S04.E23: 3 Soloists, One Star

[Absolom]

Abby pits Chloe, Nia and Kendall against each other to see who can fill in for Maddie while she is away filming a guest appearance on "Ellen," and a case of jealousy from Christy puts her daughter's position on the team in jeopardy.

 

[WimminWinning]

In all previous season, I would just assume that Chloe gets first, Kendall places third and Nia doesn't place at all, however, I recently saw Nia dance with Kendall and Maddie. Nia is a standout. Her feet were amazing and she had the best leaps of the three. She is also improving in her fluidity. She does still rush through some movements, which makes her off with the other girls at times, but that doesn't matter for solos.

 

Also, there is the rumor that

Nia legitimately won 1st place over Kendall (no falls or disasters by Kendall), to be shown in an upcoming episode,

with a performance of this solo. She is AMAZING in this "Goodbye Maya" performance. Just goes to show that Nia has the capability. She just never got the time and attention early on like Maddie, Mack, Chloe, and Brooke did. It also doesn't help that the only teaching method Abby knows is screaming and Nia seems to shut down when screamed at, so the poor girl never received corrections in a manner that she could take it in.

Edited August 8, 2014 by WimminWinning

[meatball77]

Nia always gets terrible choreography.  If you were teaching two students it wouldn't be hard to make sure that one of them won, just give the other uninspiring choreography that doesn't show off their strengths.

[Bossca]

Nia has improved heaps, but she is not on the level of Maddie or Kendall. She also doesn't shine in lyrical because she is not particularly graceful, and doesn't have good feet or hands. She shines in Modern though, and has great performance skills.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Bossca

[chabelisaywow]

A dog collar. Wow just wow.

Chloe's costume was crappy, so was the choreo - Chloe is capable of so much more.

Kendall's win was due to a "Maddy" dance and a "Maddy" costume.

[dmmetler]

Yawn...so, the kid that was set up to win won. How surprising...

[RealityCowgirl]

Still stunned by the dog collar. What the holy F. Seriously. Stunned.

The whole "Maddie's solo/Maddie's costume..." nonsense. Sheesh. All she proved is that Kendall can compete when she receives the support that she deserves as a tuition-paying student. The witch acknowledges - again - that she saves the "best" for her anointed one and leaves the dregs for everyone else. Pretty much helps to prove the opposition's point, doesn't it? Not that we're surprised...

Also couldn't help noticing the distinct lack of "competitors" and audience this time, especially the former.

Edited August 13, 2014 by RealityCowgirl

[BusyOctober]

The new "elite" team girl Sarah is not ready to be on this regular team.  I think she's just there to keep the age average low so Abby doesn't have to compete with older, more mature dancers.  Sarah is a nice little dancer but she doesn't have the skills (that I have seen anyway) that the other regulars have. She's a beat or two behind a lot. Her mother on the other hand is delusional and trying to get her own show or something.  Obvious camera hog.

 

Jill was complaining that Maddie got more dance time since she is home schooled and if all the girls spent as much time in studio as Maddie they'd all excel.  I think Jill is missing the major red flag...Maddie IS IN THE STUDIO more than she's in a classroom!  Hello?  Yes Maddie wants to be a professional dancer but her mother (and some of the other moms) don't see the big picture.  God forbid one of the kids gets a serious injury.  Knees, hips, ankles get worn down, especially when they've been stressed since toddler years..  Are the parents planning on supporting their non-dancing, non-degree holding daughters?  Or is there a huge demand for more Pittsburgh dance studios run by has-been flunkies of Abby's?

[Corazi]

This show makes me feel sick. Abby has been tearing down these girls for years and now that they're showing results of her abusive "teaching methods". Of course she's trying to save herself from blame, each episode she's been saying that she didn't do this to them when it's clear she did. How is she still allowed to be around children?

 

Poor Nia. Seriously? A dog collar? I have no words.

 

She shouldn't have said that in front of the children, but I cheered when Sarah's mom stood up for her daughter. Of course Abby then had to try to turn the 9-year-old against her mother. Disgusting. Run away Christy! 

 

Kendall really commits to the dance, she was fun for me to watch. It was nice seeing someone new get good choreography. I wonder how the other dancers would look if they were given "Maddie choreography" and good costumes as well.

 

This show is awful. All of the girls look beaten down, the moms seem to be on edge every week, and the only girl who doesn't get torn to shreds, Maddie, seems so uncomfortable with how Abby treats her compared to the rest of the girls.

