S06.E05: Abby's Replaceable

[OnceSane]

After resigning the previous week, Abby locks the team out of her studio. Elsewhere, Debbie Allen invites the ALDC to work with her; guest choreographer Nakul prepares a Bollywood routine for the minis; Kalani and Nia are pushed to their breaking point with a duet; and Peyton and her mom struggle with two dances.

[KaveDweller]

I kind of love the title....

[leighroda]

I can't do a full post right now, but I had to post, I can't with Jill, I'm gonna get her a dictionary so she can study the word "dynamic" because Kendall was anything BUT dynamic. I have had dances I like less than others but I don't know that I have ever actually hated a dance like I did Brynn and Kendall's duet. Brynn definitely played her part "better" but her part was much simpler (I mean to portray, not technically), Kendall's was really awkward, and although I think in part it's because she is when it comes to doing other characters than "pretty" but that choreography and costume did her absolutely no favors. I agree with the general consensus that Kendall's weakness is characters, but I'm not sure even the most skilled (like Jojo or Nia) when it comes to characters could have done much better.

[Clemgo3165]

I think JoJo would have done a much better job of it. Kendall just came across as bored, not like a character with a real personality. JoJo would have made it pop and played up the laughs.

The choreography was pretty bad though, especially during the times they were dancing close together. Add in Kendall's poor leg positioning too.

Like the African solo but thought it was weird that Kalani and Nia had two very different facial expressions.

Ended up liking the Bollywood nu,ber. It was different and worked out pretty well in the end. The minis shouldn't have had another dance this week though with the challenge of it.

[spanana]

I know scripted and all that so grain of salt, but how do any of the mothers have the gall to lecture the mini moms on needing to act like a team?  When have these women ever acted like a team?  Or are we going to pretend that the moms don't always freeze out the new mom for at least a season before the new mom is suddenly an accepted part of the team.  Are we going to pretend that they haven't been at each others throats over solos and what not for the last four plus years?  Honestly I think they all have a skewed revisionist history playing in their heads...like Jill thinking she and Kendall are original members of the team.

 

Kendall has nothing on stage.  She's decent in a group where she blends in, but that's it.  Even in the Bollywood there was a point where the camera zoomed in on her face and there was absolutely nothing going on, except for maybe a little confusion.  Girl has no clue how to perform and if she's not getting it by now, she's not going to get it.  Brynn had the easier assignment int terms of performance, but the problem with Kendall is not even that she's not a natural performer.  It's that it comes off like she doesn't even try to get it.  So Jojo might not have danced the duo better from a technical perspective, but you can be sure she would have committed to the character.

[leighroda]

I know scripted and all that so grain of salt, but how do any of the mothers have the gall to lecture the mini moms on needing to act like a team? When have these women ever acted like a team? Or are we going to pretend that the moms don't always freeze out the new mom for at least a season before the new mom is suddenly an accepted part of the team. Are we going to pretend that they haven't been at each others throats over solos and what not for the last four plus years? Honestly I think they all have a skewed revisionist history playing in their heads...like Jill thinking she and Kendall are original members of the team.

Kendall has nothing on stage. She's decent in a group where she blends in, but that's it. Even in the Bollywood there was a point where the camera zoomed in on her face and there was absolutely nothing going on, except for maybe a little confusion. Girl has no clue how to perform and if she's not getting it by now, she's not going to get it. Brynn had the easier assignment int terms of performance, but the problem with Kendall is not even that she's not a natural performer. It's that it comes off like she doesn't even try to get it. So Jojo might not have danced the duo better from a technical perspective, but you can be sure she would have committed to the character.

Right!? I especially love how she was saying how wrong it was for someone to practice without the others in the dance, but I don't remember what season it was but Nia and Kendall had a solo and Jill snuck away with Kendall to practice with Gia without nia.

