This week, we are going to Fierce Talent
Competition in Calabasas.
So we don't know who's going to be there or what studios.
But--
We know one.
MDP is going to be there.
[scoff, gag]
[slam]
This week at competition, we go against MDP again.
We won the last time, but MDP won the very first
time we competed against them.
So this week defines who is going to be
the champion at this point.
We want the winning record.
So the name of our routine this week-- our group routine--
is "Monster Under the Bed."
OK?
Who do you guys think the monster is?
Abby.
OK, absolutely.
So what we're going to do in this routine is show people
that you might see her as a monster,
but she's nothing more than kind of a joke sometimes,
is what I think.
ABBY: This week, we're up against some stiff competition.
And we need something that is stellar out there on stage.
And I hope that Mackenzie is mature enough
with her facial expressions to let the judges know,
this is my story.
This will be our third time going against MDP.
One time we won.
One time we lost.
And so, the last time we won.
So you know we have a target on our back.
Abby really wants to put her best foot forward.
I thought your dancing was good.
You started off with a bang.
It was pretty-- very pretty for you.
I never saw her face change once.
She's put in Kenzie's head, I don't
know if you can do the dance.
I'm not sure about this.
Why don't you start with some pos-- just a little bit?
Like let's see what you can do with this.
I think you can do it. Go for it.
[suspenseful music]
ABBY: Face, face.
Sad.
Angry.
She doesn't finish her lines.
She chops everything off.
Are you going to be able to handle this?
Can you hit the floor and back chest roll from there?
[slam]
I don't-- I can't teach somebody that's doing the special
part every little nuance.
You need to take it to the next level and not be a little girl.
[slam]
Are you guys nervous that we're going against MDP?
I mean, we've beaten them before, so--
I saw yesterday they had a 12-hour rehearsal.
Yeah, I saw that.
12 hour?
Who rehearses for 12 hours?
You can't tell--
Can I give you, like, a little word of advice?
They're flashy dancers.
They're going to come out, and they're going to turn,
and they're going to be ba-boom.
They're going to have these little, fancy costumes.
You don't have that.
What you do have that they don't is classic, old-world--
I don't know.
They're not you guys.
Wow.
Thanks, Mom.
I thought Abby's pep talks were bad.
Hers are pretty bad.
[chuckle]
OK, guys.
Let's work on that ending.
Can we borrow Abby really quick?
She's almost ready.
Here you go.
The Abby doll is perfect, right down
to her rhinestone bling bracelet from 1982.
The only difference is that the doll is quiet.
And we can only hope that Abby is quiet as well.
Are you scared of this Abby?
No.
Go put Abby under the bed where she belongs.
Here we go.
I don't think Abby likes it very much.
Look at Maddie.
Her whole body is connected.
Watch.
Bah.
It's beautiful.
I'm not seeing you do that.
I'm seeing you do quick.
You chop your movements off.
There is no way that Mackenzie can do that part.
No way.
Maddie, you are the lead.
JILL: I don't know.
Are you going to put up with that?
Maddie would be the perfect lead
for this because of the faces that she
just did in the Sia video.
And we all know that.
JILL: Does it bother Kenzie--
the favoritism?
I love my daughters both the same.
I don't favor anybody.
But then why don't you-- why don't you stick up for Kenzie?
MELISSA: I'm not the teacher.
I'm not the choreographer. I'm not Abby.
JILL: Of course you aren't.
So I can't go in there and say, Abby, you're mean
and Mackenzie can do this.
Give her the role back.
That's ridiculous.
They're sisters.
MELISSA: I don't care.
One sister took it from another sister.
So sad.
I'm such a bad mom.
No one's saying that.
We're saying it's sad for Kenzie.
I mean, I handle things differently than you.
I mean, it is what it is.
I'm sick of the moms telling me what to do.
Abby knows best, and you have to put your best foot forward.
Our girls have to win this week-- period.
I mean, we can't have a loss against MDP.
What's OK about a teacher giving something to a child
and taking it away for no reason?
MELISSA: It's really none of your business.
JILL: If when you and Maddie-- yeah, that's ridiculous.
I just think you should stick up for Mackenzie.
Whatever.
Go to hell.
[spooky sounds]
There she is.
Hello.
Hi, how are you?
Abby, we have something for you.
Can we please come and bring it in?
You don't need to get me gifts.
Please. - Just let me get it.
Hold on. - Bring it to the new studio.
We'll be having a grand opening.
When is that?
[suspenseful music]
All right.
MOM: Oh, there it is.
Oh.
