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Back to the Barre
Stinson Takes a Seat
“You tortured us for years, now we get to torture you,” Kelly says to Bryan Stinson, co-creator of Dance Moms and today’s guest on Back to the Barre. He shares funny moments and memories from the show which he credits with sending dance class registrations across the country skyrocketing with its debut. He, Christi and Kelly discuss the show’s legacy and what they would change if they could do it all again. He answers the long-standing question as to why production didn’t show more fun and funny moments with the kids and reveals the show’s one strict drug policy that Christi managed to break.
Though he recognizes Dance Moms as “lightning in a bottle,” and marvels at how unlikely it was to find such perfect kids in one small dance studio in PA, he is nonetheless rebooting the series and explains how it will differ from the original. Kelly and Christi give their best advice to potential future cast members and Kelly reveals why she was so angry with Bryan back when they were filming, and why all was forgiven when Bryan showed his abs. They dispel common misconceptions fans still have about the show’s rehearsals and competitions.
Christi and Kelly have their own plans for future reboots involving the two of them as grandmas living in a retirement home. Christi reveals the unlikely group of parents who embraced the show while Bryan names the cast member who genuinely scared him.
Quotes
- “You guys have to be really proud of what you accomplished and what the show did around the world. It really did fill up dance classes around the world. Registration doubled based on the TV show…You guys did that. It was the first of its kind.” (30:57-31:28 | Bryan)
- ‘We were never anything but ourselves. Real people in ugly dresses and that's why people related. They said, ‘I saw that dress at Walmart, too. And we’d say, ‘I'm wearing it on national television.’” (1:04:34-1:04:51 | Christi)
- “When Kelly and I finally move into our Golden Girls house together…That's going to be a show.” (1:18:28- 1:18:45 | Christi and Kelly)
Links
Dance Moms Reboot Casting: www.dancemomsrebootcasting.com
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w
Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510
Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak
Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland
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DWTS Sends Guillermo Home After His BEST Dance Yet | Back to the Barre
43:17|Guillermo might not be the best dancer on Dancing With the Stars, but Witney Carson is determined to make him look like one. And somehow, while very pregnant, she pulls off one of the most entertaining routines of the night. Christi and Kelly are blown away by the choreography, the spectacle, and everything Witney manages to squeeze out of her partner. But even then, they were still eliminated. Womp womp womp. But Christi and Kelly wonder if Witney's pregnancy played a role in the elimination...They also react to Carrie Ann's criticism of Jenna sparks a judging controversy, Julia Stiles finally loosens up with a throwback to Save The Last Dance, and Ezra and Daniella deliver another showstopper. There's also plenty of speculation about the chemistry between dance partners, some questionable costume choices, and a few DWTS stars Christi and Kelly think are getting more credit than they deserve.GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Jill’s Most UNHINGED Dance Moms Meltdown | Back to the Barre Rewind
01:06:51|Welcome back to our REWIND series! Christi and Kelly are going back through the archive, re-editing, and re-uploading our old episodes — in order, from the very beginning of Dance Moms.This week, they’re revisiting Season 2, Episode 6, “Jill on the Rampage,” and this might be the most appropriately named episode yet.Every girl gets a solo, the moms are put in charge of costumes, and somehow that is enough to send Jill completely over the edge. After Abby rejects Kendall’s costume, Jill starts packing, throws a shoe, shoves a chair, and threatens to pull Kendall from the competition entirely — all while wearing the cowboy hat that gave Christi one of her most quoted lines from Dance Moms.Christi and Kelly look back on the full meltdown, why Kendall still wanted to dance through all of it, and a surprisingly great ending to the weekend when Paige finally gets her chance to shine.We originally aired this episode back in 2022, but it's been re-edited specifically for video!GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Abby Tries To Replace The Girls Before They’re Even Gone | Back To The Barre
01:51:20|Dance Moms is already wobbling in season 6. Maddie is away filming, the team is trying to prove it can win without her, and Abby’s legal problems are getting harder to ignore.So naturally, Abby decides this is the perfect time to bring in a mini team. The girls who built the show are still standing right there, but Abby is already talking about the next generation of ALDC dancers. The minis are younger, eager, and moldable — everything Abby keeps saying she misses about the original team. And the moms know exactly what that means.Christi and Kelly break down season 6, episode 3 where the minis arrive and the whole room feels the threat immediately. Jill spirals over Brynn learning Kendall’s solo, Ashley keeps pushing the “new Maddie” storyline, Abby barely has time for the team she already has, and the girls are left trying to pull off a hip hop number called “Straight Outta Pittsburgh” while half the chaos has nothing to do with dancing.GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
The Total Travel DISASTER That Almost Ruined Our Tour | Back To The Barre
50:10|Christi and Kelly thought they were being responsible by flying in early for their Connecticut show. Instead, the day turned into an airport horror story that almost took the whole tour down with it.A delayed flight becomes a bird-strike situation, then a mad dash to switch airlines, then a luggage disaster, then a missed flight, then New York traffic, then a race to make a 6:00 show with merch, signs, suitcases, tech, and Kelly in a wheelchair all moving in different directions. By the time they finally get to the venue, there is barely enough time to walk in, get dressed, set up, and go straight on stage.And somehow the chaos still is NOT over. After the show, they end up at the wrong hotel in the middle of the night, lose their rooms, and drag four bags through New York while running on fumes. It was a travel day from hell, and you got to hear Christi and Kelly recap this horror story!GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Jill Takes Kissing Up To Abby To A WHOLE New Level | Back to the Barre Rewind