I think all of the moms are getting out of control, Brynns mom (Ashley?) is not always looking out for the team and does try to promote Brynn over the other girls instead of being a team player, but the other moms jump on her anytime she mentions another child but they all talk about Brynn (and the other kids for that matter) Jill could barely conceal her glee when Brynn wasn't chosen for the seventeen shoot, or didn't place higher with her solo.

And the mini moms... That's a whole other level of crazy.

[RCharter]

1. Clearly the Mini-Mom's are hamming it up for the camera.  The acting is so bad its distracting.  From the angry one calling the blonde one a "bitch" to the blonde one putting her face in her hands so we didn't have to see her "cry."  And I'm happy if its all acting, because poor little Peyton having to deal with her mom's constant stress is just sad.  If something is this much stress for you and your child maybe you should just take her somewhere so she can play.

 

2. Why did Abby think it was a good idea to give Peyton a solo and the group routine?  I thought she did good in both, but the child clearly takes time to pick up coreography and it just seems to stress everyone out.

 

3.  The end cut off, so I couldn't see who won what, did Nia and Kalani win?  I thought their dance was great.  I think it emphasized their strengths, not everyone is meant for the sort of dancing where you need to be stick skinny.

 

4.  Brynn/Kendall's dance was just bad.  Yes, Kendall can't play a character other than pretty, but that choreography didn't even tell a story or have a part of the dance that would be more suited to show the "ugly" character.

 

5.  Unless and until I see footage of this "fight" between the mini-moms I don't believe it happened

[dmmetler]

African Dance was the hardest dance class I ever took in college. Lots of fun, but hard.

Comparing Kendall and Brynn's dance to Chloe and Maddie's Black Swan...there's just no comparison. Both Kendall and brynn were basically just dancing and letting the costume carry the theme. There was none of the frail innocence that Maddie portrayed well and the fierceness that Chloe portrayed well. And they were, what, 9 and 10 at the time?

If Abby actually picked the dances/groupings this week, I think they were designed to show that the team would fail without her. Having said that, I was glad to see the girls actually learning something new. Because, ultimately, that's what they should be doing, not doing the same lyrical/jazz with side aerials and circle cartwheels week after week.

[RCharter]

If Abby actually picked the dances/groupings this week, I think they were designed to show that the team would fail without her. Having said that, I was glad to see the girls actually learning something new. Because, ultimately, that's what they should be doing, not doing the same lyrical/jazz with side aerials and circle cartwheels week after week.

I agree with the bolded 100%  I absolutely think Abby was setting up the team to fail.  Peyton has a hard time with choreography for one dance, but you're giving that little girl a duet AND a solo the group dance? Giving Kendall ("Kendall K!") an ugly character?  Giving Kendall and Brynn a duet when their mothers are locked in some deathmatch for Abby's love?  Giving them that ugly duet?  Having ALL the girls doing a complex Bollywood dance, when most of them will also have to learn a duet as well?  Having the minis that have been there like a minute doing a dance with complex choreography?  As someone (Kelani?) said, the bigger girls were having a difficult time with the moves, how in the world were the barely trained mini's supposed to get it?

Edited February 3, 2016 by RCharter

[sofiah]

Did anyone notice after Nia and Kalani came off stage after their African dance Kalani sat down and seemed to be taking deep breaths like she was in pain?  I didn't DVR it so I can't watch back, but it looked to me like she was having some sort of issue... did I just imagine that?

[RCharter]

^^I think she had been having trouble with her back during the episode so maybe it was acting up from the dance?

[Clemgo3165]

When she got off the stage they immediately put one of those icy hot patches on her lower back. The other girls were waiting in the wings with it ready to deploy. She'd said after working on the duet that her back was hurting her.

[BusyOctober]

That little Peyton is adorable & has a beautiful face.  Perhaps her crazy mom should look into modeling or print work instead of dance.  The poor thing just can't keep up with the competition level girls.  She's constantly behind in rehearsals, and during the Bollywood number she was obviously focused on watching the girl next to her for her cues.  It doesn't mean she's a failure...she'll be so much better off if she gets the hell out of Abby's/Lifetime's vortex of suck.  The kid can still take dance classes for fun (what a novel idea!).

