On last night's Dance Moms, Abby Lee Miller highlighted the competition among her smallest dancers, pitting an over-the-top Asia against an injured (cough, cough) MacKenzie. Good times!
The girls and their moms pile into the studio for the pyramid reveal, and Abby is livid about the second place finish. Loooserrzzz! MacKenzie is in the bottom spot since she didn't dance due to her injury. Paige follows her for doing a disservice to our nation by not properly holding the flag during the group number. Perhaps there shouldn't have been a flag to mishandle in the first place, but what do I know? Kendall is next for her lack of focus, while Brooke rounds out the bottom rung. Chloe starts the middle level, followed by Nia. Holly couldn't be more proud. Asia is number two for winning her division, and Maddie finds herself back on top. She is, after all, America the Beautiful. What the…?
Abby questions where MacKenzie's air cast is. She's still injured, right? MacKenzie claims that she's able to dance, while Melissa urges her daughter to tell Abby what the doctor told her….if she feels 100%, she can participate. Abby wonders if MacKenzie returned to her doctor for this news, and Melissa explains that she didn't, but MacKenzie knows her own body well enough to know if she's okay to dance. Abby knows what's going on (someone doesn't like being replaced by Asia!), and she tells Melissa that the doctor originally said two weeks, so she's going to make MacKenzie sit out for two weeks. She doesn't want to trust an over-the-phone diagnosis.
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The dancers will be heading to Ohio to compete this week, and the group number is entitled Hear No Evil. MacKenzie will be sitting out due to her injured ankle, and Maddie won't be dancing in it either. Instead, Abby enlists Maddie to assist with choreography. Maddie looks slightly bewildered at this news, but she's happy to get another solo. Asia and Nia are given a duet, and Abby hopes that Asia's energy will inspire Nia to work harder. Chloe gets a solo called "About Mother." This should be good!
Abby explains to Maddie that she isn't in the group number because she's head and shoulders above her peers, and they are dragging her down. She reminds the other girls that Maddie is a champion and an artist who doesn't need to be grouped in with these second place stragglers. Kelly and Jill wonder why Abby doesn't have Maddie dance up in the senior group, and Holly is offended that Abby is implying that Maddie is the only one with any goals, talent, or ambition. Right off the bat, the moms recognize that Asia is behind in the group number, and Kristie 2.0 wonders what it's like when MacKenzie participates in the dance. Christi stirs the pot, asking Melissa what has changed to allow MacKenzie to dance. Melissa sputters the same excuse about MacKenzie knowing when she feels up to competing.
In between rehearsals, Abby receives a call from her publicist inviting her to be a co-host on The View. The show's producers also want the girls to come and dance on the program. Abby is over the moon and crosses her fingers for a seat next to Whoopi. The mothers are wondering what all of the commotion is about. Abby makes her announcement, and Melissa's nose immediately goes straight for Abby's bum. Both mothers and daughters are thrilled at the news that they will be traveling to New York City to perform. Holly hopes that Abby will ride this high for at least a few hours.
Revealing her reasoning for pulling Maddie from the group dance, Abby explains that she wants the girls to rely on their own ability to stay on beat without following Maddie's lead. Melissa admits that Maddie is both happy and sad to be assisting with the choreography. She likes the responsibility, but she doesn't want her friends to be upset with her. Abby has chosen The Last Text for The View performance, and she has Asia rehearsing MacKenzie's part. Christi keeps digging about MacKenzie's miraculous recovery, sending Melissa into a cussing rage. Who knew she had it in her? Christi retracts her claws and wonders why Melissa is getting so worked up with her when it was Abby who pulled her daughter from the dance. Mee. Yow.
At Kelly's house, Brooke is having a lesson with a vocal coach. Kelly is hoping that while the troupe is in New York, she can get her eldest daughter in front of a music producer. At the studio, Abby reminds MacKenzie that she has to attend the competition sans dancing because Abby would hate for her to re-injure her ankle before The View. However, she has Asia practicing her part right in front of her face. Melissa is apparently telling the other mothers that Asia is bullying MacKenzie, and a tearful MacKenzie wants to compete.
Chloe is working on her solo with Abby, and Abby explains to her that she needs to get a thicker skin. Kelly laughs with her friend that Chloe's solo is called "About Mother," teasing Christi that her daughter is basically dancing the story of how much Abby hates Christi…and Kelly, for that matter! Nia and Asia are practicing their duet. I'm sorry, did Abby just compare an eight-year-old to a drag queen? The moms laugh as Abby channels her inner drag queen. Holly is concerned about the duet because Nia has a complicated lift with Asia in the routine. Asia may be tiny, but she's all muscle.
In the viewing room, Kristie questions Melissa about how her daughter is bullying MacKenzie. Melissa reveals that Asia purposely dropped a block on MacKenzie's bad foot. The other moms doubt that Asia is bullying anyone, and Melissa continues her passive aggressive attack on Kristie and Asia. Kristie is upset to learn that Asia is practicing with the group for New York, but she may not be dancing with them on The View. The claws are back out, and I think Christi is impressed with Kristie's ability to hold her own.
When the troupe arrives in Ohio, Abby is happy to see that Kathy and her Candy Apples are nowhere to be found. Me too, to be honest! Abby chastises MacKenzie for bouncing around when she's supposed to be staying off of her foot. Jill is surprised that Melissa isn't doing more to reign in her daughter given the fact that Abby has yet to make a decision about whether MacKenzie will be dancing on The View. Nia and Asia enter in their 1980's space costumes, and now I totally understand the whole drag queen reference. Holy lamé and eye make-up, RuPaul!
Chloe is the first to take the stage with her solo, and she is flawless (in my opinion, at least). She is all graceful arms and legs. Maddie watches her friend and competitor from the wings. Maddie dances next, and she's every bit as perfect. Seriously, these girls are crazy talented. Asia and Nia immediately are called for their duet even though the moms believed they had plenty of time to stretch and practice after Maddie's performance. Both Holly and Kristie are worried their girls are dancing with no warm-up rehearsal. The two girls are equally concerned about their lack of preparedness. They are wonderfully in synch, but I'm nervous for their lift. The girls pull it off, although they could have done better if given a chance to stretch. Kristie and Holly get on Abby for their daughters' lack of preparation, but Abby is proud of the girls' ability to adapt.
The girls are practicing for the group number, and the moms are curious as to how this Maddie-free routine will fare with the judges. Maddie gives her peers some last minute instructions backstage, and troupe performs well…although it wasn't my personal favorite. During the awards ceremony, Chloe places second to Maddie in the junior solo division by only one point. Abby now believes she's hot on Maddie's heels for success. Nia and Asia's duet also takes the top spot, and the Maddie-free group number wins as well. I do think this was a great opportunity for the girls to see how well they can do without relying on Maddie.
Back in the staging area, Abby has her girls run through The Last Text with Asia dancing Maddie's part. However, Abby refuses to name which of the tiny dancers will actually get to perform on The View, leaving both Kristie and Melissa beyond miffed.
Next week, the ALDC heads to the Big Apple, and Abby holds out on picking between Asia and MacKenzie for as long as she possibly can. Meanwhile, Kathy is looking for a new contemporary dance star for the Candy Apples.
TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? SHOULD MACKENZIE OR ABBY GET TO DANCE ON THE VIEW?
[Photo Credit: Lifetime]
