Reality check: Floor opens up to more 'Dance Moms'
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Is there room in this world for another group of "Dance Moms"?
Collins Avenue, in association with Lifetime television, recently posted a casting call for Season 2 of the hit reality series.
The search -- which closed Friday -- was for "ANOTHER dance studio to be featured on Dance Moms 2," according to the online description.
The cast of "Dance Moms," a show that follows the conflicts between dance instructor Abby Lee Miller and moms of elite students at her Penn Hills studio, has been signed for a second season.
But apparently, only so much drama can be mined from one group. In adding a second dance studio to the mix, casting directors indicated they were looking for dads as well as moms. The casting description also indicated producers sought "FAMILIES with strong personalities, talent, passion and the desire to win!"
"Dance Moms" averaged 1.6 million viewers during the last month of its run, which ended Oct. 5.
Season 27 of MTV's "The Real World" will hold auditions today at the Buckhead Saloon at Station Square. Bunim/Murray Productions will have casting directors on hand 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
"We look for characters from real life; people with strong personalities who are unafraid to speak their minds," said "The Real World" executive producer Jonathan Murray.
They are looking for "surprising and unusual life stories that have yet to be told on television." Applicants must bring a recent photo of themselves for the producers to keep, and photo ID. They must be 20 or older and appear between the ages of 20-24.
Can't make it to town? Apply at www.bunim-murray.com.
Elsewhere in Pittsburgh's corner of the reality world:
• "The Sing-Off" (NBC, Mondays) -- It was "Guilty Pleasures Week" and Nashville's The Collective had to be pleased with its performance. With Richland native Kaleb Jones on backup, the group gets high marks all around for its version of "I Will Survive." Eight a capella groups remain.
• "The Biggest Loser" (NBC, Tuesdays) -- Murrysville native Jessica Limpert lost six pounds, gained immunity and earned another week at the ranch.
• "Top Chef: Just Desserts" (Bravo, Wednesdays) -- All four cheftestants did a good job on their challenge: to make a sweet dessert look like an iconic savory dish from a foreign country. Orlando Santos, the executive pastry chef at the Duquesne Club, made a Spanish paella out of coconut and saffron rice, compressed plums and roasted beets.
From what viewers saw of the judging, it's hard to guess what didn't measure up, but Mr. Santos was informed he would not be advancing to next week's finale. Which is a shame, given that the final challenge involves showpieces, his specialty.
Although he displayed a somewhat arrogant side early in the season, Mr. Santos said the experience "humbled" him for the better.
"When I came here I felt as if I was the best at everything. 'Top Chef' has shown me that other opinions matter."
First Published October 22, 2011 12:00 am