 

Regarding Nia and her social media issue.  I feel bad that she got some harsh criticism, but come on!  She's 13 and has been on TV for several years.  I'm sure she & her mom have heard or seen unkind things about themselves on the internet (and if not, I'm 100% sure Jill & Melissa would have gleetfully shown it to them).  Holly seems like she's mostly good at parenting & she's an educator, so I'm shocked she wouldn't have had the conversation with Nia and the other girls about internet pitfalls.

 

Nia & Kalani looked fabulous in their duet.  Kalani is a beautiful girl and a good dancer.  She has more charisma, technique and emotion than Ken-DULL will ever have on stage.  Kendall & the "Maddie 2.0" girl's duet was terrible.  3rd place was a gift (unless there were only 3 teams in the competition).  Aside from dumb choreography and cosh-tumes, Kendall's portrayal of her character was beyond boring.  She is a pretty girl as well and I could see her modeling vs. professionally dancing if her beast of a Stage Mom-ster insists on keeping her kid on any kind of stage.

Edited February 3, 2016 by BusyOctober

[serenitynow]

Peyton is 6, right? Just because it takes her longer to learn the choreography and she's not on the same level yet as the others, she needs to just dance for fun and maybe be a model? Give me a break. Our studio doesn't even allow dancers to audition for the competition team until they are 7.

I do agree that the ALDC and Dance Moms isn't the place for her but I think the same for all the girls.

[spidermiss2426]

Melissa what is up?  Who wouldn't want the opportunity to take some classes with Debbie Allen over Abby Lee Miller?  And that reaction seemed legit too, not scripted.  Thoughts?

[spanana]

I know people keep saying Kendall should model because she's so pretty, but I'm not even sure she's cut out for that.  I know a lot of people don't take modeling seriously as a skill, but it's far more than just putting a pretty girl in front of a camera.  A lot of pretty girls can't take decent pictures.  Even in the clips we got of the Maddie/Kendall/Nia Seventeen shoot, Kendall had nothing going on in the eyes.  In the pics I saw, Maddie and Nia were more engaged than Kendall was.

 

I also don't think the 6 year old not being able to keep up means she's not cut out for competition.  The mother maybe.  It just means she's not cut out for this ridiculous ALDC/Lifetime style of competition where as a 6 year old she's expected to learn two full dances in 3 days, one of which in a style she's never danced before.   In a more normal setting, she would probably be fine.  As Kehlani or one of the girls said, if they were struggling with the routine and having to learn multiple dancers, then how is anybody expecting the minis to keep up?

 

Also as a side note, the more I see of Kehlani, I really like her.  She seems like a very bright, sweet young lady.

Edited February 3, 2016 by spanana

[cali1981]

In terms of sheer looks, dance ability and quality of character, Kalani is definitely the pick of the litter (and that includes Princess Maddie also, when you consider the sum total of all the parts).  Is it just me or has JoJo been seriously under-featured lately? In the silly blurbs between segments, the kid comes across as very bright and articulate but during the show itself, she seems to be in the background most of the time.  Nia and Kalani were terrific last night.  Their ages and maturity levels really showed.  Nia looks like she's slimmed down a bit and looks great.  As for Melissa the weasel's disturbed reaction to Debbie Allen's generous invitation, should we be surprised?  Melissa's nose is almost permanently affixed to  Abby's rump (and/or the ALDC brand) and anything or anyone who intrudes, even a world renowned teacher like Debbie Allen, represents a threat to the gravy/fame train that she's been on.  I really hope that, as the Feds pursue their investigation, Melissa has some 'splainin to do in regard to her financial ties to ALDC.

Edited February 3, 2016 by cali1981

[serenitynow]

Melissa what is up?  Who wouldn't want the opportunity to take some classes with Debbie Allen over Abby Lee Miller?  And that reaction seemed legit too, not scripted.  Thoughts?

 

Because she's an idiot?  That's all I got.

