We’re a dozen episodes into Season 4, Dance Moms nation, and a few themes seem to be emerging. The obvious biggie is that one not-so-fine day, Abby is going to assemble a new competition squad. Unless it’s simply a fresh way to instill terror into her current dancers, while parading a steady stream of other dancers in front of the cameras. Whether or not said new team will truly be assembled and what it might mean to the show and the existing team remains to be seen. But in the meantime, it’s as inescapable as a butt rash. And just about as comfortable.
The second is the behavioral fallout from Abby’s battle with Kelly that is now playing itself out in courtrooms on both coasts. This one appears to be twofold. On one hand, Abby is making it agonizingly clear that the remaining mothers better know their place on her show and in her studio — and the way she treats their children is their best gauge of how well they are toeing the line. In the last few episodes, however, there seems to be some considerable effort to reestablish Abby’s devotion to the Pitt Crew kids and their winning reputation — and their rivalry with the Candy Apples instead of each other.
So let’s see where tonight takes us, shall we? And forgive me in advance for the lack of illustration. I’ve lost the will to deal, where that’s concerned.
When the group convenes, Kalani and Kira are still absent, Fallon and Cheryl have been banished and Payton and Leslie are back so we have someone not in the core group to be mad at. See also: theme two.
Abby takes a couple minutes to celebrate last week’s tenth consecutive group dance win, with no outright mention that Cathy supposedly yanked the Candy Apples group dance to ensure it. One would think that had that actually happened, we’d be mocking her and her non-quitter remarks to Fallon to no end. But whatever. Maybe we’re all just being splendidly gracious. See also: theme two.
Pyramid time.
Bottom of the bottom is Mackenzie, for the sheer fact that she wasn’t at the same competition as everybody else.
Then comes Nia. Her facial expressions were over the top, but they weren’t appropriate for the dance.
Next is Payton for being a giant baby and crying over getting stabbed in the head with a hair thingie. Er, what? That was, like, weeks ago. What kind of arsed-up editing is going on here?
You: “The usual?” Me: “Fair enough.”
Payton decides to be consistent and storms out in nice little teenage-hissy tears. Leslie goes after her, hollering away about how she told Pay-Pay that they shouldn’t set themselves up for more failure. After a bit, Abby follows, telling the girl that she can be a rock star when she puts her mind to it, but, don’t expect Abby to care if she’s happy or not. Payton says she loves Abby and dancing and the studio or she wouldn’t keep putting up with this crap. Yeeesh! Right, Payton? Yeeesh!
Chloe begins row 2. Abby says she did great, but if she was home-schooled like Maddie, she could be even greater. Then comes home-schooled Maddie, to prove her point. See, Chloe? Home-schooling could make you one spot greater for sure.
Kendall is top of the top for receiving the technique award for last week’s second-place solo. Abby says that means she’s doing something right. Abby, that is. Kendall is just the vessel for her rightness.
This week, we are trying something new and attending World-Class Talent Experience in Rockville, Maryland.
Abby says the reason Payton is back on this team is because Abby has a vision. Which is a little kid version of the Tony Award-winning Harvey Fierstein/Cyndi Lauper/Jerry Mitchell Broadway musical Kinky Boots, done over as a group dance.
Holly says that might fly in L.A. or NYC, but probably not in Maryland, which gives me the giggles. Yes, Holly. I’m pretty sure Broadway is a foreign land filled with weirdos to people in Maryland. Anybody out there from Maryland care to weigh in on that? Oh please?
Also, did I mention that I talked Kinky Boots with Ms. Lauper herself once upon a time. And also that I dressed as her for Halloween when I was in college. No, I don’t have pictures. It was long before cellphone cameras, thank you Jesus and the gods of technology.
Anyway, the group dance is called Lift You Up, it’s musical theater — duh — and Abby says it’s all about performing with confidence. Speaking of that, Maddie and Mackenzie will be pitted against each other for the first time ever, now that they’re finally both in the age 9-12 solo category. Mack will do a repeat of Maddie’s “Cry” solo. Maddie will do a tap so called “The Game of Love.”
Turns out there’s a third entrant in the competition, too — Chloe is doing a contemporary solo called “Follow You.”
Up in the Mom Loft, Leslie leads a discussion of how badly Abby treats Payton, and Christi congratulates her on setting a new speed record for pissing Abby off at pyramid. These two are getting along awfully swimmingly, don’t you think? Someone must have said a big, fat “I’m sorry” for throwing drinks and punches in New Orleans.
