When last we left Dance Moms, Abby Lee had shown up to ruin everyone’s fun at the Matty B video shoot. We back up a bit to the point were everyone was happy for a change and the video was being shot and everyone is having fun. Of course, Abby is not going to let this happen. Abby is pulling Mackenzie from the video. Matty’s manager tries to tell Melissa that Abby is an idiot in the nicest possible way. He seems irked that Abby was messing up a video shoot that was going well.
Sidenote: Am I the only one obsessed with the Luis Vuitton bag this season? There seems to be one bag and it is in most every scene but it is carried by a different person each week. I first noticed it when Nia was carrying it. It didn’t seem to be something that Holly would buy for Nia. Then each week someone else is carrying it or it is placed near the ladies. Sorry. I just find it odd. It’s apparently product placement, but it’s like a game of hot potato with the product placement. Watch for it next week. This week it seemed to be nearest to Jill.
Anyway Abby gets on the phone with who? Who is she consulting about this? An attorney? Afterward she tells the mom that this is a problem for all the kids not just the special snowflake “pop star” Mackenzie. Matty B’s manager says they are going to shoot the video and if any of THE MOMS want THEIR KIDS in the video they should let him know. Then Abby says in a talking head she will see which moms are loyal to her. The new, kid, Brynn’s mom, who is only there for the week anyway says Brynn doesn’t have a name, she’s just a dancer, so… Abby says , “She’ll probably always just be a dancer with that attitude.” Jill and Melissa are quick to pull their kids to appease Abby. Jill says she wants Kendall to do it but she has to go back to Pittsburgh and doesn’t want to have to deal with the wrath of Abby. Holly says she doesn’t want Nia to walk off the set. Jo Jo’s mom says the same thing. Abby is pissed because Holly is the only original team member who stayed to film. Abby says once again Holly stabbed her in the back.
Back at competition rehearsal, Abby is still pissed at Holly. Abby says that she has been teaching Nia since she was three and she is really hurt. Abby is stuck. She can’t rechoreograph a dance so everyone is still in. But she threatens everyone saying she will NOT forget the betrayal.
Jo Jo is struggling with her duet with Mackenzie. Kalani and Sarah are doing a duet about Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. I love when Abby yells at them to be like people are so much older than them they have no idea who they are.
The other two moms from Arizona are spilling the tea on Kira. She doesn’t even have custody of her son anymore because she is always off somewhere with Kalani according to them. Sarah’s mom helped raise Kalani at the studio because Kira was never around. Kira calls them fucking bitches and Holly all but clutches her pearls. Kira is pissed they spilled the tea about her son. Like really pissed.
How did I miss that Mackenzie is in both group dances? The Sad clown dance with the non ALDC dancers has the more complex choreography and is the group Abby wants to win. How is it possible that Maddie was available for the video taping but not in town for the rehearsals or competition?
At the competition, there is a big crowd to meet the team. Maddie is there for the competition. Abby gives a big speech on how great she is. Then she tells Jo Jo’s mom all the stuff she hates about Jo Jo. Sarah’s mom goes in on Kira again. She blurts out that Kira has been arrested for credit card fraud. Kira denies it. They google and it shows up that she was tried and convicted for theft #Busted
Um, why are Mackenzie and Jo Jo in powdered wigs and white powdered faces like Kabuki dancers when they are supposed to be Lucy and Ethel. Also Sarah’s ice skating costume is three sizes too big and will probably fall off her during the dance.
First up, Kalani and Sarah dance their “Tonya and Nancy” duet. It was fine. Kalani (as Nancy) had more of the lead role, or at least took more of a lead role than Sarah. It seemed to me to be more story based than technique driven.
Next, Mackenzie and Jo Jo dance their duet, “Lucy and Ethel.” Maybe they are supposed to be in black and white with all the white makeup? The music stopped VERY early in the dance and the girls kept going. Jo Jo made a fairly seriously error by facing the back of the stage instead of the audience, but they finished it out. I’m sorry I don’t understand this whole finishing the dance rule. Especially if the music stops right at the beginning. They should just stop and wait for their music to be played properly. Is someone from ALDC in charge of pushing the button or someone from the competition? It just seems wrong that girls should be stuck dancing to no music through no fault of their own.