[Absolom]

I loved Holly's line about Abby and Debbie being opposites.  Ya think, honey? 

[lorikauai]

I am also Team Kalani. She seems like such a sweet girl, well spoken, beautiful, and a good dancer. I like Nia and Jojo a lot too.

I think the 6 year old is adorable and has a ton of potential. I just am not a big fan of competition dance at that age. She's too young to spend hours and hours dancing every day. She needs free play and rest. I think her dance time would be better served in class learning technique and control rather than just tons of choreography.

[Absolom]

Ratings:  1.470 M viewers and a .53 rating.

[BusyOctober]

It

just means she's not cut out for this ridiculous ALDC/Lifetime style of competition where as a 6 year old she's expected to learn two full dances in 3 days, one of which in a style she's never danced before.   In a more normal setting, she would probably be fine.

 

Peyton is 6, right? Just because it takes her longer to learn the choreography and she's not on the same level yet as the others, she needs to just dance for fun and maybe be a model? Give me a break.

 

I wasn't saying Peyton is a washout for competitions or that she has no talent.  She IS only 6 and I meant that the corrosive environment of Abby's studio, the witchy moms and Lifetime's scripted storylines are not healthy for the little girl (or any of them really).  Peyton seemed to struggle more than some of the other minis ( again, she is only 6 and the youngest there).  Why make a little kid feel uncomfortable or insecure about her abilities?  Why let her witness her mom flipping out? I think she is a good little dancer and should probably keep dancing for fun and gain more confidence before moving into high stress competition teams. I mentioned modeling because I think Payton is a very pretty little girl with beautiful expressive eyes.

[RedFire2000]

Melissa what is up?  Who wouldn't want the opportunity to take some classes with Debbie Allen over Abby Lee Miller?  And that reaction seemed legit too, not scripted.  Thoughts?

She probably doesn't want her dancing alongside other more talented dancers her age. Debbie Allen is an amazing professional and she has turned out some incredibly talented, versatile dancers. She probably doesn't want everyone to see her "perfect" do no wrong child be given real critiques and corrections instead of praise. Debbie Allen doesn't need Maddie as a meal ticket, she's successful in her own right.

[spidermiss2426]

You know, I was thinking... Do you thing Melissa said she wants to stay with Abby over Debbie Allen is because she has a contract saying if she ever leaves Abbie's studio to go take classes with any other studio with Maddie and Mack that Abby will Air all of Melissa's dirty laundry?

[RCharter]

I wasn't saying Peyton is a washout for competitions or that she has no talent.  She IS only 6 and I meant that the corrosive environment of Abby's studio, the witchy moms and Lifetime's scripted storylines are not healthy for the little girl (or any of them really).  Peyton seemed to struggle more than some of the other minis ( again, she is only 6 and the youngest there).  Why make a little kid feel uncomfortable or insecure about her abilities?  Why let her witness her mom flipping out? I think she is a good little dancer and should probably keep dancing for fun and gain more confidence before moving into high stress competition teams. I mentioned modeling because I think Payton is a very pretty little girl with beautiful expressive eyes.

I agree with you.  Peyton is only 6, but 6 seems so young to be in such a stressful environment.  I think part of me rejects the mini group because they are put into these adult type situations.  They are wearing makeup, having all this pressure put on them, watching their mother break down, probably hearing that they better practice harder or they are going to ruin everything for everyone.  It just seems way too serious for a 6 year old child.  I feel like Peyton should wash off all that makeup and go ride bikes or do some fun dance.  She will have all her life to feel pressured to be a success, let her be a kid for a little while.

[KaveDweller]

I don't know if it was just my TV that kept cutting out random chunks of audio or not, but it kept doing that in the middle of McKenzie's talking head and it made it sound like they were cutting out because she was cursing, which really amused me for some reason.  Also, I've thought that McKenzie's been kind of bratty in interviews, but I do really like how she keeps being supportive of Peyton and giving her tips and stuff.  