Abby says Chloe has the advantage in the solo race because Maddie’s stepping outside her wheelhouse and doing tap. Christi says that’s a crock since Maddie has been tapping since she was a little kid and Abby will make sure she has a dance routine that can’t be beat. The winner will probably be whomever Abby (or the editors) decides the winner is. See also: the first half of the second theme.
When it’s time to practice Chloe’s solo, Abby tells the girl that lots of people follow her — on Instragram, on Facebook, around the country — but the question is: Is Chloe ever going stop following Chloe and step into the limelight in her own right? I’d say that’s up to you, oh creator of the dances. Because the kid dances beautifully every time.
Then it’s Abby’s turn to talk things over with Mack. Abby tells her that Maddie never did little kid dances the way Mack did, and now it’s time she danced like a big girl. A big girl being forced to recycle her sister’s dance. But I guess ya gotta start somewhere. May as well be in your sister’s hand-me-downs.
Up in the Mom Loft looking down, Leslie says the group dance looks sloppy and will never, ever win. How I wish I had a screen capture to capture Holly’s and Leslie’s stink face as they watch it. Might be worth it to revisit the online version tomorrow just to bring that baby home. Abby says it’s up to Payton to ensure that victory eleven is heaven, since Maddie isn’t the star.
Then the Zeigler-Gisoni contingent convenes to discuss how Mackenzie is doing Maddie’s Cry solo in Maddie’s Cry costume. Abby warns Melissa and Mack that if the latter doesn’t live up to both, it ain’t going to be Abby who’s crying. Abby says in order to vanquish Maddie, Mack has to channel her first. And then, I guess, learn to vanquish her sister and herself? This is, perhaps, all too deep for me.
I tried to find the recap in which Maddie did said solo, just to see how long ago it was and what I thought about it, but turns out if you type anything plus “Cry” into the Channel Guide blog search field, you get pretty much every Dance Moms recap ever. But here’s the last time Maddie tapped. We’ll call that close enough.
As Chloe runs her solo, Christi points out that the dance isn’t actually even finished. Abby ditches it anyway to work with Maddie, and Christi asks Melissa how many days Maddie has been working on her dance. Melissa says one day, just like Chloe. Jill says bull, just like Christi — because Abby herself says no one can learn a tap solo in a single day. Melissa says can too, trying to suppress her patented Many Expressions of Denial.
Now Abby has decided that it’s Mack who has the advantage, because she can just go to the YouTube and watch Maddie dance Cry as often as she wants to. I think the moral of the story here is that Abby would really like for us to believe that Maddie doesn’t have the advantage, even though we know 100% that she’s going to win.
And we’re back to practicing Chloe’s solo, during which Abby calls her an outstanding representative for the ALDC for the first time since … well, ever. Either someone dealt herself an off-camera head injury and forgot how she really feels about Chloe, or someone doesn’t want Chloe’s mother testifying for the prosecution. Shall we vote?
Up in the Mom Loft, we are having a chat about who looks more like a drag queen, Jill or Payton, when the actual drag queens arrive. One is called Lola LaCroix, the other is Blake or Blaze or something I didn’t catch, and both are very, very tall.
Lola tells the girls that to be an effective drag queen, you need to have uber-big face. Big eyes. Big lips. Big strut. She leads, and everyone joins in including Abby and the moms. Ah, unity and teamwork! Harvey and his Charlie and Lola would be proud. I think we should spend the rest of the episode doing this.
Then it’s time for drag queen makeovers and a little girl talk. Lola works on Payton, who quizzes her about whether she’s ever been picked on and how she handled it. While the mothers wait in the lobby, Payton emerges in a massive disco-fro, looking like the vamped up child of Jennifer Beals in Flashdance and Cher in the “If I Could Turn Back Time” video. Discuss.
Then we enjoy little sister time with the Zeiglers. Maddie says it’s time to forget about the cheesy jazz and cutesy dances of the past and tap into her lyrical, emotional self. Mackenzie protests that she doesn’t have the Maddie face, she has the Kenzie face, but Maddie’s unmoved by the argument. “I hope you do great,” she tells her reluctant copycat kid sister, “but I hope you don’t win.”
Abby brings icky, frosted, creme-filled treats on the bus to the competition. Dr. Holly does not approve of the poor nutrition right before a competition.
