Few characters challenge Johnson for dominance or even parity in the first two installments of “Dancing Queen,” and as it goes on, it’d be nice to get a bit more texture of the Beyond Belief community. ... That interplay between earnest parents and the serious side of a fun-loving queen makes for TV that edges up to inspirational. But it’s also just fun.

From scenes of heartbroken tweenagers to music-video-style footage of Edwards' performances, the show makes for uneven but still magnetic reality TV. [5 Oct 2018, p.41]

There's always a certain stunted, hokey filmic language to "unscripted" television, but these girls and their moms too obviously reveal the cracks of being produced. They try desperately to foist themselves into archetypes: the Crazy Mom, the Fragile Dreamer, the Plucky Upstart. ... Dancing Queen is incandescent when the narrative focuses on Johnson's personal journey.