespread criticism for its portrayal of the young beauty queen's infamous murder, with many viewers expressing their outrage on social media and other platforms.
The controversial performance was assigned to Ashlan Scheide, an 11-year-old dancer, who was tasked with interpreting the life and death of JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old child beauty queen whose unsolved murder in 1996 shocked the nation. The routine included a disturbing sequence where Ashlan mimicked being strangled, a detail that left many viewers unsettled.
In the episode, titled "Glo Don't Give with Both Hands," Ashlan's mother, Lisa, was seen explaining to her daughter the tragic background of JonBenét Ramsey, saying, "You're going to be a glitz pageant girl-that's who JonBenét was, but then she got kidnapped and murdered." Despite expressing discomfort with the storyline, Ashlan pushed forward, determined to win, stating, "This is really not for me, but I'll do anything for the win." Ultimately, Ashlan placed fourth in the competition.
“Dance Moms: A New Era” has sparked outrage after one of the young dancers was assigned a routine inspired by the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. pic.twitter.com/1Ea6zWOwff — Access Hollywood (@accesshollywood) August 23, 2024
Gloria "Miss Glo" Hampton, the dance coach responsible for the routine, guided Ashlan through the complex emotional narrative. Hampton described JonBenét Ramsey as "a glitz pageant queen" and encouraged Ashlan to channel the tragic story into her performance. However, the choice to use such a sensitive subject for a dance routine has been met with harsh criticism from both viewers and critics alike.
Social media platforms were flooded with angry reactions from viewers who found the routine inappropriate and exploitative. One Twitter user expressed their outrage by saying, "I'm outraged by Dance Moms! They had a girl portraying JonBenét Ramsey and ended the dance with her mimicking strangulation. So disrespectful!" Another user echoed this sentiment, questioning, "Who thought something so tragic and despicable would be a good idea to perform?"
The discussion extended to Reddit, where users condemned the decision to base a dance routine on such a grim and unresolved case. "It was extremely disturbing," one user wrote. "They could've easily done a beauty pageant routine without exploiting JonBenét's murder." Another user questioned the routine's effectiveness, asking, "How was the audience supposed to deduce that was about JonBenét Ramsey? It was weird."
The legacy of JonBenét Ramsey's case continues to captivate and confound the public, making the decision to incorporate it into a dance routine particularly controversial. JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. Despite numerous investigations and the collection of nearly 1,000 DNA samples, the case remains unsolved. In recent years, advancements in DNA technology have renewed hope that the case might one day be solved, but for now, it remains one of America's most notorious unsolved mysteries.
The portrayal of JonBenét's story on Dance Moms has reignited the debate over how such sensitive subjects should be handled in entertainment. Critics argue that the show's decision to dramatize the tragedy for competitive dance crosses a line, turning a real-life horror into a form of entertainment.
Despite the backlash, Miss Glo defended her creative process in a recent interview, saying that she is inspired by music and often develops routines based on the emotions and stories that the music evokes. "I think it leads me to what I want to do," Hampton explained. "I hear something and I get inspired by that, and I have a vision."
However, for many, the choice to bring JonBenét Ramsey's tragic story to the dance floor was a step too far. As one viewer put it, "We have become a disgusting society using the actual murder of a child for entertainment. Shame on everyone associated with this."