[Absolom]

I've seen a ton of Maddie clones in my life.  A large number were injured or burned out by 16.  A small group went on to take dance in college and the rare one or two danced professionally for a few years.  The chance of dancing five years in Vegas is not worth a childhood in my opinion nor the high risk of dealing with the results of an injury for the rest of the person's life.  Far too many of the parents are delusional that their children will have some fabulous dancing career.  The odds of that happening are minuscule.

[Fostersmom]

Every once in a while, I catch an episode, or part of one. I saw the 3 solos last night, the group dance, and the awards. First, what the hell was Chloe wearing? What did it say across her chest? Aldo? Isn't that a brand of shoes? I don't know if I've ever seen such an ugly costume. The other two looked normal enough. I kept flipping around channels, missed the part where they made Nia bark and wear a dog collar apparently. The one who danced "maddie's solo" looked like an idiot dancing around with that stupid mirror. I will say, that solo had Maddie written all over it. Even from the few shows I've seen, i could completely picture the ridiculous faces Maddie would have been making while she danced. Tells me the girl relies more on faces, props, and tricks than she does dancing. 

 

This competition looked completely fake. During the awards, there were like 12 girls on the stage behind Abby's team, all of whom looked completely bored, disinterested and dressed for gymnastics practice at the local YMCA, while the gypsies were in full hair and makeup. Are these all totally staged now? 

[cali1981]

I still can't believe that Dr. Holly let the dog collar and barking go because Nia allegedly was OK with it.  Er, Holly, that's why you're the adult mother and Nia is the child whose sense of judgement is not yet fully formed .Chloe got screwed again, so what else is new.  Frankly, I'd rather watch Chloe than Maddie any day.  Chloe looks more like a dancer in terms of her physical build and natural grace.  Even if she benefited from the "Maddie Treatment", Kendell was really quite good in her solo and the group dance.  Of course Abby will now return to short changing her whenever Maddie is around.  Abby may be a primary example of someone who should not be allowed anywhere near children, let alone teaching them.  She is really quite disgusting.

[Chairperson Meow]

Dog collar and barking aside, Nia's dance was my favorite. It was different and actually performed with energy. Chloe looked bored, but that dance sucked. I don't even care about Kendall's dance.

[CoolMom]

Chloe did look bored.  I really think she is just done which is sad because she is my favorite of all the dancers.  She was even before the heavy handed "underdog" roll they gave her.  Speaking of underdog, I cannot believe Abby thought she needed Nia to literally be a dog to convey underdog.  Finally, Kendall is really becoming an amazing dancer and if Jill were smart she would run not walk to another studio with her. 

[leighroda]

There are a few inconsistencies I noticed. One being when Abby asked Maddie when she came to the studio in the morning... Maddie said 8, just before that I think Melissa made a comment that she does school 1-2 hours a day... If that's true are we supposed to believe maddie wakes up at 5-6 to get her schoolwork done? I know that with it being homeschool she could be doing it other times of the day, or just certain days a week... But I have a feeling more often that not school work is not done daily.

Also with the whole Kendall storyline, one of the times chloe and Kendall competed against eachother, am I remembering correctly that Jill went on and on about Kendall always getting stuck with jazz, and wanting her to have a "maddie solo" saying that lyrical always wins... I don't know if I remember it right but I swear it happened.

The other was actually the kiss or get off the pot episode (I hope it's ok to write here)...but when Kathy mentioned going to grab lunch after awards, I grew up going to dance competitions, and generally awards were later (like after 10pm) in the day, so I find it odd for her to be getting lunch after awards. Maybe it was edited weird, maybe it was a small competition. Maybe it was a 2 day competition (although if this was the case they wouldn't have been wearing costumes) But I feel like it points more to being a fake competition.

[Absolom]

Most of the "competitions" are fake these days.  Many/most reputable competitions have banned them from filming. 

[meatball77]

All of the competitions are fake.  They hire real comp companies to set up competitions for them and then invite studios to attend.

 

There seemed to be about twenty girls on that stage total..

[Absolom]

Ratings:  1.708 M viewers and a .6 rating.

[missbonnie]

I have to admit that I've gotten to the point where I just fast forward the dvr during ALL of Maddie's solos. They all look the same to me. Same dance, same faces (which BTW are nothing spectacular) only change is a different costume. Unfortunately, because of the way this show is edited, I have an irrational dislike of Maddie herself. I know it's not her fault and it's not nice, but I can't help myself. I like Mack and Nia well enough but they don't stand out for me with their talent levels. I have always loved to watch Chloe dance and I still do. Yes, she gets treated like shit and yes I know that they are there until the contract ends or is rescinded. But for the amount of bitching that her mother does, she tends to forget that had it not been for this show, they would basically be nobody's... She would not be able to travel all around the country and the world for the Eventbrite meet and greets she's been doing the last couple of years. Just stfu, do your time and move on already damn! I also love Kendall and honestly, Jill doesn't bother me. Now that new mom, someone needs to shut her down and toss her fat ass out the door. Sorry, your kid is nothing special, get over yourself.

