S08.E15: Rise From the Ashes

[Guest]

Airs August 27th, 2019

Quote

With only one week until nationals, the pressure is on for the ALDC; Abby choreographs her most personal group dance yet; Brady and Pressley go head-to-head for the chance of dancing solos at nationals; one team member quits unexpectedly.

[LibertarianSlut]

I really like this new little Paris, and I don't mind her mom.  Too bad they came so late in the game.

I dont like Brady.  At all.  I've felt similarly uncomfortable about the ways some of Cathy's boys were dressed for competitions, but this one takes the cake.  I started saying at the beginning of the season that I wasn't crazy about Brady being on the team, but so much other stuff started happening that I forgot that I didn't like him and tonight I realized I don't like his mom either.  I also think they look exactly alike, as if there is no other DNA that wasn't passed down from Tricia.  They're not the most fabulous looking mother-son duo I've witnessed.  Some of it may be makeup.  Tricia's makeup is a before picture waiting to happen, and about half the time Brady is walking around with yellow half-moons under his eyes that don't look natural.

I guess the way I feel about Brady dancing--the uncomfortability factor--is what other people think when these girls so on stage scantily clad.  It never bothers me when the girls do it, even when they're doing an illusion dance with feathers.  I just think it's in good fun, because they're not actually showing anything. But seeing Brady's nipples?  That's a bridge too far.

Also, why are these kids so pasty and Abby so tan?  The kids look downright unhealthy.  Why can't someone dust a little something on the kids while they prepare to dip Abby in a vat of bronzer?

After Sarah and Michelle stormed out and drove away down a dirt road, there was a shot of Sarah standing in the line with the rest of the kids at pyramid.  Nice job, editors!

I'm off Hannah and Ann.  They're too normal for this show, but not in a good way.  Maybe the word "average" is what I'm looking for.

I know everything I'm saying is incredibly unpopular.  I stopped giving the benefit of the doubt about three episodes ago, during that 44 minute commercial for Angry Birds that preempted the show.

I'm over the push-me-pull-me of Michelle and Sarah.  I wish they just left and were done.  This is so boring.  And Michelle looks like she's ready for a voluntary 72 hour hold.  

I know I have been ragging the pushy moms--Ashley and Stacie--and apparently, this episode, Joanne, but I think they were sorely needed to call the blindfold thing out.  If they hadn't proven that the blindfold was translucent, Brady would have gone down in history as the boy who risked his life for Abby.  I think they were spot-on in protesting Brady getting a solo.  I don't know if Abby violated an ultimatum--I wasn't watching closely enough--but it seemed like she went back on her word about the nationals solo.  

Unless I'm mistaken, Abby originally told Presley her solo was a dance "protesting women's rights."  It wasn't very much of a stretch for Presley to think at the competition that the dance was "protesting against women's rights."  Abby did a particularly abysmal job explaining that one, but the dance was good.  I'm so glad she got first.

I'd really like to get a glimpse of Presley's dad.  She looks nothing like her mom.

Does anyone know if Paris got a solo that wasn't shown?  When Presley was dancing her solo, I thought I saw Paris in the wings wearing a silk robe.

Edited because:  I want to make it clear I don't have a thing against boy dancers.  Specifically, I liked Gino.  I also liked Gino's dad.  Maybe that has something to do with it.

Edited August 28, 2019 by LibertarianSlut
Clarity

[PumpkinLumpkin]

25 minutes ago, LibertarianSlut said:

Does anyone know if Paris got a solo that wasn't shown?  When Presley was dancing her solo, I thought I saw Paris in the wings wearing a silk robe.

Paris did have a solo, but it was cut from this episode. She got 2nd in Junior Solo, and 5th Overall. 

[meatball77]

I think the problem with topless male dances is that the boys are so puny.  They need to put off being topless until they've started to develop their girl lifting muscles.  They need a bit of definition.  Put them in a tight t-shirt until then.

This is the second routine that they've done this season that would have immediately been disqualified.  You don't get to use powder or water on stage. . . 

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by meatball77

[CDC]

Brady's mom was so offended when someone first mentioned back at the studio that the blindfold was probably see-thru... Doesn't EVERYBODY know by now that the blindfolds in these kinds of stunts are ALWAYS see-thru? That's probably why Brady didn't get any extra special bonus points, even the judges knew! Everybody uses this gimmick so often that it's kind of embarrassing to even attempt it. Dancers, magicians, acrobats, tightrope walkers, daredevils, etc. Try and watch one episode of America's Got Talent without seeing some blindfolds. They are seriously no bid deal.

