There's three duets.
Who is choreographing Nia's?
Nia and Kalani will be working with another choreographer,
Aisha, who I'm so excited about.
Last night I was on the phone with Aisha
and she said I have to bring Nia and Kalani
to take a class at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
MELISSA: It's Debbie Allen.
Really?
Yeah.
Debbie Allen wanted our girls in her class.
Here is a woman who has an incredibly busy schedule.
She's been on Broadway.
She's choreographed.
She has a dance studio.
She has directed and produced.
Like, the list goes on and on.
She is a legend in the dance industry.
This is a huge deal.
DEBBIE ALLEN: Hi.
Hi.
Oh, my god.
How are you?
Hi, sweetie.
Well, I'm so happy that you all are here.
I got a call that you all wanted to come and take a class.
All right, let me see how y'all hang.
All right, here we go.
All right, Miss Marshall, take them away.
Spread out.
All right. Leave those there.
Let's go. [music playing]
1 and 2 and 3.
NIA: I'm really nervous about this African duet
that Kalani and I have.
It's intense.
I just have to remember that I have a whole team that supports
me and not to get caught up in all
this craziness on social media.
[music continues]
[cheers]
Did Debbie Allen just say we could
train here while Abby is gone?
I am speechless right now.
DEBBIE ALLEN: You all did so well,
and this is not a normal technique for you.
I was very proud of what you did today.
That's great. NIA: Thank you.
Come back because we do flamenco and hip-hop
and Cirque Du Soleil technique.
We do everything.
I'm anxious to see how you're going to transform everything
that you've accomplished.
And you're so young so never be afraid to try.
Success is a journey.
It is always in the making.
Keep expanding your horizons.
Coming here was wonderful.
And they're welcome to come again?
DEBBIE ALLEN: Welcome to come again, absolutely.
Yes, thank you.
Call me and let me know.
Debbie Allen's approach is the complete opposite of what we
experience normally at the LDC.
I think you can see it and feel it.
Abby, for years, has this whole mantra, anyone's replaceable.
Guess what?
In LA, you're a teacher and you might be replaced as well.
MELISSA: It's been a really rough week for Kalani
because she's learning African dancing and Bollywood dancing.
I spoke to her last night and I've never seen
Kalani so stressed in my life.
It's a really hard week.
You guys cannot come out here halfing anything.
You have to start taking this serious.
It's not a game. It's a competition tomorrow.
My name is on this now too, so y'all have to pull up.
And I don't know why you dance like you have
a backpack of bricks on you.
And I don't know why you just look like you
feel absolutely nothing.
How do you dance like that?
Tomorrow's the competition and they're
just learning the choreography.
You actually see Mia and Kalani looking
like they're going to cry.
They're just emotionally drained.
This is a tall order, and I hope the girls can pull it off.
EMCEE: Please welcome to the stage
act number 28, Isolations.
[cheers]
Mia and Kalani have never done this genre of dance
before, let alone competed.
They have a lot on the line.
They have their team members they're competing against
and they have Debbie Allen's legacy to uphold as well.
So the girls need to win.
[music playing]
Good job, girls.
[cheers]
[music playing]
I'm just so proud of Mia and Kalani,
not only of their dance performance,
but of the people that they're becoming.
They didn't crumble and fall.
They didn't have a pity party.
It was incredible.
I'm so proud of them. - Amazing.
Oh, my gosh.