ABBY: Mackenzie, you have a solo this week.
[applause]
The name of your routine is called Hero.
Last but certainly not least, Ari,
you are doing a lyrical piece, dedicated to your brother.
Sari, do you mind sharing with everybody your son's story?
Sorry, it's really sad.
I'm not a soft person, but this-- this
is where it is hard for me.
So I had my son, and at three months exactly,
he had a open heart surgery.
And six days post-op, he went into cardiac arrest.
He suffered from a brain injury.
So he was actually dead for almost an hour,
and now he doesn't walk, he doesn't talk.
I know that God gave my daughter a gift to dance.
And it would be different if she's just that average dancer,
I wouldn't do all this.
But it makes me happy.
I need something that helps me to be happy too.
Right.
Let's tell a beautiful story.
That's Jordan's.
OK.
I've met a lot of sacrifices to have Ari here.
It's not easy when you have a child at home
that needs 24-hour-a-day care.
And so her being here and being part of the team
is very, very important and special to us.
No one's ever been that compassionate to even
consider creating a solo that's that special for Ari.
All right, that's it.
We have our work cut out for us.
Abby, before you walk out, this is Maddie
and Mackenzie's last week.
Is there anything special you have planned?
Absolutely nothing.
I think these mothers are expecting
me to crumble or to, like, throw in
the white flag because Maddie and Mackenzie are leaving.
[music playing]
(SINGING) I keep my mind on my money, never made no promises,
don't want no honeys.
This is just like, throw it up against the wall
and hope it sticks, and whatever falls off, it doesn't matter.
And new kid here, new kid on the block
has a solo that has a narrative and a meaning,
and she thought about it.
She didn't even give Mackenzie anything, nothing.
So your kid would be competing head to head with Mackenzie.
I love a good challenge, though.
Let it out.
I know, it's hard.
I'm not really ready for it to end.
OK, fake quitter right here.
She's staying, she's staying.
Fake quitter.
It was the ha-ha, April Fool's.
I'm just not ready for it to end yet.
I'm just not.
I don't want to be without you guys.
It's like, hitting everybody.
ABBY: All right, now, you are doing a lyrical
solo, "For My Brother."
It has to be amazing.
Can't go out there and do a dance for your brother
and not win.
Yes?
So let's get working.
Ari, she's only 10.
But she dances older.
She acts older.
She speaks older.
And she has to be because there's
always going to be somebody that needs more care than her.
That's really neat that you got this solo
this week for your son.
He's coming, right? - I know.
Yes.
Oh, he's coming?
The nurse is coming, my parents.
Everybody's excited.
They're really, really excited.
Ah, that's great.
Ari was nervous.
But I think that--
I think that this is definitely something that she can be--
You know, this is supposed to be Maddie and Mackenzie's,
like, great week for fun stuff and all this,
and now it's not even about my kids at all.
Sari, you were talking about how excited your disabled son
was coming down here to watch your daughter dance,
and Melissa only worries about her kids.
You know what?
This is my kids' last week here, honey.
Make it nice, OK?
Your kids laid the platform for every one of your kids
to come in and be in there.
MELISSA: I mean, I'm sorry about your son,
but this is about Maddie and McKenzie.
I'm not trying to be rude because I
feel terrible that you have had this life.
But you know what, I've been dedicated
to this team very long, OK?
This is my kids' week.
[music playing]
Come on, girls.
Everybody up here that's dancing,
this is a big honor for you guys.
Areana, what you're out on that stage,
people are going to look at you and think,
are you as good as Mackenzie when she was that age?
I don't know.
Now, remember, when you do something that's epic
and it's a story, it takes a lot more thought than doing a hip
and a hip and a leg and a kick.
So take them somewhere else.
Let them know who you are and what you're about because
in dance, in acting, in modeling, or whatever,
sometimes you forget people, right?
And somebody new comes along, somebody hot.
And they take over.
And you don't even remember that star
you used to like 10 years ago.
MADDIE (VOICEOVER): It makes me sad because she doesn't really
care that much, I don't think.
