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Parents' Guide to

Your Mama Don't Dance

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Everybody wins in kid-parent dance competition.

TV Lifetime Television Reality TV 2008
Your Mama Don't Dance Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

Reality competition series YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE features young professional dancers from all over the country who dance with their parents to try to win $100,000 in cash and prizes. Each week, the dancers teach their parents -- who have no professional dance training -- to perform choreography in various styles. Then they strut their stuff in front of judges/dance veterans Ben Vereen, Vitamin C, and Cris Judd. The two couples with the lowest scores at the end of each episode go into the "drop zone," where they must wait for the TV audience to vote for who should move on to the next phase. Viewers also get to pick the winning pair at the end of the competition.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Hosted by Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Ian Ziering, the show offers some fun dance numbers, as well as funny and often heartwarming interview and rehearsal footage that gives viewers a glimpse of some of the ups and downs that each parent-child pair experiences while living and practicing together. Audiences also learn more about how each pair's relationship has developed over time; some have grown stronger after overcoming obstacles like coping with divorce, battling mental illness, and dealing with homophobia.

Though the one-on-one interviews aren't very in-depth, some parents may find the issues they bring up a bit strong for young viewers. But overall, the series offers fun family entertainment. It demonstrates how parents can grow closer to their children at any age by participating in something their kids love to do. It also shows how much fun it can be for kids to spend time and share their passion with their parents. In the end, this competition show is one where everybody actually wins.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the growing popularity of dance competition TV shows. Do you think these competitions challenge or maintain existing stereotypes about men and women who dance? How? Families can also discuss how parents can participate in their kids' favorite activities. Kids: What things do you do that you'd like to see your parents try? Parents: Are there things that your kids do that you admire and would like to learn? Would you ever want to try any of them on television?

TV Details

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