[dramatic music]
Let me ask you a question, JoJo.
What do you think constitutes being a master teacher?
A master teacher?
ABBY: Yeah.
I see that you're having master classes.
JoJo simply posted, come to my master class.
Why does Abby care?
I have no idea why Abby is bringing this up now.
God forbid JoJo should interrupt precious little Maddie's solo
time while she is just over in the corner
practicing the only dance she has learned.
I mean, come on.
ABBY: What do you know about being a master instructor?
I really think you have to be careful with that word
because a master teacher is somebody
that has earned that title.
No one cares.
It's a time-wasting, unprofessional move.
ABBY: So because some kid wants to make a quick buck
on the weekend because Daddy doesn't earn enough money,
that's not really a master instructor.
I'll be back.
Yeah, you need to end this.
Nip it in the bud because it's not professional.
Enough is enough already.
[door squeaks open]
First of all, JoJo is not teaching the class.
She's in the class.
ABBY: It doesn't say that in your ad.
It says master class with you.
So don't go out there and say that without having what
it takes to back it up.
No, it's no different than your master classes,
where the girls attend the class with the guests that are going.
I teach.
You teach.
I have a teacher that is teaching with JoJo.
You don't include us in yours.
Oh, is she crying?
Well, Abby started that.
And Jess going in there didn't help, though,
because now JoJo's crying.
It just sucks that it gets on me.
JESSALYNN: Abby pisses me off.
Her whole goal was to put JoJo down and make her cry.
Like, I don't know if that makes Abby feel better about herself,
but it pisses me off.
Just pull yourself together, and go back in.
OK.
That's it?
You're kidding, right?
Well, first of all, you're an awesome little girl.
You're a awesome little talent.
You're one of my favorites.
I think you're good.
You know, you just have your own sort of style,
and it's kind of all over the place.
So what?
She yells at everybody.
Yeah, not like she yells at me, though.
Maybe you're getting pushed because you are special.
Focus on JoJo, and then no one can say anything, right?
Right.
Promise?
Promise.
All right.
Get a bigger bow, honey.
JOJO: Right?
JESSALYNN: This is a really hard week for JoJo.
She's going against Maddie and Mackenzie,
and I know Abby is not going to give her any extra attention.
Thank god Travis is here, and he is giving JoJo
some comfort and attention.
ABBY: JoJo, this is a jazz dance.
This is the '60s.
You're a rebel without a cause, so it's tough, and it's strong.
And you have one more day to learn it.
JoJo has that platinum blonde hair,
and she wears the biggest bow she can find,
so of course she's going to get noticed first at an audition.
She has this undeniable spark, but she's also a rebel.
That kid has a mouth on her.
I have to rein her in to keep her from embarrassing herself
and embarrassing me.
[twirl, "girl on a motorcycle"]
Don't think for a minute that your two kids, Kenzie and JoJo,
don't know that Abby expects Maddie to win with her tap,
the number she's known.
No matter what she does, in their head,
they know Abby expects Maddie to win.
No.
I will tell you, I expect Maddie to win.
But in the car last night, JoJo says,
I actually think I have a shot at beating Maddie this week.
She goes, yeah, she's doing tap.
What if the judges don't like tap?
Because tap is hit or miss.
And I was like, well, Maddie is a good little tapper.
I get that Maddie and Mackenzie are going up
against each other, but what about JoJo,
and what about her solo?
I mean, JoJo would actually have a chance at winning if Abby
would just give her some time.
[upbeat music]
JESSALYNN: I'm a little nervous about this.
JoJo's going up against the two girls
that Abby loves and loves their mom
and their mom backs Abby up.
Now my kid has to go against that.
Great.
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome JoJo to the stage with "Rebel
Without a Cause."
[cheers, applause]
[twirl, "girl on a motorcycle"]
[cheers]
(SINGING) She lets her long, blonde hair
fly through the air.
She'd chop it all off and not even care.
Watch, watch her go, go.
Here she comes.
There she goes.
Look at the girl on a motorcycle.
She's free as a bird.
Look at the girl.
[cheers]
(SINGING) On the run like a bullet from a gun.
Woo!
[cheers, applause]
That's good.
Just watching the rehearsals, it
looked like you spent a lot more time on Maddie's solo,
and Maddie's solo was finished.
Not according to me.
But it was further along--
--from before.
--than Kenzie and JoJo.
My kids have been here since they've been three
years old, Kenzie's been two.
I think they rate a little higher on the ladder
than Jess's daughter does.
