There’s a new dance coach on television: introducing, Gloria Hampton.
The choreographer has some huge shoes to fill as the new face of Dance Moms: A New Era, which premiered on Hulu on August 7. Prior to its premiere, J-14 spoke to Gloria, where she spoke about her coaching style and addressed some of the reboot’s critics. Keep reading for our exclusive interview.
This isn’t Gloria’s debut with Dance Moms. She previously graced the stage on season 3 of the original Lifetime series alongside her daughter, Kaeli Ware.
Reflecting on her previous experience, Gloria shared, “So, Abby [Lee Miller] had actually seen my daughter at a competition and interestingly enough, she came up and said, ‘That girl should have won. She absolutely should have won,’ and was very complimentary. And then Abby and I became friends through that actually.”
So, what’s the latest with Abby Lee Miller?
“Well, I did get a congratulatory text from Abby,” Gloria revealed. “We do keep in touch. My daughter and I both have. We’re friends with some of the [OG Dance Moms] moms and the kids. But yeah, I did get a congratulatory text from Abby early on as things went on. I haven’t talked to her since then, so I’m not sure how she’s feeling right now. I hope she’s supportive.”
When it comes to her coaching philosophy, Gloria isn’t shy about her expectations.
“I expect them to work hard. I expect them to be focused when they’re in class and do the homework,” she said. “Because we are on such a short schedule, we don’t have the luxury of months and months of rehearsing like we normally would. So they’re working all day long and then they still have to go home and go over everything we did that day before. So I do expect a lot of them, but there was a learning curve, but we definitely figured it out together.”
As the reboot launched, fans had mixed feelings online. The original Dance Moms, which began in 2011 and ran for 8 seasons, was known for its dramatic flair and its role in catapulting stars like JoJo Siwa and Maddie Ziegler. However, the show’s intense and sometimes toxic atmosphere was often criticized for its impact on the young dancers.
Gloria addressed the concerns head-on.
“Well, I think there are two things I would say. One is if you go back and talk to the OG’s and the moms, there’s really no one who says that they wouldn’t do it again. It made them successful and it was hard for them, I’m sure. But they are where they are because of this show. The other thing is it’s in the title, it’s a new era, so we are going to approach it our way. And I think I teach with love. So hopefully people will see that. And it doesn’t have to be traumatic for these kids.”
Looking ahead, Gloria is excited for what this new chapter holds.
“I’ve been doing this for so long and to be able to show what I’ve done to the world, it is crazy and amazing, and I’m so grateful for that opportunity. As far as the kids go, those children are going to be stars. They were amazing and fabulous in these beautiful, perfect little faces and hard workers, and they deserve the world. So that’s what I hope they achieve from this.”
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