Abby Lee Miller stated that the famous ranking pyramid of headshots was not something she used at her studio before the show; she said it was entirely conceived by the producers of Dance Moms, not by her.

The season 2 episode 'Topless Showgirls,' which featured young dancers in a burlesque-style routine with flesh-toned bra tops meant to simulate nudity, was pulled from rotation due to audience and parent complaints and has since been excluded from DVD releases and streaming services.

Kelly Hyland was arrested in January 2014 for allegedly assaulting Abby Lee Miller backstage at a New York City competition during season 4 filming, after Miller reportedly accused Hyland's 15-year-old daughter Brooke of being on drugs.

In October 2015, Abby Lee Miller was indicted for concealing roughly $755,000 in income from her Dance Moms earnings; she pleaded guilty in 2016 and was sentenced in 2017 to a year and a day in prison, of which she served about 8.5 months.

In June 2020, Lifetime severed ties with Abby Lee Miller and cancelled the planned spin-off Abby's Virtual Dance-Off after former cast members Camille Bridges and Adriana Smith publicly accused her of making racist and condescending remarks toward their daughters during the show's run.

Several future Junior Elite team members, including Asia Monet Ray, JoJo Siwa, and Kalani Hilliker, first appeared on the spin-off Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition before being brought onto the main Dance Moms team.

Cast member Sophia Lucia, who briefly joined the team as part of 'The Replacements' storyline in season 3, holds the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive pirouettes.

The 2018 Pulitzer-nominated play Dance Nation by Clare Barron was heavily inspired by the cast of Dance Moms.