Once we’re in Rockville, Abby has Mack practice her Hashtag MaddieFace. When they’re done, Christi whispers to the kid that it’s A-OK to go out there and be herself, no matter what Abby says.
Maddie taps first. I am a big giant fan of watching Maddie tap and I think that Maddie is a big giant fan of getting to cut loose on something other than the usual lyrical drivel. Melissa says she looks like she was already in a Broadway show, and I’d have to agree. The kid is a born entertainer.
Afterward, Maddie gives Mack a backstage, do-good-but-don’t-win pep talk.
Oh swell. Let’s have a little picture-in-picture of Maddie dancing at the same at time as Mack, so we don’t pay any attention to the kid who is really on the stage. And doing a bang up job of the solo, even if her expressions are sunshiny Mack and not angst-ridden Maddie.
In the exceptionally well-lit audience, Abby asks Melissa what she thinks. Melissa cries and says she didn’t think of Maddie one time while little whatsername was dancing. I kid, I kid.
Back in the get-ready room, Leslie says Mack didn’t need Maddie’s costume or her solo to stand out on the stage and Melissa shoulda said so. Melissa says Abby was just doing what she had to do, but she begins to seethe. When Abby joins them, she says Mack wasn’t Maddie, but she was sweet all the same.
Then Abby says that, given the caliber of talent at the competition, she wishes that Kalani was there instead of Payton and that they were doing a lyrical dance instead of one about drag queens. The routine would be better suited to NYC or Jersey (who called it?! Holly did!!!) And if it loses, it will be all Payton’s fault, not whatever moron decided to enter a drag queen dance in a children’s dance competition in a state that has surely never heard of drag queens.
But since they’re there and all, Abby tells the kids that if they get a bad vibe from the crowd, they should just go harder.
Turns out the girls are dressed more like ’70s go-go girls than drag queens, but we still get a shot of a dad in the audience looking uncomfortable. Most likely because he’s a dad at a dance competition, and also, the kid in his lap is not cooperating. Or maybe because of Payton’s Dancey-Daisy-Duke shorts. Jill says the audience is just confused. Poor, sweet Maryland. Here. Go ahead and watch while we’re not looking.
Come results time, Chloe gets third. Mack gets second. Maddie gets first. The group dance wins too. And that’s all the results we hear. Was any other studio entered in this thing? And is it possible that someone in Maryland has heard of Kinky Boots after all? Praise Fierstein!
Abby says Payton deserves a Tony for her performance, but even though she was outstanding, but Mack ran away with the dance. Melissa and Leslie go at it again, and Jill jumps on the bandwagon until Melissa storms out, pronouncing all of the others “screwed in the head.”
Next week, Kira’s back and so is Abby’s ire, because Christi yells the F-word 17 times!
So what say you, Dance Moms nation? Did this episode feel more like the Dance Moms we knew and loved back when? Should Mack have gotten her own routine to compete against her sister? Was the group dance too over-the-top, or just enough? Sound off in the comments section below.
New episodes of Dance Moms air Tuesday nights at 9/8CT on Lifetime.
I am reading and writing this quite late in the game, but this is an important point: Christi is supposedly tied to the show because of contracts, but I don’t think there’s a judge in the land that would enforce the contract, after seeing how Abby treats Chloe, if Christi/Chloe wanted out.
I think her “contract” is an excuse; she’s allowing her daughter to be bullied and torn down. I think she could get out of it if she wanted to.
Does anyone agree? Lori, what do you think?
BTW, I love your recaps, even though I stopped watching sometime in Season Three. Please don’t quit — but if you do, I really get it.
You didn’t even comment on Chloe’s performance.
Mom of the week usually goes to Holly IMO but Christi got it this week! At the end of her pep talk to Kenzie she says “don’t cry, don’t cry” I bet Kenzie was crying because it was not her mother giving her the pep talk nor standing up for her. That was just sad! Over the past seasons Abby has talked about winning the older divisions which is what Chloe did do in this competition – she won first in the teen category. It would be nice to see her give Chloe her due for winning the teen division but I am sure no amount of re-editing will show that. I have seen a lot of comments on various sites about Abby being nicer since all of the fire storm after the fight with Kelly, but remember this was filmed months ago so it’s re-editing that’s showing a, dare I say, nicer Abby. I would like to think on my bubble in the sky that she does have moments have being a nice, encouraging dance teacher and the producers have chosen just to show the real nasty side of her!