 

Did anyone watch the clips with the girls giving advice that air during commercials? It had them talking about how to take good selfies and what to post on Instagram. It made me think that they are pretty media savy and know what they are doing with their public images.

[NextIteration]

I also don't think the 6 year old not being able to keep up means she's not cut out for competition.

 

Little Peyton is pretty amazing for a six year old.  There is no way that Makenzie woud have been kept in a group dance with that degree of difficulty.  I'm not buying the three days to competition stuff either, Nakul was there way to much for it to have been just three days.  I love Bollywood, not a big fan of most of Nakul's work though.

 

You know, I was thinking... Do you thing Melissa said she wants to stay with Abby over Debbie Allen is because she has a contract saying if she ever leaves Abbie's studio to go take classes with any other studio with Maddie and Mack that Abby will Air all of Melissa's dirty laundry?

 

Melissa wouldn't want to take her precious pair over to Debbie Allen's because they wouldn't come close to her best academy members.  I did think it was awesome that they went there for an African class, did you notice that the class was filled with younger students than Nia and Khalani?  Debbie makes her academy members take African, a couple types of modern, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and flamenco.  She doesn't mess around.

[RazzleberryPie]

I don't know if it was just my TV that kept cutting out random chunks of audio or not, but it kept doing that in the middle of McKenzie's talking head and it made it sound like they were cutting out because she was cursing, which really amused me for some reason. Also, I've thought that McKenzie's been kind of bratty in interviews, but I do really like how she keeps being supportive of Peyton and giving her tips and stuff.

Did anyone watch the clips with the girls giving advice that air during commercials? It had them talking about how to take good selfies and what to post on Instagram. It made me think that they are pretty media savy and know what they are doing with their public images.

Those all like line snippets cut from the Girl Talk or Slumber Party or whatever they called it special. My guess is they didn't have enough advertisers or they didn't have enough interesting things to film, so fillers. Those girls are definitely trained to be media savvy. The tone of the fillers was conversational, but no doubt heavily coaches and rehearsed. Abby, Lifetime, the girls themselves absolutely know what they're doing with their public brands. These girls are pros. There's no reality in any of this.

Debbie Allen - Melissa is terrified someone would actually not give a shite and criticize Maddie or out her in a less than 100% positive light. Debbie Allen is far more prestigious, talented, versatile, famous, respected, etc than Abby, and she does not filter her expertise for anyone. I've never seen her be rude, but she is very straightforward and will help a dancer identify and correct flaws. Any serious dancer would jump at the chance to work with Debbie.

Melissa choosing Abby over Debbie - that's sketchy. My conspiracy theory mind wonders if Debbie wanted Kalani (most technical and versitile, already a working dancer prior to Dance Moms) and Nia (maybe the least technical dancer there, but she has great performance skills and Debbie has been a promoter of diversity in dance for decades - yes, I went there with Nia is Black). Those two also have moms who aren't afraid to walk away from Abby to help their daughters.

Short version: Debbie wanted to work with Kalani and Nia, and Abby didn't want less skilled dancers to embrace her, plus Debbie is going to question why you went two white girls, so Melissa had to make it look like she actually had a choice. Plus that kisses Abby's butt more my inferring that Abby's instruction is more valuable to her daughters than Debbje Allens.

[ctmd]

Did others noticed how very heavily spliced the Debbie Allen speaking segment of the show was? They often cut away from her while she was talking, and some lines were repeated more than once while the camera was on Nia and Kalani. I felt like it was spliced to make Debbie Allen seem much more inviting of them than she really was. Watching the whole segment, I saw Debbie Allen as nice, but not particularly connected or invested in either of the two dancers or Holly, but Holly interpreting Debbie Allen's advances as whole-hearted interest in Nia, and sincere invitation for the Abby Lee girls to come train with her at her studio instead. Maybe I'm just being skeptical, but this seemed more like a superficial "hi, nice to meet you, thanks for taking my class, keep dancing, learning different genres is good for you" introduction to both girls, followed by "oh? you guys need a place to dance? we can offer you studio space [for the low-low price of....]." I did NOT hear anything that sounded like Debbie Allen had an interest in training the girls herself.