Abby mentioned the mistake to Jo Jo’s mom and she didn’t see it. When Jo Jo shows up she admits she faced the wrong way. Still she gets a long lecture from Abby.
Time for the group dances. Abby gives a non-motivational, motivational speech.
The sad clown dance was packed with acrobatics. And everyone did the moves they were supposed to do, and they were pretty much together. But they didn’t dance like a team. They lacked a certain cohesiveness. The other moms thought they were great and seem to be very intimidated. I think the other group could still win.
Mackenzie and to run like hell to change into the other costume. Editing is making it seem like she is going to fuck this up. But she didn’t. I loved the Moulin Rouge dance, but I am biased. I also worry that it was not age appropriate and that might cost them somehow. But they were fabulous.
They start calling duet winners at number five. I guess ALDC didn’t get top two. But remember one duet HAD NO MUSIC! Jo Jo and Mackenzie got 4th with no music. That won’t go over well with Abby at all. OMG. Kalani and Sarah did not place at all. Holy shit. Fourth place was the highest they got! This was an overall score though so they might have won something in their division.
The sad clowns won fourth for the group dance. Will Moulin Rouge beat them? I’m holding my breath! Shit. Nope. Fourth place was as high as they went Abby is going to blow a gasket. They are leaving the west coast in disgrace. Dayum. I really liked that Moulin Rouge dance.
At the end, Abby cut Sarah for being too old. Um, she didn’t rapid age in L.A., Abby. Abby also says that the video shoot has not been forgotten and there will be hell to pay back in Pittsburgh.
Did Abby actually say Holly stabbed Abby in the back? Has Abby forgotten how terribly she has treated Nia and that she tried to sabotage Nia’s L.A. audition? Holly knows that she can’t depend on Abby to push Nia so she needs to make sure Nia takes advantage of any opportunities that come her way.
She said, ” Yet ANOTHER time when Holly stabs me in the back…”
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 7:58 AM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I think Abby is paranoid and delusional.
I just didn’t believe anything that was going on including the music stoppage. I think it was all scripted. Actually, their always winning seems even more scripted as there are some wonderful dance groups out there and the ALDC isn’t always that great. Mac Z has no talent vocally so I am baffled as to her supposed star quality and popularity. Nia’s voice is terrific but she isn’t the favorite so she always sits in the background. I love it when Nia does ethnic dances and she should become a member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company eventually. Why does everything Maddie does look exactly the same and what will happen to her when Sia burns out? I suppose she’ll turn up on some Disney show and wind up like \Miley Cyrus. That’s all I could think about when I watched her perform recently. She’s the next Hannah Montana gone bad. I hope that she does well despite her awful mother and Abby being her role models. The show is getting boring…but the recap was fun so thanks. The purse was more interesting than the dances.
She was filming an episode of a Disney show during the competition this week.That is why she was not in it.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 9:32 AM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I’ve always said the same thing. Why was Nia not in a more culturally diverse dance group (where she’d get more opportunities to do various types of dance).
I always felt it unfair that Abby always seemed to have Nia dance the more ethnic roles.
She also tried to assure Mattie a win by giving her the best choreography.
The girls didn’t rank high because Abby was MIA emotionally and mentally during their practices.
Abby is like a petulant child,taking her ball back when she doesn’t get her way.
Maybe Abby’s “breakdown” in LA was about her boyfriend dumping her, and her inability to admit the truth.
You saw how much the girls ( especially Mattie and her little sister ) talked
about Abby having a boyfriend that lived in LA ( during their pre-show ).
Abby saying the group wasn’t ready for LA was more about her having no
personal reason to remain in LA.
Tou are right about Mackenzie. The poor kid cannot sing!
I didn’t get the Lucy make up either maybe your right it was black and white tv inspired. It ended up looking like zombies. I thought clowns was good acro but not together in some parts. I agree about Moulin being to mature for kids but I also liked this dance and thought it should have placed higher than the other dance. On a side note am I crazy or did I see Maddie in the Matty B video?