[Bossca]

 

Even if she benefited from the "Maddie Treatment", Kendell was really quite good in her solo and the group dance.

I thought the same thing. She looked great in the group dance, and IMO outshined the others. She rose to the occasion. It's sad, because she will probably get stuck being one of Maddie's back up dancers, and she can do better. I dont think Jill will leave the studio whilst the show is still on, and probably won't even after that. A shame.

 

 

Ratings:  1.708 M viewers and a .6 rating.

I don't understand ratings, are these good or bad? Have they been getting worse?

[iluvobx]

I have to admit that I've gotten to the point where I just fast forward the dvr during ALL of Maddie's solos. They all look the same to me. Same dance, same faces (which BTW are nothing spectacular) only change is a different costume. Unfortunately, because of the way this show is edited, I have an irrational dislike of Maddie herself. I know it's not her fault and it's not nice, but I can't help myself. I like Mack and Nia well enough but they don't stand out for me with their talent levels. I have always loved to watch Chloe dance and I still do. Yes, she gets treated like shit and yes I know that they are there until the contract ends or is rescinded. But for the amount of bitching that her mother does, she tends to forget that had it not been for this show, they would basically be nobody's... She would not be able to travel all around the country and the world for the Eventbrite meet and greets she's been doing the last couple of years. Just stfu, do your time and move on already damn! I also love Kendall and honestly, Jill doesn't bother me. Now that new mom, someone needs to shut her down and toss her fat ass out the door. Sorry, your kid is nothing special, get over yourself.

 

The concept of Dance Moms was Christi's (and maybe with Kelly) idea and she is the one that pitched the idea.  Abby was NOT a major force in the first season.  The show is was supposed to be about the mom's not Abby.

[Absolom]

The ratings are not great.  They aren't cancel it now bad, but they're closer to that this season than any other season.

[leighroda]

Has anyone else noticed how little the girls actually talk these days? We see them throughout the show, but rarely hear them say a word. It's probably better for their sake, but I like hearing from them, they are way more mature than any adult on the show.

[missbonnie]

The concept of Dance Moms was Christi's (and maybe with Kelly) idea and she is the one that pitched the idea. Abby was NOT a major force in the first season. The show is was supposed to be about the mom's not Abby.

I was not aware of that, but, it's reality TV and by the time this show debuted the TV viewers and surely both Kelly and Christi were aware of how much drama surrounds reality TV due to editing etc. I mean let's be honest, she's not a stupid woman, she and Kelly claim that Abbey have treated their kids like crap ever since they've been at the studio. So, if you are going to pitch this idea, how about picking a different studio and teacher? Like I said, I agree that Abbey is mean and nasty but you signed the contract, you are benefitting from the visibility that your daughters would most likely never had, if you weren't on this show. Just ride out your contract and punt. Most people, myself included, love Chloe and Abbey is NOT going to change my mind about her. It's just the endless bitching that I get so damn sick of.

Edited August 14, 2014 by missbonnie

[Kanena]

Chloe did look bored.  I really think she is just done which is sad because she is my favorite of all the dancers.  She was even before the heavy handed "underdog" roll they gave her.  Speaking of underdog, I cannot believe Abby thought she needed Nia to literally be a dog to convey underdog.  Finally, Kendall is really becoming an amazing dancer and if Jill were smart she would run not walk to another studio with her. 

 

I don't think Chloe looked bored, I just think that she was concentrating. Chloe is a great little dancer, but she's not an actress. When she is doing a routine that requires a lot of technique she thinks about it, and it shows on her face.

[Shell76]

I love Chloe and I hate seeing her treated like garbage. That dumb "ALDC" glued to that ugly costume was like the scarlet "A". She's not an ALDC member anymore, but let's $&@# with her head and put her in this costume. I like the other girls, but I feel like a piece of crap watching Chloe deal with being left out and mocked constantly. As much as I hate the new Kristy's behavior, I liked hearing her call Abby "trash".

[cali1981]

Christi may be a blowhard but I have yet to see her throw someone else's kid under the bus to advance her own kid.  Given that, I have more respect for her than that bag of human pus Melissa and, at times Jill.  Melissa is a working definition of "unfit parent" as I suspect Maddie and Mckenzie will realize as they get older.  I feel very sorry for them.  Their childhoods are being stolen from them by their fame whoring mother.