[NextIteration]

@ctmd, I agree with your impression overall.  I think it was commented about over the summer that Nia was actually taking class  at Debbie Allen's Dance Academy.  I'm sure the offer of studio space was contingent on remuneration.  I also think that Melissa's eyeroll at the idea of going there was based on a permanent move for the girls to become full academy students and not just casual drop-ins.

[Lemons]

Short version: Debbie wanted to work with Kalani and Nia, and Abby didn't want less skilled dancers to embrace her, plus Debbie is going to question why you went two white girls, so Melissa had to make it look like she actually had a choice. Plus that kisses Abby's butt more my inferring that Abby's instruction is more valuable to her daughters than Debbje Allens.

 

 

Debbie Allen's studio is pretty much open for anyone to enroll in as long as they show promise and commitment, so you don't need an invitation to audition.  It's not a competition studio so I doubt any of the girls would seriously consider going there full time. 

 

Also Maddie hasn't been insulated within Abby's studio for quite awhile now, so there's no worries about someone outside the studio noting Maddie's "flaws."   Her flaws are noted and she is doing fine.

 

It was funny when Holly talked about how Debbie Allen called and wanted to work with the girls.  Then Debbie Allen said that she got a phone call and someone asked if the girls could take a class there.   Nia and Kalani were able to do the choreography well enough but they would need to train a lot more in the African dance style in order for it not to look so awkward and labored.  They were so busy trying to do the moves that the musicality was lost.

[sofiah]

It was funny when Holly talked about how Debbie Allen called and wanted to work with the girls.  Then Debbie Allen said that she got a phone call and someone asked if the girls could take a class there.   Nia and Kalani were able to do the choreography well enough but they would need to train a lot more in the African dance style in order for it not to look so awkward and labored.  They were so busy trying to do the moves that the musicality was lost.

 

Haha I noticed this too.  Holly kept talking about how Debbie Allen asked the girls to come in, was interested in their girls, etc. and then they get there and the first thing Debbie Allen says is "I received a call that you guys wanted to come take a class here!"... oh, Holly.

[NextIteration]

I think a call had to be made to get an exception for Nia and Kalani to drop in on an academy class.  Note the red and blue leotards with standard black jazz pants that all the other students are wearing.  The colors of the leos represent the level of the student.  That was not an open class.

 

Nia and Kalani were holding their own pretty well for it being their first time taking an African class.

Edited February 4, 2016 by NextIteration

[RCharter]

I don't know, I would have to think that Debbie Allen is also media savvy enough to know that if she is going to be on camera on this show, as part of some narrative she should sound like she cares.  On the other hand, I agree that she didn't particularly sound like she cared that much because her feedback sounded pretty generic "keep on, good job! keep at it, shoot for the stars!"

 

I do think that Debbie Allen's studio would be a better fit for Nia and Kalani.  They are getting older, and I don't know that Abby's 5 dance moves would work well in competition for older dancers.  And the type of dance that Abby does seems more fit for stick skinny girls and younger girls.  The dance Nia and Kalani did this week seemed more fit for their shape and their strength.  It looked like there were older dancers in the classes at DA's studio, so it might be more of a natural transition for the two of them.  Abby seems more interested in going younger and younger, because frankly, I think those are easier awards to win.  I would imagine its much more challenging in the teen division.

[RazzleberryPie]

I didn't mean to imply that Debbie Allen sought out two of them make her protégés. I meant that if they were going to showcase some of Debbie's best, serious students - which would be the benefit of Debbie making an appearance in dance moms - they're going to choose two girls who can keep up or have studied there. That makes Kalani and Nia the best choices.

The dots I connected were that someone from dance moms production or management consulted someone from Debbie's schools' management and worked out a deal for a cross promotion. Debbie was altered and said ok. Holly presumed or wants us to presume a personal invitation from Debbie Allen herself initiated the whole thing instead of it being a business transaction.

