[music playing]
ABBY LEE: Today is it.
Everybody's worked really hard.
This is the showcase.
You know what?
I need you to rotate to give me that shiny sign out.
The good news is Cesar is here to see the performance,
so he is going to get to see them on stage.
KELLY: Doing the annual showcase is stressful enough,
but then having a Broadway agent in the audience,
it's like my head's going to explode.
I just want my kids to make an impression.
[applause]
And now, The Abby Lee Dance Company proudly
presents, "We Love to Dance."
[music playing]
Two minute call.
Everyone, we have two minutes until we go on stage.
[cheering]
ABBY LEE: I use the showcase as a viable way
to see what we're going to spend money on to take to nationals.
When I sit in the light booth, I see the overall picture
that I don't normally get to see at a competition,
so I really get a great view of who's on, who's off,
who needs private lessons, who doesn't, and what
numbers really are going to do well at nationals.
Can we-- can we talk through the dance?
Yes. Let's talk through the dance.
At this point, I am so nervous.
I'm a nervous wreck backstage.
Hey, we're going to just talk through it real fast.
- Do we need to be backstage? - Oh no, wait.
- Listen. - No.
This dance is over. MOM: Oh, crap.
CHRISTI: We step out on stage, and the lights hit us,
and I'm blinded, and I'm in the middle of my worst nightmare.
I have dreams about stuff like this.
I don't want to do this.
Oh.
[applause]
[RICK RISO, "THAT GIRL'S JUST GOTTA BE KISSED"]
(SINGING) That lass has class.
This chick is hip.
[applause]
And if she takes you on her ride, it's a real crazy trip.
Those lips, those hips, beyond compare.
That sway so gently as they swing.
The moment that she caught my eye, but when she smiled I
must testify.
She changed the dance.
CATHY: I pretty much took center stage and I improvised,
but I think that the moms probably should have expected
that being a dance teacher I was going
to put some of my own thing into it to jazz it up.
They should have expected that.
And if they didn't, then they got caught with their pants
down. ABBY LEE: She changed the dance.
She's doing a solo out there.
What is she doing?
(SINGING) That girl's just got to be--
she's got that--
She's trying to upstage everyone.
[laughs]
[cheering]
(SINGING) Gotta be kissed.
[laughter]
(SINGING) Make no mistake about it now.
That chick's sure getting kissed.
ABBY LEE: She might not--
[laughs]
[cheering]
Cathy was in her little, like, candy apple heaven.
[applause]
Cathy [bleep] used us so she could audition
for the Broadway talent scout.
Good luck to you, Cathy.
I hope you enjoy playing Auntie Mame on Broadway.
[arguing]
Cathy knew that Cesar was in the audience,
and she made us look like idiots out there.
Mom, we have four lollipops and we have five kids.
What are we doing?
No Maddie, because she's right in the middle.
Are they backstage? MELISSA: Yes.
They're backstage. - Abby's going to--
MELISSA: Run.
I really don't think that anybody's
going to have an issue with Maddie not having a lollipop,
because it looks like she's not supposed to.
Because there's two girls on each side, and then
Maddie's in the middle.
Listen, Maddie does not have a pop.
Yes? There's only four, so--
GIRL: Brooke. - Go.
She's coming.
GIRL: Other side.
[applause]
[LAUREN MAYHEW, "SUGAR DADDY'S GIRL"] Sugar-- gar-- gar.
Sugar. Sugar daddy's girls.
Superficial Cali girls will make you want to spend big.
Got to drop a million plus if you want to own this.
Gated homes with ocean views crystal floating in the pool.
Designer gowns, Winston shoes.
My closest is Fifth Avenue.
Buy me this, buy me that.
You may think that I'm a brat, but I know what I'm worth.
Yeah, I'm where it's at.
Boys annoy me.
They just can't afford me.
When I want it, I get it cause I'm sugar daddy's little girl.