[potatoradio]

 

Dog collar and barking aside, Nia's dance was my favorite. It was different and actually performed with energy. Chloe looked bored, but that dance sucked. I don't even care about Kendall's danc

 

I thought the same thing. Nia had so many more obstacles to overcome to make her dance a success and she did it. Highly questionable costume aside, I thought her actual dance was more interesting and far better done than the others I saw.

 

Oh, and, they got to their location early to "avoid the crowds?" Erm, OK. Methinks it's more like "oh, crap, we found a place that didn't produce the crowds. Quick: get a cover up story together!"

 

 

[missbonnie]

I agree with regard to Nia's dance. I thought it was really good myself and much as I love Chloe, I think that Nia's dance should have placed above Chloe's this week. Also, given the amount of fans this show has, (hard to believe I know, but we've seen evidence of that at the tryouts and other so called competitions where they were walking in and there was a bunch of screaming girls) you'd think the producers would announce in advance to the cities where the girls are going to be, and I bet the seats would be packed.

Edited August 16, 2014 by missbonnie

[Diane Mars]

... Oh, and, they got to their location early to "avoid the crowds?" ...

If I'm not mistaken, the given reason was more a kind of :"We have to rebuild the team choreo" as there's one girl less, so we've to be there early in order to practice"

[wanderwoman]

Every once in a while, I catch an episode, or part of one. I saw the 3 solos last night, the group dance, and the awards. First, what the hell was Chloe wearing? What did it say across her chest? Aldo? Isn't that a brand of shoes.

I think it was an ALDC shirt.

[RachelKM]

So I had insomnia last and watched the last 3 episodes of this show back to back.  I have never watched this show before.  It is F'ing creepy as shit.  Abby's fixation on Maddie is totally unhealthy and weird.  And her treatment of all of the girls is pretty horrible, even Maddie just differently. I have seen Abby Miller intermittently on other things for guest spots and figured she was some sort of nightmare.  I just didn't realize what a total monster she is and how manipulative and damaging she is to the girls.  I totally anticipated the megalomania and the nasty shit to the moms, but the crap she does to the girls is just, wow.  

 

And CHRIST-y is like her dance mom soul mate.  Those are two evil, troll-ish peas in a horrid pod. I felt so bad for Sara(h).  She looked mortified every time her mother spoke and devastated over being kicked out of the routine and competition.  And Abby just continued to up the ante when they were talking on the bus and Abby was all "7 year old go to completions alone..."  

 

As appalled as I am that anyone would have put up with this bitch in the first place and subject their children to her is bad enough.  But I get that at this point they are under contract.  How could anyone who watched this show join this cluster fuck of childhood abuse and trauma?

Edited August 18, 2014 by RachelKM

[wanderwoman]

Is Nia contractually obligated to end every solo with a death drop, now?

[briochetwist]

I don't watch this crap very often, but wow, Chloe was set up to fail!  That costume was horrific.  I actually saw it a few months back at a local competition and thought it was horrible then, but with that awful white headband, armband, and ABDC logo on the front, it was a whole new level of hideousness.  Like I said, I don't watch this often at all, but I can't figure out if any of it is real or if it's all scripted.  Either way, all of these people are batshit crazy.

[iluvobx]

missbonnie, they are still under contract (for the season airing).  I believe that they contract has now ended, so Christy & Chloe are free from Abby.  Chloe left ALDS over a year ago.  She is no longer a student at the studio and I believe that it shows in her movements.  Chloe's moves are so much better now that she is at a different studio.  I have always loved watching Chloe.  She has such long beautiful lines.

Abby hates Christy and it shows.  At times, I think she has come to hate Chloe also.  Abby used to have a very loving side to her where it concerned the girls.  Not anymore.  I do believe that everything has gone to Abby's head and she really thinks she is the best.  She is not-she has become very abusive-verbally that is.

[Fiero425]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2014 at 9:38 PM, Bossca said:

Nia has improved heaps, but she is not on the level of Maddie or Kendall. She also doesn't shine in lyrical because she is not particularly graceful, and doesn't have good feet or hands. She shines in Modern though, and has great performance skills.

Amen and hallelujah to that! People can like Nia all they want, but her skills just weren't there! Some think it has to do with lack of attention, but she got the work; it just didn't sink in! Her front and side aerials were awful and she ended up picking herself off the stage most of the time performing them! That's not on Abby! ;-)