Kalani was chosen bc she is an advanced dancer and Nia has experience with Debbie's school. Maddie could probably keep up as well, she's skilled, not knocking her, but Kalani and Nia were better choices. However, Melissa can and does belittle anything that doesn't put Maddie front and center.

Also - Debbie is like Abby and most studios in the sense that hey have different levels of instruction. They need to bring in revenue to pay the bills. There are classes anyone can sign up and pay for, but there are also advanced classes that require competitve auditions and are only for select advanced dancers who are more serious about training. The class shown was one of those.

[NextIteration]

Not to get to far off in the weeds on DADA, but it operates as a non-profit.  A lot of the best dance studios operate as non-profits, in my experience.  I'm pretty sure that that DADA makes enough to keep the lights on, pay the instructors and provide scholarships to kids with talent and high needs.  The people that own and operate these studios are in it for the artistry and education of their students, not for the dollar$.  They believe that arts education is foundational.

[RCharter]

I do love that they were showcasing a place and a style of dance that was not just meant for stick skinny little girls.  I think there is certainly a place for that, but I also there is a place and a time to showcase something different too.  In the Abby Lee world if you can't do exactly the style of dance she likes, or if you don't have the body type for that I think you're at a disadvantage.  I think all the girls are great dancers and so its great to see them showcase something different than lyrical dance. At some point, Nia and Kalani are going to be too old for Abby (does Abby have any interaction with teen dancers?) and they are going to have to move on. 

 

I definitely think Holly wants us to assume that DA like personally called her and asked for Nia to be in the class or extended an invitation.  And I don't think DA's invitation for the girls to use the studio to practice was any huge deal.  If she has a large studio and she is going to be paid for the use of the studio for you to practice, why wouldn't she offer that?  As a non-profit, they would still want the money to pay their bills and offer more scholarships.  And absolutely agree that Melissa would never want any part of anyone who hasn't drunk the entire cup of Maddie Kool-Aid at full strength.  

Edited February 4, 2016 by RCharter

[Lemons]

I do think that Debbie Allen's studio would be a better fit for Nia and Kalani.  They are getting older, and I don't know that Abby's 5 dance moves would work well in competition for older dancers.  And the type of dance that Abby does seems more fit for stick skinny girls and younger girls.

 

It would be a great school for these two, but it seems their mothers are looking for fame and money, not necessarily looking too far into the girls' futures. 

 

 

 

I think a call had to be made to get an exception for Nia and Kalani to drop in on an academy class.  Note the red and blue leotards with standard black jazz pants that all the other students are wearing.  The colors of the leos represent the level of the student.  That was not an open class.

 

Nia and Kalani were holding their own pretty well for it being their first time taking an African class.

Nia and Kalani did fine, but it showed the limitations from training only for competitions.  They would be great after a year of consistent classes.

[realdancemom]

It was nice to see different dance styles instead of the same Abbe lyrical dance.  I also agree that Debbie was nice but the invitation for the studio was to rent out space.  However, I do think that Kalani and Nia would be better off at her studio than Abbe's.

 

I blame Peyton's mom and the other mini moms.  Peyton is great for a competition kid.  But they usually have a whole year to learn a few dances.  I really hope that the show was exaggerated and she didn't have only a week to learn two dances.  That is too much stress on a six year old.  Her mom was stressed too but that's on her.  This comment is for the other mini moms too because even though the other minis are older than six, it's still too much for kids their age.

[Maccagirl]

I really appreciated Debby Allen's words to Nia and Kalani about pushing yourself to not just be a performer, but to be a true artist.  Wise words.  I hope they absorbed that message, and can take that with them throughout their journeys. 

[AllGlitchedUp]

While she is not the best technical dancer, Nia always looks so joyful when she is dancing.   She actually outshone Kalani this week in their duet.  I was terrified that she was going to have a wardrobe malfunction in that teeny top, though. 