01:40:15|Welcome back to our REWIND series! Christi and Kelly are going back through the archive, re-editing, and re-uploading our old episodes — in order, from the very beginning of Dance Moms.This week, they’re revisiting Season 2, Episode 5, “Brooke’s Back,” where Brooke returns to the ALDC, Kendall is finally off probation, and Jill decides that it’s time to start making some moves....What starts with asking for better parts quickly turns into gifts, special treatment, and eventually a surprise massage for Abby and Gianna — all while Jill insists she’s just doing what she needs to do for Kendall. Christi, Kelly, and Holly aren’t buying it, and the tension between the moms blows up fast!Plus, Christi and Kelly look back on Brooke having to ask Abby for her spot back, the pressure immediately put on her to win, and why this episode feels like the moment Jill really starts becoming the Dance Mom everyone remembers.We originally aired this episode back in 2022, but it's been re-edited specifically for YouTube!GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Abby’s Federal FRAUD Indictment Finally Hits Dance Moms... And The Show Was Never The Same | Back To The Barre
01:51:30|This is the episode where Dance Moms gets hit with something way, way bigger than pyramid drama.Abby’s federal fraud indictment finally becomes public, and suddenly every strange moment feels different. Abby is acting even more erratic. The moms are trying to figure out what this means for their kids. And the whole room is realizing their daughters are not just tied to a difficult dance teacher anymore — they are tied to someone facing some serious charges. And somehow, while all of this is happening, Abby is still trying to act like it is business as usual. She is yelling about Mackenzie’s feet, launching a mini team, dodging the questions everyone wants answered, and acting like the real crisis is whether the girls are hungry enough to win.Christi and Kelly break down one of the biggest turning points in Dance Moms history. With the benefit of hindsight, this ends up being the beginning of the end for the show...GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!Connecticut (October 2): https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/back-to-the-barre-ridgefield-ct-2026New York City (October 3): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00006518C2C668A9New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?). Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below! https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Does DWTS Reward Popularity Over Dancing? | Back To The Barre
34:10|Yacht Rock Night should be an easy week in the ballroom — bad shirts, soft rock, a few awkward hips, and everyone trying to survive another dance.But Christi and Kelly are starting to see the real game underneath Dancing With the Stars. Harry actually shows up and dances. Amber looks like she is gaining momentum. Maura keeps winning them over even when the routine is not their favorite. And then there are contestants like Tyler Cameron, who may not be the cleanest dancer in the room, but might have enough fans — and enough hot-guy energy — to stick around anyway.That’s the question this week: does DWTS really reward the dancing, or does it reward whoever has the biggest fanbase, best partner, strongest social media pull, or most drama after elimination?Plus, Christi and Kelly talk Connecticut and New York tour dates, New Orleans plans, Mardi Gras myths, Real Housewives lingerie party chaos, Whitney Leavitt’s post-elimination drama, and why the next few Dance Moms recaps may come with a lot more behind-the-scenes tea.GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!Connecticut (October 2): https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/back-to-the-barre-ridgefield-ct-2026New York City (October 3): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00006518C2C668A9New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?).Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below!https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
The IRONY Of An Anti-Bullying Dance When Abby Is The Teacher | Back To The Barre REWIND
01:10:05|Welcome back to our REWIND series! Christi and Kelly are going back through the archive, re-editing, and re-uploading our old episodes — in order, from the very beginning of Dance Moms. This week, they’re revisiting season 2 episode 4, “No One Likes a Bully,” where Abby somehow decides she’s the perfect person to teach a lesson about bullying....The group dance is built around the subject, but the irony gets harder to ignore as the week goes on. Holly pushes back on Nia being cast as the bully, Paige is made to sit and watch her replacement rehearse, Payton gets pulled into the middle of the drama, and Christi believes Abby spends the entire week trying to rattle Chloe after she beat Maddie.What was supposed to be a dance about bullying ends up becoming one of the clearest examples of why Christi and Kelly had such a problem with the way Abby treated the girls in the first place.We originally aired this episode back in 2022, but it's been re-edited specifically for YouTube!GET TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE!Connecticut (October 2): https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/back-to-the-barre-ridgefield-ct-2026New York City (October 3): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00006518C2C668A9New Orleans (December 4): https://laughlife.standuptix.com/calendar/2026-12?day=04Welcome to Back to the Barre, the ultimate podcast channel where Kelly Hyland and Christi Lukasiak from Dance Moms spill the tea, share the laughs, and take you behind the scenes of your favorite reality TV moments! 🎥✨Join us as we relive the wild drama of pyramid days, outrageous competitions, and unforgettable moments that made Dance Moms a pop culture phenomenon. But this isn’t just about rhinestones—we’re giving you the real stories: the chaos, the camaraderie, and yes, the cocktails that got us through it all. 🍸💃If you love binge-worthy reality TV, snarky humor, and behind-the-scenes gossip, you’ve come to the right place. Expect hilarious recaps, juicy secrets, and unfiltered opinions (because honestly, what else would you expect from us?).Get ready to laugh, cry, and question how we survived it all! 💅💥 Subscribe now for your weekly dose of drama and fun—you know you can’t look away. 😉 And if want more video content, subscribe to our exclusive Patreon channel below!https://www.patreon.com/backtothebarre
Who's Ready to Party?!
05:08|Join us in Connecticut on October 2Or NYC on October 3UPGRADE TO A VIPAnd New Orleans on Dec 4. No drinks will be thrown!!