Abby Lee Miller‘s mini team may be small, but when they made their comeback in the previous episode of Dance Moms, they brought huge drama along with them. Their moms viciously fought with one another and were alienated from the junior elite team moms. Will all of the ALDC moms be able to put their differences aside and come together or will the fighting continue? Let’s find out in this episode, “Mommy Meltdown.”
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Pyramid Drama
When the teams arrive to the ALDC studio, Abby wastes no time revealing the girls’ positions on the pyramid. She starts with the bottom row, which is made up of Peyton, Nia, Jojo and Brynn. The middle row is Areana, Lilliana and Elliana. On top of the pyramid is Kalani and Kendall, since their duet took home first place last time.
This pyramid infuriates the junior elite team moms because they do not think it is right that their girls are sharing a pyramid with the minis. Jessalynn, specifically, is angry that Jojo is ranked below some of the minis, and she refuses to let Abby sabotage her daughter. “I’m not gonna be below the minis on a pyramid,” Jessalynn says, before ripping Jojo’s picture off of the pyramid.
To avoid any more drama, Abby decides to have two separate pyramids going forward: one for the minis and one for the junior elite team.
Abby then informs the teams that for the competition this time around, they will be traveling to Phoenix, Arizona. Brynn and Kalani could not be more thrilled to hear this, since this is their hometown. Abby decides to give them a duet titled “Prettier Than Poison.”
Kendall and Nia will also be performing a duet. Since Nia’s sickness kept them from doing it last time, she and Kendall will perform their Beyonce and Lady Gaga-inspired duet in Phoenix. Abby sets the bar high for the girls because Beyonce and Lady Gaga are two of the biggest pop stars today. “I want the people to be wowed,” Abby tells the girls.
For the group routines, the junior elites will be dancing in “Sun City, Arizona,” which is supposed to be a comical routine about a retirement home. The minis, on the other hand, will be performing “Wait for Me, Mom.” Abby chooses this piece because it is Mother’s Day weekend. This is sure to be an emotional number for Abby since her mother is deceased. “I would give everything to be able to spend one more Mother’s Day with my mom,” Abby says.
The mini moms are thrilled that Abby has chosen their girls to perform a number so close to her heart. They believe this proves that Abby is really starting to like them. The junior elite team moms, however, are infuriated that the minis are doing this number, since neither the minis nor their mothers ever knew Abby’s mom, and they don’t seem to care to learn more about her. “They don’t care. All they care about is the platform that they’re building for their children,” Kira tells the other moms.
The Moms Fight Back
The junior elite team moms could not be more nervous for the competition. Abby is putting a ton of pressure on Kendall and Nia for their Beyonce and Lady Gaga number, since both of the girls want to be pop stars. Their moms, however, do not think this is an award-winning routine for their age group, and they believe Abby is favoring the other duet.
There is also a lot at stake for Brynn and Kalani’s duet. Both of the girls are from Phoenix, so they need to prove to everybody there why they came to Los Angeles. If the number fails to showcase any of the techniques they learned under Abby’s training, it will make them look bad.
Things are much worse for the group routine. The junior elite team moms are still infuriated that the minis are performing a lyrical piece for Abby’s mother while their girls are doing a routine about a retirement home. The girls will be performing the dance with walkers, which the moms believe is stupid and offensive. “Right now, things are not looking so great for the group dance this week. I’m looking at it, and I’m thinking this is offensive,” Holly explains.
The junior elite moms know that they cannot let their girls go on stage with a number like this, so they decide to band together and tell Abby to change it. Abby defends the piece by saying it is “good, clean, healthy fun,” and she cannot see how it is offensive. Abby says she just wants to make people laugh, but the moms are ruining that for her.
When the team arrives in Phoenix, the mini moms find out that the junior elite moms refused to have their girls perform the retirement home number. The junior elite moms defend their decision, but the mini moms think there is something else going on. “It has nothing to do with the dance being offensive. It has everything to do with being jealous of our little girls doing a lyrical dance,” Stacey says.