Sorry Brain fart. Surely she didn’t let Maddie do it. I don’t feel like watching the stupid video again.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 9:52 AM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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Yup. Maddie was in the video. Not a “major” role like Kalani JoJo, or Nia, but always in the group dance with the guys and girls. So I think Abby must not be Maddie’s manager at this point. I think Maddie must have a real manager who doesn’t think it’s career suicide for Maddie to be an unnamed backup dancer just having fun in a music video.
Maddie, Mackenzie and Kendall were NOT in the video.
Kalani, Nia, Sarah, Brynn and Jo Jo WERE in the video.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 3:45 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I just watched the video because I thought that was Maddie too (background dancer in parking lot) but it isn’t — it’s that other little girl from AZ but she does look a lot like Maddie.
Hmm. Rewatched the actual Dance Moms episode and I guess it couldn’t have been Maddie because Abby pulled both girls. So it must have been Brynn. I swear that kid could be Maddie’s doppleganger.
It looked like Lucy and Ethel came back from the grave. Why not red and blond wigs and polka dot house dresses?
Kilani is a beautiful dancer and is not given the right choreography. Abby is now going to keep bringing up Kira’s police record. Those AZ moms were real bitches.
Of course Abby is bringing the charming mother daughter day JoJo and Jessalyn. Nia is Abby’s official goat and JoJo’s as yet undiscovered remarkable qualities/talents will be thrown in Nia’s face on a daily basis. Bensalem saying JoJo should replace Nia in a group dance on an earlier episode was a foretaste. Holly will not tolerate Jessalynn’s machinations. Abby will happily play them against each other.
Children toting Louis Vuitton. Bad taste.
All of the dances this week were not great. You could tell they didn’t spend much time choreographing or rehearsing. Abby was in way over her head in LA; it was embarrassing to watch. Most of the girls/moms have the same LV tote…I’ve always assumed they all got the same knock off from some street corner in NYC.
No they don’t. There is only one tote. Watch next week. You never see two totes at once but they just pass it around from week to week. It’s very odd. And kind of funny.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 10:20 AM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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No, see my comment below and watch again.
The makeup for Lucy and Ethel dance was so horrible I could hardly stand to look at them. I think the music stopping was a set up so the girls might win for continuing to dance under a strained situation. Abby…that has worked in the past but lady you are not in Kansas anymore.
TT, I believe that Holly and Jill both own that style LV bag. I have seen only the two of them with the bag — in the mom’s viewing room and dressing room at competitions. Holly had hers first. I noticed Jill’s on her shoulder after practice one day.
Keep watching and let me know if you see both bags at the same time ever.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 11:07 AM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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Sent you pictures. So coincidental.
Hated it!!!! This was a very poor effort on everyone’s part. Let’s start with the main story line I.E. Abby wants to pull the girls from the MattyB video. So in part one Abby get the call about the video and her voice over says that she will get the details when MattyB’s team arrives. Of course MattyB’s team does not talk to Abby but wants to make the assignments at the shoot the next day. The next day all the moms and dancer including Maddie make the shoot and hear the assignments. And of course the next step is to sign the contract. Poor Melissa was setup as the dumb bunny that doesn’t know the “business protocols”. Than after the shoot starts M. calls Abby whose is now giving directions as to not sign anything? So we are to believe that all this conversation could not be hold at the dance studio and that as the ‘girls manager’ Ms. Abby did not inform the moms as to the mechanics of signing a contract AND Abby does not know the shooting start and even if she knew she was not there.
So now the audience (meaning us) is watching six bumps on a log chatter on about what is going on, Abby is not focused on getting everything in line for “her dancers” to actually dance, and the poor MattyB crew with contracts in hand is wondering how they even got involved with this bumpkin (Abby). If all of that was not enough we get one of the most outrageous moments in the shows history. Jill, YES JILL, volunteers to pull Kendall from the dance to show her loyalty to Abby. Is this the same Jill that tried to get Kendall to get the part of Rosa Parks? (REAL LIFE – Kendall was in the same spot as Mack Z as she has a music contract and her songs/videos will be released in early March)
A bright stop in all this dark drama was Nia and Holly. I was glad to see the angry, yelling Holly was back to the calm logical and supportive lady she is. Who knew that she would provide the biggest contrast in this episode – more on that later. Nia is a well-grounded teenager who takes responsibility for her decisions and continues to move forward in her career. The conversation in the car between Holly and Nia was the most real thing in this episode.
