“The Original Dance Mom” Passes Away, Leaving A Legacy Behind

The love that Abby Lee Miller shared for her mother Maryen Lorrain Miller, 86, was well documented on her Lifetime television show Dance Moms. While Abby may be tough on her students and their parents, she always had a soft spot for Maryen, who most referred to as “the original dance mom”.

Needless to say, when Abby had to share the news that her beloved mother had passed, it wasn’t easy. She took to her personal Instagram account to announce Maryen’s passing saying: “You will be missed. #WeLoveYouMaryenLorrain.”

Maryen had been fighting a long battle with colon cancer. On Friday, February 8, Maryen lost her fight and passed away. Shortly before Maryen was pronounced dead, Abby shared another Instagram post that featured a picture of her mother as a young woman. She captioned the photo by saying: “Maryen Lorraine Miller is performing her last dance, please keep her in your prayers.”

According to Abby’s official website, Maryen was born on August 6, 1927 in Greenfield, PA. She developed a passion for dance at an early age, and opened her first dance studio the Maryen Lorrain School of Dance in 1945. Throughout her years as a teacher and a mother, she developed long-lasting relationships with her students and their parents. Maryen also served as a 50-year member of Dance Masters of America.

Abby first spoke about her mother’s ailing health during a Dance Moms special Dance Moms Cares in January. To honor Maryen, Abby choreographed a special routine called Beautiful Sadness for her elite dance team to perform. They performed the number during the Starbound competition, Dancers Care Foundation Benefit Competition in August, where they scored first place in their division.

Not only did Maryen have the love of her former students, Abby’s current students adored her as well, and took to their social media accounts to offer their condolences to their coach.

“I’m very sorry to say that Mrs. Miller has left us,” Abby’s star student Maddie Ziegler wrote on an Instagram post on Saturday. “She was like the grandma I never had. I’m terribly sad and wish I could say good bye. I love you so much and wish I could hug you right now @therealabbylee,”she added.

Maddie’s younger sister Mackenzie Ziegler also shared a post on Instagram that read: “I hope Mrs. Miller is better now since she passed, but she’s putting on her power blue tap shoes up there.”

[Image via Instagram]