The mini moms continue to press the issue and raise doubts about why the junior elite team changed the theme of their routine. Holly quickly shuts them up because she knows firsthand why “Sun City, Arizona” would have been offensive. She reveals that Nia had to be in a wheelchair and was hospital-bound years ago due to being treated for reflex neurovascular disorder. Holly didn’t know if Nia would ever walk or dance again, so she wants nothing to do with the number.
The junior elite moms’ luck does not get any better. Abby does agree to pull “Sun City, Arizona,” but she will now have the girls improv on stage. This frightens the moms because they think this is a recipe for disaster. “If this is what Abby wants for her team, shame on Abby,” Jill says.
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A Team Divided
It’s the day of the big competition, and tension is brewing between the moms. Just like in the previous episode, Abby separates the minis and their moms from herself and the junior elite team. The mini moms are fed up. They think they are being treated this way because the other moms are threatened by them.
Inside the other dressing room, the junior elite moms have a serious talk with Abby. They think Abby is too infatuated with the minis, which is taking her away from their girls. The moms should have nothing to worry about, though, since Abby can’t even remember the minis’ names.
Drama later erupts between all of the moms. The mini moms confront the junior elite moms for both them and their daughters being mean to the entire mini team. Kira and the rest of the junior elite moms want nothing to do with this conversation. “I’m not playing the game with you guys saying our kids are being mean to your kids. That’s ridiculous,” Kira tells the mini moms.
All of the moms are enraged, and Kira continues to let the mini moms have it. She ends up getting in the mini moms’ faces, screaming at them to leave the dressing room. She even shoves Stacey and Tiffanie out of the way, causing the mini moms to call her “trash.”
The Competition
Brynn and Kalani’s contemporary duet is up first. The routine is eerie and captivating, and it is sure to prove to the audience exactly why they left Phoenix to be trained by Abby.
Kendall and Nia’s piece, on the other hand, does not go as well. Despite it being fun, peppy and full of energy, Nia’s strap breaks halfway through the performance. Could this wardrobe malfunction have affected her dancing?
Next up is the minis’ Mother’s Day-inspired number. Since the piece is for Abby’s late mom, they have to do exceptionally well. The young girls end up performing beautifully with tons of emotion, which is sure to please Abby.
The junior elite team is last with their group number. However, the girls change the routine at the last minute. They, along with Gianna, choreograph a contemporary piece rather than perform Abby’s improv idea. It seems as though they made the right decision because the piece is stunning. It is incredible to see just how quickly these girls can put together a brand-new number.
The Awards
When it is time for the awards, Kendall and Nia’s “Pop Stars” duet only places third, while Brynn and Kalani’s takes second. This is sure to anger Abby, since every Dance Moms fan knows that Abby hates not winning first.
Despite all of the drama for the mini moms, their daughters take home first place for “Wait for Me, Mom.” Abby could not be happier with her new students. “I am so proud that they proved themselves with a lyrical routine,” Abby says.
The final award of the competition is for teen groups. Clearly, the junior elite team should consider choreographing more numbers in the future by themselves because it earns them first place.
The good times do not last for the junior elite team. The moms decide to confront Abby over the lack of attention she has been giving their girls. The moms demand that Abby choose a side between them and the minis. “I am not letting a bunch of mothers of 7-year-olds come in here and degrade our children,” Kira tells Abby.
What will Abby do with this ultimatum? She does not answer the junior elite team moms, but she does tell them to “be careful what you wish for” because she could end up choosing the minis over them.
What did you think of the episode? Did the junior elite team moms treat the mini moms unfairly or were the mini moms in the wrong? Were the junior elite team moms out of line for giving Abby an ultimatum? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section and in the poll below.
Dance Moms season 6 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Lifetime. For more news on Abby and the team, be sure to like our Dance Moms Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of Lifetime)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
