Dance Moms: A New Era is bringing back the reality TV dance show with a controversy to match. Aside from the usual moms at each other’s throats, one routine on the show has generated some backlash online. The routine in question – a JonBenét Ramsey-inspired solo.

In the eighth episode of the Hulu series, Ashlan is assigned a solo number inspired by the young and tragic beauty pageant contestant. For those who don’t remember, JonBenét was infamously murdered at just six years old. It remains a tragic, unsolved mystery to this day.

True Crime Meets Dance Moms: A New Era

To prepare her for the number called Glitz, Glo Hampton asks the young dancer to learn about JonBenét. She urges Ashlan to find out everything about her family and her tragic, inevitable end.

That alone is enough to raise eyebrows, but perhaps one of the strangest parts of the episode is that Ashlan’s mother, Lisa, helps her with her research. They watched videos of the young beauty pageant star while Lisa explained that she was “kidnapped and murdered.”

Ashlan seemed sad and scared and even expressed her fears about the routine. “It’s going to be hard to act like a beauty queen,” she explained. I mean, I can’t blame her. It’s a lot, especially for such a young girl.

Lisa continues to tell JonBenét’s tragic story and shares that despite a blackmail letter, there is no solution to the case. And that JonBenét’s parents were sleeping in the house when she was kidnapped.

And rather than worrying about the story’s impact on her daughter, Lisa says her reaction to JonBenét’s story was to let “negativity creep in” and the excitement of the solo prevail. Ashlan concluded the research session by saying, “Oh my God, this really isn’t for me, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.”

Ashlan and the girls are already under a lot of pressure to secure a spot at Nationals. Was it really necessary to throw JonBenét’s tragic story into the mix? Many viewers feel that it wasn’t and that it was overall in poor taste.

After receiving criticism for the number, Ashlan added: “I know pretty much how JonBenét felt. I’m never good enough.”

“Dance Moms: A New Era” is now streaming on Hulu.

TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE ROUTINE IS A BAD IDEA? OR IS IT NOT THAT BIG DEAL?