Now we have to cross the line of decency. Tracey and Ashlee decide it’s time to attach Kira. So dirt flies back and forth and Kira is charged with everything from being a criminal to not raising Kalani or her younger brother Jack. I had to block this out as it was very inappropriate and not relevant. You only get to know the girls/moms though the lens of a camera but I have liked Kira as she would not participate in throwing dirt unless she was directly involved. I did like the comment of Holly that all of this was given her and Nia cover so that Abby did not focus on them.
The dances were mediocre. I liked the sad clown dance. As for dancers I was very impressed with Mack Z. She did three numbers and had to switch emotions in each one. Dancing with the legs girls (Kalani, Sarah, and the future star Brynn) she held her own and then had to rush to get ready to just the sassy girls (Jojo, Nia, and Kendall) in the Moulin Rouge dance where she was just as sassy. I liked the spinning top Kendall in the dance.
Hey producers – less Abby knows everything and everyone, less mom drama, more shots of the dancers talking/rehearsing and WAY less music problems.
P.S. I loved Jojo telling the Lucy story about the bread and Abby trying to move on.
Ms .Abby Lee Miller may be talented in her field but she would not be teaching children if licensing and competency exams were required for people who teach individuals under 18 years of age. I’ve never seen a public figure or celebrity whose emotional illness was so obvious and so out of control as Miss Abby is . From Season 5 episode 5 to date she appears to be on medication (which is not working). Note her constant licking of lips, swallowing, mouth twitching, etc, and her inability to think or speak clearly (worst in 5-5 when asked to account for where she was when she showed up late and disheveled).
This woman needs some sort of an intervention. Nobody could act as disturbed and delusional as Miss Abby appears to be. Her behavior is irrational and all those exposed to her are negatively affected, adults and children alike. Her interactions with others in the entertainment field make no sense. No manager would admit on camera to pulling all her dancers because she was “mad”. Her reaction to Melissa’s signing a contract for the video was excessive and inappropriate.
A successful talent manager would have agreed to the terms of the video before shooting started. “MacZ” should be mentioned as a GUEST at best, NOT FEATURED in this video. “MaddyD” is the bigger “star” here – they are not at all “equals” as a delusional Abby Lee Miller wants to believe. “MaddyD” hired Abby’s dancers and “MacZ” to participate, not to star equally in HIS video.
BTW: Since when is “MacZ” a “recording artist”? Recording contracts do not make “artists”. Her performing with “MaddyD” on his video would have been the best possible name recognition for Mackenzie with his billion YouTube viewers. Manager Abby ruined this for her and continues to be a good example of how emotional illness disrupts lives and brings FAILURE from SUCCESS!
If I were in show business I’d avoid anyone attached to self-destructive Abby Lee Miller after seeing how disturbed and unpredictable she is.
Please !!! How do they win so many competitions then and come on , if they kids were really at risk the parents would not allow them to Dance there from the age of 5 , not to mention health & safety would have shut her down years ago …………….:-)
You are kidding, right?
What is up with the music for the dance numbers on this Show? I was expecting Christina aguilera for the moulin rouge but instead got some generic song about a Hollywood hooker.
They can’t play music that is copyrighted unless it is some po dunk artist that wants them to use their song on the show. They don’t want to pay the fees for popular songs. It’s very expensive.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 2:16 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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Wow. That’s interesting. I would find it hard as a dancer to interpret those podunky songs! Lol but anything for fame and fortune I suppose!
There is a whole catalog of knock off songs for dancers to use. Similar to popular songs but not so similar that rights and clearances have to be paid.
Really? All dancers have to use knock off songs??? Or just the ones on dance moms?
They dance to the real songs and those are replaced when the show airs. Watch and you can tell the choreography doesn’t always match the song. My daughter can always figure out the real song they are dancing to.