At least she's not showing that she cares that we're leaving.
I think [inaudible] thought that I'd be on the team forever,
and she's just having a hard time with me leaving.
Hi.
How you doing?
I am Areana's dance teacher.
We're so glad that you're here today to see her dance.
I hope she does really well.
So you'll be cheering her on, all right?
Thank you.
Obviously, today is a really special day.
And she has a very special solo, but at the end of the day,
it's still a dance competition.
And she's going up against Mackenzie,
so I want her to do well.
She needs to dance the best she's ever danced.
ANNOUNCER: Solo lyrical number 123, "For My Brother."
[music playing]
(SINGING) Oh.
Feel safe here.
Swim the tide.
Flow.
[applause]
You [inaudible] gorgeous.
I understand that this number means a lot to you.
Is that correct?
Yes.
Want to tell me why?
Well, it's for my brother, and I feel like he had a little bit
of a hard time growing up, and I really
wanted to make it feel really good for him
and make him feel like I know what he's going through.
That is so beautiful.
Thank you for sharing that.
You OK?
Yeah?
Great job.
[applause]
Great job, Ari.
You did really good.
Thank you.
ANNOUNCER: Number 126, "The Hero."
[applause]
HOLLY: Mackenzie's not even my daughter, and I'm nervous.
Let's face it-- Areana had the total package,
and here's Mackenzie doing her final dance
as a member of the Junior League competition team.
And she doesn't have anything that
even compares to Areana's solo.
[music playing]
SINGER: (SINGING) I keep my mind on my money.
Never made no promises, don't want no honeys.
Tell me what you need.
Did I read that right?
You texting all these [inaudible] with me tonight.
Who is it going to be?
Baby, it's you and me.
You trying to break me down, trying to take me to my knees.
[inaudible] I keep my heart locked
so I don't feel that bass drop.
Why does it have to be-- only the strong survive.
Oh, survive.
Why does it have to be--
only the strong survive.
[applause]
MELISSA (VOICEOVER): This has been
a really long, amazing journey with the ALDC,
the Junior League team.
And to think this is our last award ceremony,
I don't want Maddie and Mackenzie
to leave on a low note.
I want them to leave as champions.
HOST: All right, moving into our top junior soloist
for the day--
SARI (VOICEOVER): Ari's going up against Mackenzie today.
And the way that Melissa has treated me this week,
I kind of think she's a bitch.
So I definitely think if Ari could pull off a win,
it would top off the entire day.
In second place today, we have number 123, "For my Brother,"
Areana [inaudible].
[applause]
All right, audience, we have our top Junior Soloist of the day.
With an amazing score of 297.5, that goes out to number 101,
"I Want to be a Star."
That's [inaudible].
JILL: For Mackenzie, kids feed off of what
their teacher tells them.
She didn't give her any encouragement.
And now Mackenzie is leaving the ALDC
competition team with a loss.
What a shame.
They did very well today.
HOLLY: They did.
They did great.
Where are you going?
HOLLY: Why, is there something you want to say?
That's the last time they're walking out the door.
That was it.
Melissa, how are you feeling?
Ah, you know what?
I'm not doing it.
I don't know what you're talking about.
But I'm leaving.
Overall, our time at the ALDC has been fabulous, exciting,
adventurous.
More good times than bad times, for sure.
Just saying.
She's mad.
Yeah, she needs to talk with Abby.
That's what she-- that's what I keep telling her.
She needs to talk to her.
JILL: That's what we were saying.
But she doesn't want to hear it.
She really doesn't want hear it. HOLLY: She started to tear up.
You saw it.
JILL: But she doesn't want to hear it.
They were Abby's favorites, and Abby never wanted to show up.
So I can only imagine what the future holds for this team,
you know?
But we have to stand strong.
These kids have worked too hard and come
too far to let it all crumble.
To the best of my ability, I'm not going to let that happen.
HOLLY: We pretend like everything's OK,
and everything's not OK.
Do you know what?
This is where it leaves us.
Well, she made it all the way to the end
without being direct, and she had nothing to lose.
[music playing]