Side note: so loved Holly & Jill’s faces as Abby took a huge bite of her bon bon! 🙂
As always Lori, thanks for the fun recap!
One more thing – Abby kept telling to do the Maddie face, note she did not say faces as there is only one Maddie face! It’s the same face over and over. With that said, it was nice to see Maddie do tap as she gave far more “faces” with it and she really is an amazing tapper.
#Agreed
I don’t really buy into the whole “Maddie face”, a lot of the time judges and adjudicators appreciate a genuine “real” face rather than the fake ones. MacKenzie always looks like she’s having a blast out there and the faces come naturally to her, Maddie has to work at it and it comes off as disingenuous and phony. Lots of the time, less is more, the dancing should speak for itself, not just the faces.
Here we go again. Chloe was out of this world. Maddie is still a snot. I like Peyton. She can really move. I would love to see Nia do something that is fun. It’s been a long time since she was able to let off a little steam. I really think that this will be the last season of the show. Nia is fed up, Chloe is getting older and should b e in the other division, Paige and Brooke are gone for good; Kendal is about to have a breakdown and quite frankly they have run every possible story line and all we are getting is rehash – meaner and more vitriolic – but the same. I really wish we could jump forward 6 years and see who really makes it in dance – my vote is Chloe and Peyton. Maddie will be an annoying teen on a Nickelodeon show or in rehab like Lindsay Lohan. Kenzie is still a dark horse – and a bit young to predict. If the show is renewed I don’t think I will watch. The most disappointing thing to me is the Moms. In the beginning they were a bit catty and shallow but they had an entertainment quality. Now they are vulgar, low class, mean (I could go on forever). The exception is Holly but she still buys into it a bit. At least she has the good grace to look offended by their behavior. Time to end, I am rambling. I love the dancing, I think the girls are great. To Maddie – you have so much to offer and be grateful for – don’t elevate yourself by stepping on others – it’s not worth the fallout. Go back to the way you were at 8 – you will like yourself more and you will have friends again. sermon over –
I was hoping for Mackenzie would respond to Maddie with some attitude, instead of a hug. Something more like: “F.U. biotch! I *know* you’re not gonna win because I’m about to wipe that stage with your ass!”
—————————
Hit the boards Mack
And doncha smile like that
No more no more no more
Hit the boards Mack
And don’t smile like that no more
Still laughing out loud: “Melissa cries and says she didn’t think of Maddie one time while little whatsername was dancing.”
I didn’t watch it but I can get the jist of it here. 🙂
That video of the group dance, umm, Peyton forgot her “tough skin”. 🙂
I am probably alone but I like Leslie and Peyton. Peyton wins many comps and she has spoken up to miller several times defending herself. I like that.
I sure miss those screen caps though. 🙂
I miss them, too, Debra. You might actually want to check out this episode when it repeats. It had some old-school charm. A little. Some.
I will admit that this episode was a lot less cringe-worthy than I expected…Abby actually complimented Chloe with an added jab at her mother.
The one part of this episode that bothered me was the way Melissa just stood by while Abby repeatedly told Kenzie she had better do the dance just like Maddie. Melissa says repeatedly each week that she will do whatever is best for her girls…but it is obvious that she is only worried about whatever is best for one of her girls (Maddie). By not confronting Abby on this… she is protecting Maddie’s preferred status. It should have been Melissa (not Christie) comforting Kenzie and telling her it was OK to be Kenzie…that she did not need to be just like Maddie. Of course Melissa is the one that said (while Kenzie was sitting in front of her) that she wish Mackenzie danced more like Maddie. I thought that whole part was a little sad and made me feel so bad for Kenzie. But on the plus side….Mackenzie held firm that she just wanted to be Kenzie.
I thought the group dance was fun and they all did a good job. I like to see them do dances that are a little different then the normal lyrical or contemporary type dance.
All in all, I hope the tone of this week’s show continues to the remaining show of the season.
Oops…meant to say that Abby even complimented Chloe without an added jab at her mother.
Yeah that was pretty sad that Melissa’s biggest enemy was they one to give Mac the pep talk, I just wanted to hug Mac and kick that mother of hers in the @ss. I thought Mac did well though, sure it wasn’t the same as her sister. I think if Mac had had as many lyrical solos the last few years, her technique for lyrical dances would be just as good, and maybe even better than Maddie. Remember that all she’s ever done is cutesy Acro routines, those are completely different skill sets.