CHRISTI: Apparently one of the sugar daddy lollipops broke
or something, so, of course, the special one
in the dance who doesn't have to dance with the giant stick
is Maddie.
Because she's the center, and she's
the special one with no props, so
naturally, your eyes go to her.
That's the way things go.
[LAUREN MAYHEW, "SUGAR DADDY'S GIRL"] Sugar, sugar,
sugar, I'm sugar daddy's girl.
Sugar, sugar, sugar, I'm sugar daddy's girl.
[cha-ching]
[cheering]
MELISSA: Obviously, Maddie stood out because she didn't have
a lollipop, but I think she really made the dance,
because she really used her facial expressions,
and I think she was just adorable in the dance.
[applause]
[party colors, "baby mine"] Ooh.
I've got a guy, and he's so fine.
CHLOE: I was a little nervous to perform in front of Cesar.
I just wanted to make sure that I knew my dance
and I remembered my dance.
(SINGING) My baby.
CHLOE: I honestly don't remember how well I
did, because I was so nervous.
(SINGING) My baby.
[cheering]
Miss Abby says that the New York agent is looking
for girls to put on Broadway.
I think it's a big deal because I would really
like to be on a Broadway show.
[alexx calise, "cry"] And I, oh, I don't want
to do anything but cry.
Oh, and I--
I don't want to do anything but cry.
And I-- I don't want to anything but cry.
[cheering]
[music playing]
Cesar Rocha, an agent from Telsey and Company Casting
was in the house tonight.
[applause]
Having Cesar come here was a great honor.
It was fun.
It was exciting.
I was thrilled to have him here.
Hi. Hey, girls.
Good job.
[clapping] You guys were so good.
Congratulations. You were so good.
- Thank you. - Hi.
Congratulations. - Hi.
Thank you. - You guys are so good.
Come with me, Maddie.
To chat with Maddie over here for a second.
Can I come?
Yeah, of course. You want to come?
Let's go here.
Coming from New York, Maddie's a star.
[laughs] Maddie is-- it's unreal how good she is,
and the face on stage.
All the girls are very good, but Maddie just stood out for me.
She has that glimmer, that sparkle.
I would love, like, if you're ever in New York, just come in,
and, like, let me know you guys are there.
And I would love to, like, just chat so the office
can get to meet you.
And like I said, we're doing a bunch of stuff with kids
now, so it'd be great. And just keep in touch.
And I could see her on stage.
I can see her on television.
I can see her as one of the kid actors that we see in New York
all the time.
Her picture yesterday was great, so that's good.
And, yeah--
It's old, but Abby wanted that one.
CHRISTI: As soon as we found out there
was a talent agent from Telsey and Company coming,
we knew that the focus was going to be on Maddie.
And I know that Abby probably promoted
her before anybody else.
She's so good.
She's so good. - She's just smart.
She's unreal. She's smart.
Smart.
Yeah, and such a strong dancer amongst the other girls.
CHRISTI: And naturally, when he came out
and he wanted to talk to somebody,
the child he pulls aside is Maddie.
And I don't know.
What did you say?
You said, you're not upset, but it hurts.
Yeah.
- Yeah. - Great.
You looked beautiful on stage. - Thank you.
CESAR: Thanks.
MELISSA: I knew Cesar would love her.
It's kind of a given.
And she has a cute, little personality.
She's not a brat.
Christi is jealous of my eight-year-old daughter,
and I think it's totally ridiculous.
It's because my kid is the star.
She is the most talented girl there,
and Abby knows that she has a future.
CHRISTI: I don't know how much longer I can put up with Abby.
The whole Broadway casting agent thing was total bull [bleep]..
We all know why this guy came in,
and it was for her precious little Maddie, no one else.
I might have agreed to play by Abby's dumb, little rules,
but no more.
I'm not keeping my mouth shut, and it's on.
CESAR: Thank you. Congratulations.
MELISSA: Thank you. It was nice to meet you.
CESAR: Nice to meet you too.
Nice to meet you, Maddie.