 

That doll dance was strange when Chloe and Asia did it and wasn't improved by Peyton and Alexus. At least Asia was a cute little doll.  What sweet innocent girl would want to play with a creepy doll like Peyton?  I thought her make-up was cool, but didn't suit the dance. 

 

Peyton should have been pulled from the group.  Mackenzie was told many times at six that a dance was too mature/hard for her and she wouldn't be performing.  Peyton deserves the same courtesy and already had a dance to do, so she wouldn't have been left out.

 

The group dance was really neat looking, and the minis looked cute with the older girls. 

 

Can each older girl just adopt a mini and kick all the parents out please?  Goodbye moms, the minis are going  to their big girl now.  Please go find a bar and some Xanax.

[KaveDweller]

Watching the whole segment, I saw Debbie Allen as nice, but not particularly connected or invested in either of the two dancers or Holly, but Holly interpreting Debbie Allen's advances as whole-hearted interest in Nia, and sincere invitation for the Abby Lee girls to come train with her at her studio instead. Maybe I'm just being skeptical, but this seemed more like a superficial "hi, nice to meet you, thanks for taking my class, keep dancing, learning different genres is good for you" introduction to both girls, followed by "oh? you guys need a place to dance? we can offer you studio space [for the low-low price of....]." I did NOT hear anything that sounded like Debbie Allen had an interest in training the girls herself.

 

Yeah, I didn't think Debbie Allen was making a big gesture like Holly seemed to think she was.  It didn't even seem super sincere. She said, "Oh, if you didn't have space you could have just called us." It's easy to say you would have done something once it's no longer needed.

[spidermiss2426]

If I recall correctly from season one Holly was part of a group that did African dance in college.  Theory--When she got the word about Nia doing an African dance and taking a class in African dance at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, that probably was a huge deal to her.

Edited February 5, 2016 by spidermiss2426

[spanana]

Nia and Kalani did fine, but it showed the limitations from training only for competitions.  They would be great after a year of consistent classes.

 

Lack of traditional training from ALDC aside, of course Kalani and Nia aren't going to look as good as other kids that actually study African styles of dance on a regular basis.  I don't know if this was really their first class, but no dancer comes into a new dance style and a new form of movement and absolutely kills it in their first class, to the point of doing it better than kids who have spent months/years working on that particular style.

[Odelia]

Loved the Bollywood dance! The minis were a bit off, but overall it was awesome. Nia and Kalani were great also, it wasn't really a good style for Kalani but Nia suited it really well. Kendall ruined the other duet, she seemed to be acting the same role as Brynn (sweet pretty girl).

Unlike you guys, I'm not a fan of Peyton, all four of the minis just seem really bland and they all look the same (makeup?). And everyone is too easy on the minis, I mean the originals were 6,8,9ish at the time, same as these minis, and they did a good job. However Peyton is probably better than Kenzie was, but she doesn't care much about this I guess, so I agree she should just go be a normal kid.

I think you guys are being harsh on Maddie, on Youtube there's lots of clips of her in classes not at the ALDC, random workshops and stuff, so it's not like Melissa never opens her up to corrections from other people.

I agree that the girls are all social media pros, I miss season 1 with normal kids.

So agreed about how awkward it was for Holly when Debbie admitted the producers or someone asked for them to come xD Debbie didn't seem to care about them, she probably just did it for some cash/promotion.

[hatchetgirl]

I think Nia and Kalani were ok but they both seemed to be weak at some points in the dance and that makes sense. It's new to them.

Peyton's makeup was a nightmare. How awful was that?

The main dance was beautiful, but the girls were a bit of a mess. At the end when Nia was in the center, the girl on the right raised her leg on time but the girl on the left was late.

[ThreaLevelMidnight]

Oh gosh, I thought the Bollywood group dance was just so awful. How did it win ? Peyton is super cute, but the difference between her and Mackenzie at age 6 is that Mackenzie seemed happy and was always smiling, and Peyton hasn't smiled once. She seems miserable. But she's super cute and has some great talent!