[Tikichick]

11 hours ago, meatball77 said:

This is the second routine that they've done this season that would have immediately been disqualified.  You don't get to use powder or water on stage. . . 

 

Or get to shoot off confetti as the finale of a routine.  

[RebeccatheWriter]

5 hours ago, CDC said:

Brady's mom was so offended when someone first mentioned back at the studio that the blindfold was probably see-thru... Doesn't EVERYBODY know by now that the blindfolds in these kinds of stunts are ALWAYS see-thru? That's probably why Brady didn't get any extra special bonus points, even the judges knew! Everybody uses this gimmick so often that it's kind of embarrassing to even attempt it. Dancers, magicians, acrobats, tightrope walkers, daredevils, etc. Try and watch one episode of America's Got Talent without seeing some blindfolds. They are seriously no bid deal.

She was offended but the other moms were acting like it was some big huge revelation. 

[Absolom]

Ratings:  696 K viewers and a .18 rating.

[Jsage]

Quote

Edited because:  I want to make it clear I don't have a thing against boy dancers.  Specifically, I liked Gino.  I also liked Gino's dad.  Maybe that has something to do with it.

If you like Gino, he is currently competing on So You Think You Can Dance and is doing pretty well!

[meatball77]

I suspect Brady's reputation is the reason he's not scoring as high as he should.  One of the judges for this comp was one of the main judges at YAGP (I don't know why she was doing DanceMoms. . . ).  She's seen him dance at his best.  These badly choreographed cookie cutter routines I'm sure just aren't impressive when you are expecting something amazing.

[Tikichick]

22 hours ago, meatball77 said:

I suspect Brady's reputation is the reason he's not scoring as high as he should.  One of the judges for this comp was one of the main judges at YAGP (I don't know why she was doing DanceMoms. . . ).  She's seen him dance at his best.  These badly choreographed cookie cutter routines I'm sure just aren't impressive when you are expecting something amazing.

Things with the competitions may not be exactly as we're led to believe watching the show, however I can say that the judges they show are the actual judges at the various competitions and are merely being shown on camera for the show.  Back on the original show I saw judges I actually know being shown at the particular competitions they actually work for and judge for, one of whom actually coached one of my daughter's competition teams for a year and taught at the studio she attended for several years. 

I noticed that the woman announcing the awards on one of the episodes this week appeared as a coach/mentor on the competition show Abby had back several years ago.  She was in the VERY short, body con chartreuse mini dress announcing the awards.  I kept thinking the cameraman needed to tighten up his shot so that he didn't inadvertently capture unusable footage giving the audience a real show straight up her dress.

Couldn't remember her name, I'm thinking Raquel?  Former dancer, supposedly "an old friend of Abby's".        

[Bananna]

• Brady and Pressley's solos were both good. However, I thought Brady's solo, though technically amazing, was quite boring; I thought it needed something else, like better costuming or music rather than a not-blindfold. Pressley's had a way better concept imo and she danced really well. I thought she deserved the win.
• Rising from the Ashes is one of my favourite group dances this season. The use of actual ashes was a bit gimmicky and would never be allowed at a real comp. Everyone danced great and one of the first times that this team has actually felt like a team.
• Sarah and Michelle were never my favourites, but it was sad that they walked out. I think Michelle made the right choice, it might have been Sarah's dream, but it's not worth getting humiliated on national TV over.

[RebeccatheWriter]

On 8/30/2019 at 11:21 AM, Tikichick said:

Couldn't remember her name, I'm thinking Raquel?  Former dancer, supposedly "an old friend of Abby's".        

I didn't notice, but was it Rachelle Rak? I know she did choreography for the original girls one episode and got annoyed with Abby for changing it. She's a trip and did that documentary about the revival of A Chorus Line where she auditioned for the role of Sheila. 

[Tikichick]

21 hours ago, RebeccatheWriter said:

I didn't notice, but was it Rachelle Rak? I know she did choreography for the original girls one episode and got annoyed with Abby for changing it. She's a trip and did that documentary about the revival of A Chorus Line where she auditioned for the role of Sheila. 

Thank you, yes, that's her name.  It was rolling around somewhere in the distant corners of my brain, but eluding me.

[RebeccatheWriter]

40 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

Thank you, yes, that's her name.  It was rolling around somewhere in the distant corners of my brain, but eluding me.

She is a firecracker. If you have never seen the documentary Every Little Step, she is on full display in that. 

Spoiler

She auditions and gets the call back to the final. After performing and being asked to do it again for the casting people, she refuses to leave until they tell her if she got it or not. She wasn't rude, but it is clear that the producer and casting people were a bit intimidated by her.