[music playing]
ABBY: Now I want to touch on Maddie not being here.
We all know that she is in Los Angeles.
I'm looking for the child who can be my Maddie
when Maddie's not here.
This week, we will be traveling to Shenandoah
Valley, where we will attend our Powerhouse Dance Competition.
We have three solos.
I'm giving solos to Nia, Chloe, and Kendall this week.
All three are character-driven.
They have to sell the story.
You're kind of on a different level now, Maddie.
I'm going to use you to assist me in choreographing
the other three girls' solos.
I've decided to call Kendall's routine
"Not Just Another Pretty Face."
Your prop is a mirror because as you look at yourself
in the mirror, from this side, you
see this pretty, gorgeous girl.
Yet as you turn your face, you will see a scar--
smile, sad.
Watch Maddie.
Watch her.
JILL: She's not Maddie.
I mean, I get comparing kids to one another,
but there comes a point where you have to stop comparing.
Everybody is different.
What does that do to Kendall's, or any kid's self-confidence?
CHRISTI: In Abby's mind, she is building a kid up--
it's just not ours.
ABBY: If you can't be the character,
you got to let Maddie do it.
JILL: I'm really pleased for Kendall.
I think this is good for Kendall.
I think it's competitive.
CHRISTI: Oh, I agree.
I mean, that's pretty obvious.
JILL: I think Christi is threatened because Kendall
has a great solo this week.
Now these are roles that Chloe used to get
and now, according to Abby, Chloe's falling behind,
so Kendall's getting them.
ABBY: Mirror, mirror on the wall.
Who's the fairest of them all? Kendall.
JILL: Oh, so she is.
WOMAN 1: Oh, that costume's gorgeous.
ABBY: That fits her nicely.
The scar looks incredible.
All right, you've all been selected to do solos.
Today is going to dictate your future.
The Abby Lee Dance Company should
be one, two, three today--
understood? - Yes.
HOST: Please welcome Nia, performing to "Underdog."
[applause]
[music - "underdog"]
(SINGING) Don't you know the [inaudible]..
JILL: From the moment she looks in the judges' eyes,
she is so fierce and intense in her dancing.
Nia looks fabulous.
HOST: Please welcome Chloe, performing to "I
Should Have Known."
[MUSIC - "I WISH I'D KNOWN IT WAS YOU"]
(SINGING) I wish I'd known it was you.
JILL: Chloe does everything perfect every single time
she's on stage.
Chloe is doing what Chloe does best.
(SINGING) --it was you--
HOST: Please welcome Kendall, performing to "Not
Just Another Pretty Face."
Let's go, K!
[MUSIC - NIKKI FLORES, "PRETTY TRAGEDY"]
(SINGING) I wouldn't change a thing about me.
JILL: So I really hope that Kendall
can handle the choreography and prove to Abby that she can do
anything that's thrown at her.
(SINGING) I'm a pretty tragedy.
[applause]
ABBY: I'm expecting a one, two, three sweep today.
But who's going to be in that number one spot?
Who's going to be my next Maddie?
All right, ladies and gentlemen,
we're to start our award ceremony, starting
with our pre-teen solos.
And in fourth place with a score of 275.3 points,
"Underdog" from Abby Lee Dance Company.
[cheering]
HOST: Second place goes to entry #9, "I Should Have Known,"
from the Abby Lee Dance Company.
[applause]
And ladies and gentlemen, your highest preteen solo,
with a score of 280 points, "Not Just
Another Pretty Face" from the Abby Lee Dance Company.
[cheering]
I'm really happy that I won.
I haven't sold in a really long time.
And I was competing up against Chloe and Nia,
so I had a tough competition.
And your studio one more time?
Abby Lee Dance Company.
HOLLY: I think from the beginning
the week, what we said was when we
found out that solo was like--
she had Maddie in mind for the solo,
you knew it was going to be a good solo.
CHRISTI: That just goes to prove because it
wasn't "Kendall's solo."
It was "Maddie's solo" and it it won, it was great.
It won.
So can't we have that kind of--
That kind of caliber for everybody.
CHRISTI: Right.
You're given the tools and what you do
with it is what makes you win.
I don't want anybody saying that was easy for Kendall.
She had to work very hard to get that win.
Kendall, I'm proud of you because that was to be
Maddie's solo, and you did it.
And you didn't let me down-- you came and you won with it.
JILL: And what do you say? - Thank you.
ABBY: You're welcome.
Kendall proved that she could win in Maddie's absence,
but I still think she has a long way to go to fill her shoes.