This is one of the recaps where Maddie performed Cry. The infamous two two solo week. https://www.staytunedmag.com/2012/06/27/channel-guide-dance-moms-recap-2/
She also danced in the music video for the song
Hey! Thanks, Sam!
Luxx? Izzat you? Ha.
Wow! The tone of this episode was significantly different from episodes this year. I think Lori was right on target when she said the producers may be reigning Abby in lest she add even more evidence to the reels and reels that exist in TV footage to back Kelly’s claims. Being kind to Chloe, enjoying the drag-queen strut with everyone, following Peyton to console her and (gasp!) compliment her was truly shocking after everything we’ve witnessed. Perhaps the lawsuits have brought her down a peg or two from the self-important egotist who told Holly that only someone deserving of her, Abby’s, attention deserved more than 17 minutes of her time. It’s as if the lawsuits–or, gasp!–blogs like this have made Abby see a bit of how others perceive her, and she realizes that her self-importance could have already ruined it all for her. I’ve thought more than once in the last week about that rude blogger aldcfan (or something similar) and how she was immediately called out as Abby by another blogger. I have to agree-only aldcfan has ever been that rude on here, calling those who missed the “7” part of the ditty “stupid.” It unfortunately shows that, even with all of the legal accusations about poor treatment, she still can’t help herself feel superior by putting others down. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m missing Brooke and Paige….
I was thinking that too, about the producers reigning in Abby to try and do damage control. But weren’t these episodes taped months ago? I mean, the damage is already done, the lawyers can go back 3 years and find enough damning information for Kelly’s case. What I can see the producers do though, is some last minute editing to put Abby in a better light. I think it’s too little too late, but you never know.
I was the one who called aldcfanblahblah Abby lol.
I’d like to think that pushback from the fans had a little something to do with it, too, but who knows. And it looks like Abby’s back to rage next week, anyway. Whether that’s just in the clip and not the whole episode remains to be seen.
I have nothing to back it up, so this is a rumor, but I heard that Christi is trying to get out, and that she and Chloe will be gone after the next episode, or the one after that. But, without proof, who knows,,, I want to believe that Christi will get Chloe and run, and go support kelly and take that hag down. I have doubts that this show will have any more shows. Kelly’s suit is coming up, if Christi and Chloe leave, there goes most of their fan base. I also heard that Collins has been offering Christi the moon and the stars to stay, which pissed off miller big time. But I don’t have anything to show proof so I hope it is true.
Sorry, but the Dance Moms spoiler site has Chloe there for all 16 regular episodes that were filmed before they took a break and I read somewhere that Christi is at the reunion show (episode 17) and tries to get Kelly on it (unsuccessfully). I don’t know about the validity of the reunion show rumor, but it doesn’t sound like they’re gone unless Christi has found a way to not come back for the filming of the second part of the season.
They only beat Chloe in the overalls. Chloe got first in the teen and Maddie and Mackenzie got 1st and 2nd respectively in junior. Typical Abby to pretend they were all in the same division and all up against one another.
Typical Jeff Collins & Co. to edit it to look like they were in the same division. If a competition recognizes overall scores then they are exactly that.
Abby said at the beginning of the show that Chloe would only be against Maddie and Mack in the overall solo division, not the broken down age categories.
Chloe had to do another crab walk. Ugh. Big Mac did a nice job. But I really thought last night’s episode was more of the same.
It’s also funny that if you check out some results Petyon is actually a real heavy hitter when she dances with the older girls and consistently wins all kinds of awards, yet on the show she’s portrayed as the whiny one.
Oh yeah, Peyton has won as many, if not more, titles than Maddie has. I’ve seen some of the videos online of her and she is a beautiful dancer, in all genres.
According to the Dance Moms wiki, Maddie performed the Cry solo in the “Wildly Inappropriate,” “Stealing the Show,” “When Stars Collide,” and “Maddie Has a Secret” episodes.
I think the first time was way back in season 1?
“Wildly Inappriopriate” was season 1, episode 2 — aired July 20, 2011 according to Dance Moms wiki.
Yes, season 1 episode 2. Cry was the first solo Maddie ever performed on Dance Moms when she was 8 years old. Maddie also appeared in the music video for this song. The artist saw her performance on the show and asked her to be part of it.