I think you have different level of commitment
to different kids.
I think when it comes to Maddie, you're 10-plus.
When it comes to someone like JoJo, I don't even know.
What would you say?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you committed to JoJo?
Do you care about her?
As a child, do I care about her?
Yes, absolutely.
As a dancer.
ABBY: Dancers come and go.
It's a revolving door.
Wow.
So clearly I didn't give her enough options.
I should have been, on a scale of negative 10,000
to positive 10, how much do you like JoJo?
Because maybe there would have been an answer in there.
Like, seriously.
[dramatic music]
In third place--
Me, Maddie, and JoJo all had solos in the same category,
and they were all good.
Maddie usually wins, but the judges might not like tap,
so who knows what's going to happen?
We have number 30, "Rebel Without a Cause," JoJo.
[cheers, applause]
I think JoJo danced great.
I mean, do I think that JoJo was confident in the solo
and prepared, realistically?
No.
This was kind of a bust.
ABBY: So JoJo, you're absolutely bonkers.
ABBY: You're dangerous.
Just set the tone for the piece.
Good luck.
There you go.
Let's see.
[ludwig amadeus, "can you see"]
You need to struggle.
There needs to be, like, a [vocalizing]..
It's time for JoJo to straighten up, so why
not put her in a straitjacket?
She's loud, and she's big, and she's blonde.
So I want to rein her in and work on her technique.
Flex that foot harder.
You're dropping on your heel.
Watch your posture, JoJo.
Finish your movements!
[dramatic music]
Gianna, Kalani should be the one doing the solo.
Get your act together.
You don't have your act together.
You're just sloughing through things.
Your leg has to get up and down that fast.
Like, it has to work.
OK.
And all these faces you're doing,
you're not focusing on the three people judging.
Your head's all over the place.
This is a very important routine.
It can be make it or break it.
JESSALYNN: Are you freaking kidding me?
I mean, seriously, Abby?
You put JoJo in a straitjacket.
This is one of the hardest routines JoJo's ever had.
Why don't you try dancing without your arms?
Hey, hey.
GIRLS: Hi.
Hi, girls.
How are you doing?
GIRLS: Good.
Good, good, good, good, good.
Girls, come on.
Let's go.
This is our last week in LA.
I have told you and told you and told you
100 times how important it is.
JoJo, it's a tough number to get through.
You have to breathe correctly.
It's not about a darling face.
It's the contemporary stuff.
It's the technique.
It's getting that hip down and that leg turned out.
Kendall, you are a recording artist.
Your dancing is what put you on the map.
Now you're here.
You need to win.
OK, one last thing.
Remember, kids are judging you, so go out there and win.
Do it.
[upbeat music]
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome JoJo to the stage with "Straighten
Up."
[cheers, applause]
This dance is a huge challenge for JoJo.
Not being able to use your arms, you've
got to have a strong center.
JoJo, you have got to nail this.
[ludwig amadeus, "can you see"]
(SINGING) Can you see how I feel now?
Can you see how I feel now?
[cheers, applause]
I just did amazing!
I hit all my turns.
It was amazing.
I think I've done enough to win.
And first overall--
Oh, my god.
Lord only knows what Abby would do if Kendall lost to JoJo.
ANNOUNCER: --goes to act number 54, "Untouchable."
[cheers, applause]
JESSALYNN: You know, JoJo danced really good today.
I mean, you go into awards with certain expectations.
And when you don't even place in the top five,
you're, like, completely blown away.
I don't think these kids that are judging
know talent when they see it.
JoJo, it's OK, honey.
You danced good.
No one can take that away. You did good.
You did good.
I have to remind my students, I
think students are sometimes harsher on their peers
than teachers.
No. No.
JoJo, It's OK.
No, you didn't. You danced good.
You danced good.
Honey, you just didn't score well.
She's not going to be upset.
[dramatic music]
It's our last week in LA.
The group won.
We have the overall high score.
However, we didn't have top solo in any age group.
Do I expect more?
Yes.
Everybody can have an off day, but you don't have an off day
when we're leaving LA.
You want to leave on a high note.
JoJo, I liked the routine.
I thought it was wonderful, and I thought you did a great job.
So my opinion differs from those three judges on that.
My next duet, it's kind of on the other end of the pyramid
here.
It's JoJo and Kendall.
[cheering]
JoJo and Kendall were my two lowest-ranking
soloists last week because their technique
is just not up to par.
I'm giving the two of them something we rarely
do in competition because it's about challenging
these kids to push themselves every weekend
for a competition.