That's really a nice, positive thing you're doing, right?
We are making friends with the monster.
That's so rude.
She's been nothing but rude since she's gotten here.
Well, anyways, it was just giving you
a hint to our dance this week.
We kind of--
Because that's really nice.
So what I was saying is--
I'm sick of this.
We had the girls write stuff on balloons,
like things that were, maybe--
[balloons popping]
OK, bye.
Get out. Get out.
See you later.
[solemn music]
CHILDREN: 1, 2--
ABBY: Harder.
CHILDREN: 3, 4, 5, 6--
What is that?
It's Sesame Street.
They can count.
They're just trying to get us to come out.
Monster 5, monster 6, monster 7.
This is what I feels like I should to do.
Woo.
[giggle]
Go, monster 2, monster 3, monster 4,
monster 5, monster 6--
Girls, your teacher's going to get mad at me,
but frankly, I don't care.
You don't act this way backstage.
Obnoxious.
TEACHER: Let's go, guys.
And the other thing is, you should never,
ever, ever jump on cement.
It baffles me that kids who take from dance teachers who
supposedly work professionally in the business act
like complete morons backstage.
You girls better be amazing because I
just told that teacher that her kids were obnoxious.
ANNOUNCER: Up next, number 67, "Monster Under the Bed."
[suspenseful music]
[silly music]
(SINGING) The freaks are out right
around the stroke of midnight.
No one parties like the living dead.
[vocalizing]
[giggling]
[applause]
[intense music]
Crap.
These kids are good.
I just hope that our group dance has what
it takes to win against MDP.
ANNOUNCER: Next up, number 66, "Voices In My Head."
Go girls.
Woo.
(SINGING) What would you have me do?
Sit here and wait for you to come back?
Come back and say I need you in my life?
What would you have me say?
Honor myself today with the absence of your love?
Cut and throw me like a knife, bringing your eyes to mine,
asking me one more time.
I can't go back, go back.
I need something to believe.
Ran to an open space.
Promised myself today, I'm going to get back, get back who I am
and what I need.
It's never felt like this before.
I'm going to let it out, let it break me down.
Let it go.
Let it flow till I hear the sound of hope--
that voice inside saying, you're going to give it another try.
So let it out.
Let it break you down.
Breathe it in.
Breathe it out, and turn around cause
that's how we begin again.
Let it out so you can let it in.
Oh, can't stop the wind from changing.
We hold on to tiny truths.
We hold on.
So let it out.
Let it break you down.
Breathe it in.
Breathe it out, and turn around cause
that's how we begin again.
Let it out so you can let it in.
[applause and cheers]
The group dance was amazing.
By putting Maddie in, I think our girls nailed it.
But it's what the judge is like.
In second place--
[suspenseful music]
Number 66, "Voices In My Head."
Give it up.
[applause]
Second?
I can't stand being second.
ANNOUNCER: In first place, number 67,
"Monster Under My Bed."
[applause]
I do not agree with the judges this week.
JILL: Girls, I'm proud of you.
I thought you looked beautiful.
I do think you were ripped off.
All they had was flash.
Their group was flashy.
Hey, guys.
We're leaving you with our parting gift.
Oh, thank-- oh.
It's your bracelet, and it's your doll.
That's so cute.
My godchild will love this.
Congratulations, everyone.
We'll see you-- hope to see you soon.
Who comes in the dressing room and gives
you the prop from their dance? Like--
ABBY: But you know what?
You can sit and talk about it all day, but they beat you.
That's it.
Two losses in a row--
this is not how I wanted to return to Los Angeles.
If these girls don't get it together,
they're going to join that long line of broken dreams
on Hollywood Boulevard.
You need to be that kid that nobody beats.
Let's go.
[intense music]
Well, I think it goes back to Abby saying she wanted Maddie
to be in the dance because she thought
it was the best foot forward.
And once again, I think it goes to show that sometimes
our vision of best foot forward is not
going to match what the judges' eyes are the best foot forward.
I would love for Mackenzie to be a lead just like you would
love your kids to be a lead.
But Abby switched it up, and I can't choose.
But you still have to advocate for your kid.
Who's to say, if you didn't storm in or say, Abby--
Oh, please.
No, who's to say Abby didn't realize,
gosh, maybe this really is important to Melissa
and Mackenzie.
- She could care less. - Who knows?
Maybe the judges would have loved Mackenzie
as the lead of the group dance.
But we'll never know that.
You can do what you want with your kid
just like I'm going to do with my kid.
I don't really need people to tell
me what to do with my children.
[intense music]