This has been obvious for years and I completely understand the reasoning, and every now and then they feature a great song I’ve never heard of — but last season (?) they had the lady gaga/Katy perry theme for the solos, (with of course no lady gaga or Katy perry music) and it was so ridiculous.
I saw the Matty B video so I knew Abby was pulling Mackenzie — but Maddie is in the video (background dancer in the parking lot scenes) so what is up with that? Didn’t Abby say she wanted none of her ALDC dancers to participate? How come Nia/Holly are in the wrong but Maddie/Melissa are getting a pass?
I’m not a big fan of Kira ( although I think Kalani is lovely) but I do think it was extremely wrong of those 2 other trashy moms to bring up her son. It is bad enough when these mothers talk badly about the other girls on the show — why in the hell bring up a child who isn’t even on the show? Disgraceful.
I thought the Moulon Rouge dance was fun but completely not appropriate for their age.
The “black and white tv” make up for the Lucy & Ethel dance was terrible and the entire Nancy/Tonya concept was ridiculous.
Sorry watched video again & that isn’t Maddie it is the little girl from AZ who did not get cut last episode. She looks a lot like Maddie in the video though.
The video itself seems pretty low quality production-wise but no worse than that stupid Girl Party one for Mackenzie. Some of the dance sequences seem very off. But I have to admit JoJo looks very pretty & has a “star” quality to her.
My daughter was on a competition gymnastics team. Practice 4 nights a week and travel on the weekend. I can understand how a single mother could be made to look bad in a courtroom. My daughter’s commitment was actually a family commitment. The fraud, well, Kira will have to defend that one.
Kalani was on Abby’s summer dance program. She was my favorite and Abby gave her a pass so that she could return after being voted off. Our gymnastics coach always told us that the dividing line for competition was not just about talent but getting a child to still want it at 13, when they discovered boys. I’ve often thought that was what happened to Chloe. Her vile mother may be still trying to make a dollar off of dance, but it seemed that Chloe was wanting to live a teenage life last year. That’s what happened with my daughter and, since it was always about her, she proved her coach right and quit. So very few gymnasts or dancers make it to the big time. I wish their mothers paid more attention to that part of their lives.
I noticed all the girls were carrying that same Vuitton bag when they were walking into the competition. I know the scene you’re referring to when Ni had it. (I’ve had my eye on that bag this season, too, because I got my mother the slightly larger one for Christmas a few years ago.)
I think it’s their “team bag”.
(One might think Abby would buy them for the girls as a reward for their hard work and her constant verbal abuse, but I’m sure she told the moms it was required.)
🙂
It’s ABSOLUTELY product placement.
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 3:14 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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It totes is. Hehe
I would chalk it up to that, but I think Vuitton would not associate itself with a reality show. Coach or DEFINITELY Michael Kors would!
I went back and watched the video again and agree it’s not Maddie in the video. Melissa isn’t going to be disloyal to Abby. Her kids are the favorites and she’s not going to jeopardize that for a video when Maddie is filming for Disney whether by Abby’s hand or just because of the show. I also agree the makeup for MacKenzie and JoJo made them look like zombies. I thought for a minute that Abby was doing a spoof of the ghosts of Lucy and Ethel. Black and white t.v. my ass. Those kids looked like they came straight out of a 1950’s B horror movie.
Does anyone watch the show Friday Night Tykes on Spike, about the elementary aged kids playing football? Like Dance Moms, the coaches are hideous to these kids, and I find myself comparing the two each week – which adult do I dislike more for their behavior toward the kids? Abby usually wins, of course.
The original girls + Kendall all have the Louis tote. Christi did a ten min Q and A on her twitter like awhile back and that was my question bc I kept seeing the girls with them!
Thanks a lot for posting that video Tamra. ‘Turn up the track and paaar-ty’ has been stuck in my head for HOURS!
Just kill me now
TT, I emailed you pictures of LV bags. All on one episode tonight.
I got it. Which episode? My point was they are PASSING THAT TOTE AROUND.
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 7:09 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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Anyone who has come close to working in the entertainment industry knows that Abby just poisoned many with her antics around the video. You don’t pull your people in the middle of a production for a ridiculous reason, and that was what this was. She cost the production team time and also money. She is hurting those kids in more ways than one!