From Lexington to Australia to national TV, local mom-daughter duo dances to big stage
After spending three months filming in Australia, a Lexington mother-daughter duo are about to see themselves shine on national TV when CBS’s new show “Come Dance With Me” airs in mid-April.
While Mia Clark and her mother, Crystal, got some time to explore Australia, they spent most of their time abroad practicing their dance moves.
“The first thing we had to do was go to rehearsal pretty much right away,” 10-year-old Mia explained. “And there are cameras in there, so I was kind of nervous at first because I had never really been in front of, like, an actual camera that’s going to go on national television.”
Mia has been dancing since she was 3 years old and has performed styles from tap to hip hop throughout her time at Irmo’s Southern Strutt studio. While the cameras were new, she was used to competitive dancing.
For her mom, Crystal, there was a lot more rehearsal. But that was kind of the point.
The premise of the show pairs talented dancers between 9 and 15 years old with an untrained adult who has been supportive of their dance career. The teams compete in front of celebrity judges for a chance to win $100,000. (You’ll have to watch the show to see how the Clarks did.)
Mia’s uncle, who works as a professional choreographer, first entered Mia into the competition with a video of the two of them, but the rules require that the young dancer’s partner be untrained. So Mia asked her mom.
Crystal loves dance, too. Both of her brothers do it professionally, and she incorporates a lot of movement into her preschool classroom at Saxe Gotha Child Development Center in Lexington.
“I like to dance with the kids,” Crystal said. “They know that is the kind of energy I bring to the classroom, so they are very excited to see their teacher dance on TV.”
But performing complicated choreography on national television was a touch out of her wheelhouse. She had to think about it, but eventually agreed. She thought Mia would be doing most of the dancing, anyway.
She quickly learned that was not the case. Crystal would have to keep pace with her professionally-trained 10-year-old.
“When we got that first choreography, I’m pretty sure my mouth just dropped,” Crystal recalled.
Mia was admittedly skeptical at first, too.
“The most surprising thing was definitely my mom because I thought when we got there she would have not been very good at dancing, but she actually was,” Mia said.
Mia and Crystal both said they were happy to have the experience together — the interviews, costume fittings and exploring a new country brought them closer together, Crystal said.
And they both developed a deeper appreciation for what the other is capable of, she added.
When the show airs, it will be the first time Mia and Crystal see any of what they filmed.
“It’s gonna be new to all of us, and we’ll get to all enjoy it together for the first time,” Crystal said, adding that she’s nervous but excited for her friends and family to see her dance.
The first episode of the series airs on CBS Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The show will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
