[music playing]
My next duet, kind of on the other end of the pyramid here--
it's JoJo and Kendall.
Yay!
[cheers and applause]
ABBY: 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.
ABBY: We are now.
It's entitled to "Push and Pull."
Cool.
JOJO: I'm literally freaking out.
Like, I'm not really, like, 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 it.
ABBY: All right.
You two both know Daniel, yes?
Yeah.
ABBY: Daniel is one of our wonderful, accomplished ballet
instructors.
So this week, he has been assisting
with the choreography.
And I think he's gonna whip these two into shape.
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 lead 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: 1, brava on the side, 2.
And then we go again to shift forward--
3, 4.
Well, we're starting our duo--
our ballet duo.
HOLLY: When's the last time we've ever had a specialty duo?
JILL: Never ever, ever.
Well, ballet.
Our kids are not-- this isn't a ballet school.
DANIEL: Yeah.
And then we want to jump over this, like a revoltade-- short.
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 ballet, so it's gonna be a rough week.
JILL: This won't be bad, but it won't score well.
JESSALYNN: No. It's not gonna score well.
It won't be-- it's not a winning number.
They're gonna 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's gonna be the next big thing.
Her music video's 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.
HOLLY: Well, none of our girls are ballerinas.
JILL: It's none of our girl's things.
DANIEL: 3, 4, 5 and 5, 6, 7, chass 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 gonna happen.
I certainly did not give up everything for Abby
to make JoJo look bad.
DANIEL: 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 get really fundamentally wrong
for me.
Yeah.
For you, especially. OK.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
[music playing]
HOLLY: How is the duo?
JILL: I think it's gonna be good for you.
You're not doing it.
No, honey.
HOLLY: Aw, JoJo.
Aw.
HOLLY: Go take a moment.
Go get some air.
Stop.
Honey, stop.
JESSALYNN: Anybody else wants to do it, they can have it.
This is not what's gonna happen.
ABBY: What?
JESSALYNN: We're not doing the duo.
We're not doing it.
JoJo's not doing the duo.
It's settled. - Why?
Why is she crying about a dance. There's steps.
It's a pli and a fifth position.
JESSALYNN: 'Cause she thinks she's gonna look terrible
on stage--
She didn't look bad at all.
JESSALYNN: --in front of a million people.
MOM: 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 is 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 if they play the music.
KENDALL: Wow.
I have the worst luck with duos.
ABBY: Girls?
Where is the class clown?
Where is JoJo?
We--
She hasn't told us anything.
We haven't seen her today or talk--
I haven't talked to her today. ABBY: Really?
Come on.
You guys are thicker than thieves.
KENDALL: The last time I saw her was last night.
She didn't even--
she didn't even call me.
Yeah, she didn't say anything to us.
Shall we call Jess?
[phone rings]
RECORDED VOICE: You have reached the voicemail--
No go.
ABBY: I am personally hurt and offended that Jess and JoJo did
not show up for rehearsal.
Not a phone call, not an email--
zip.
And dammit, I deserve more.
You don't quit things because they're tough in life.
Parents, would you not agree?
I-- I think there's a bigger picture.
Jess is worried about the future of her child, like we all are.
I don't condone it, but I think as a parent, I understand.
But as a parent and a dance teacher,
Jill, she should have kicked the kid's butt right back
into that duet and said you know what?
You're doing it, because you're gonna win
or you're not gonna to win.
That doesn't matter.
What matters is that you get stronger.
JILL: You don't think I wanted her to?
Because now that leaves my child without a duet.
SARI: Well, Ari will fill in.
I know she's a lot shorter than Kendall, but--
ABBY: Well, thank you.
I appreciate you shoving your daughter down my throat
every five seconds.
But I'm putting Kalani in to replace JoJo.
Yeah!
[laughter]
JILL: Yay.
Kalani is the ballet dancer.
She's been taking eight hours of ballet for the first 12 years
of her life.
It helps a lot that Kendall gets to have Kalani step in
and pick up where JoJo left off.
[music playing]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
2, 2--
MOM: Kalani doesn't seem too excited about this.
JILL: She doesn't know it.
MOM: Well, you can thank Jess for that.
It really isn't fair to Kalani or Kendall.
KIRI: The duet is hard, and I don't know that anybody's
done anything like that.
Kalani's stressing right now.
This choreography is not simple.
There's only two days left till competition,
and Kalani has got her work cut out for her.
I'm quite shocked, to be all honest, that this is happening
with Jess, out of all people--
the person who gives everybody [bleep] about not being
fully dedicated to the team.
Yet she's the first one to jump ship because her kid got
a ballet duet.
JILL: Jess and JoJo have left the team, basically
because of this dance.
It's not fair.
Kendall and Kalani did not have a lot of time to rehearse.
Ballet is difficult.
You don't see many ballet numbers competing at a dance
competition.
It's easy to pick apart.
It's right or it's wrong.
It's based solely on technique, and I
think that's a lot of pressure to put on a kid.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, in the Teen Advanced
competition, please help me welcome entry number
26, "Push and Pull."
Woo!
JILL: Go, girls!
[cheers and applause]
[music playing]
[cheers and applause]
Oh, awesome!
Woo!
That was awesome!
KENDALL: I am so happy with our performance.
I think we did amazing.
And I also think we did the best that we could.
And Abby looked pretty happy in the audience, so I'm happy.
ANNOUNCER: All right.
In our Teen Advanced Duo/Trio, in first place in our Teen
Advanced Duo/Trio, we have entry number 26, "Push and Pull."
[cheers and applause]
Congratulations to everyone.
[music playing]
JILL: So proud-- can't stand it, I'm so proud.
This is the second time in a row they have won.
I think Kendall has found herself a new duet partner.