So the two of you, you are doing a ballet routine.
It will be in the ballet category.
However, it's a contemporary ballet.
We never do ballet routines ever.
We are now.
It's entitled "Push and Pull."
Cool.
I'm literally freaking out.
Like, I'm not really the ballet technique type.
Like, my legs and feet, they're good, but they're not perfect.
And so jazz is, like, really my thing.
I have to just work really hard on my technique.
I really have to nail this.
ABBY: All right.
You two both know Daniel, yes?
Daniel is one of our wonderful, accomplished
ballet instructors.
So this week, he has been assisting
with the choreography, and I think he's going
to whip these two into shape.
So you both had solos this past week.
Unfortunately, they didn't score so well.
So thank you for jumping in and helping out.
The girls need to work with other people as well.
Here we are in LA, and we have all these people,
and it's good.
So you two are doing a contemporary ballet routine.
We haven't done, really, that with the Abby Lee Dance Company
at competition.
So I think this is good for you.
Everybody needs more ballet, OK?
My Abby Lee girls have not been winning.
And even when they do win, I don't think
their technique is up to snuff.
It's high time these girls realize how
important their training is.
DANIEL: One, on the side.
Two, and then we go again to shift forward.
Three, four.
Well, we're starting our duo.
Our ballet duo.
When's the last time we've ever had a specialty duo?
Never.
Well, ballet-- our kids are not--
this isn't a ballet school.
And then we want to jump over this, like a revoltat.
As we're learning our choreography,
I can just tell by the look on JoJo's face
that JoJo doesn't really like this dance.
But I'm a little nervous because it's ballet,
and I'm just going to say this.
We're not the best at ballet, so it's going to be a rough week.
This seems weird.
Come on.
JoJo should have had the other dance.
This won't be bad, but it won't score well.
It won't be-- it's not a winning number.
They're going to rip them apart.
This is so frustrating.
You know what, Abby?
Choreograph a dance that makes her look good.
It's not rocket science.
It's dance choreography.
I mean, if we look bad on stage, I care.
JoJo is going to be the next big thing.
Her music video is out.
Her song is out.
There's so much other stuff coming out.
Like, JoJo is branding herself.
Honestly, JoJo has a lot to lose.
Like, I don't need Abby bringing us down.
Give her a ballet dance.
Are you kidding me?
It's a joke.
Well, none of our girls are ballerinas.
It's none of our girls' things.
Didn't Nia have a dance that you were super against?
Was it a dog collar? What was it?
Tons of them.
You name it, I was against it.
I mean, there are certain things as a parent,
you do have to stand up.
A joke.
DANIEL: Three, four, and five, six, seven.
Chassé, and up.
JESSALYNN: This is bad.
This is not even kind of good.
This is bad.
I don't think Abby realizes who JoJo really is
and what her potential is as a dancer.
If JoJo's only shot of winning this week is on technique,
it's not going to happen.
I certainly did not give up everything for Abby
to make JoJo look bad.
DANIEL: It needs a lot of work, but it looked good.
Just have confidence and think.
If there's one thing you guys can think,
just be super clear about where you're ending
and where you're starting from, yeah?
Because that's the bits that kind of get really
fundamentally wrong for me.
Yeah.
For you, especially.
OK, thank you very much.
Thank you.
I think Nia and Brynn have a really good chance going up
against JoJo and Kendall because Kendall and JoJo
have never had a ballet duet.
And in all honesty, JoJo's ballet is not her strong suit.
And I think JoJo would probably agree with that.
How is the duo?
I think it's going to be good for you.
You're not doing it.
Oh, honey.
JoJo.
Go take a moment.
Go get some air.
Stop.
Honey, stop.
If anybody else wants to do it, they can have it.
This is not what's going to happen.
ABBY: What?
We're not doing the duo.
JoJo's not doing the duo. This is settled.
Why? Why is she crying about a dance?
JESSALYNN: Because she thinks she's going to look terrible--
ABBY: Plié in a fifth position. JESSALYNN: --on stage--
She didn't look bad at all.
JESSALYNN: --in front of a million people.
Jess's solution for everything is to just pull JoJo out.
She never forces JoJo to do anything
outside her comfort zone.
No wonder JoJo's not getting any better because Jess pulls her
the minute something is hard.
JESSALYNN: It's stupid.
You're making them look stupid.
You're not doing it. It's settled.
It's done. You're not doing it.
No one can make you dance.
You can go stand on stage when they play the music.
Wow.
I have the worst luck with duos.
[music playing]