[music playing]
ABBY LEE: We came back from LA because we weren't ready,
and I felt we needed to regroup.
I am not taking these girls back to LA
unless they can prove that they are a team of winners
and they're ready to compete in Los Angeles.
This week, we are traveling to Manahawkin, New Jersey.
We're going to World Class Dance Experience.
Now, I like the competition.
I don't like their ages.
12 years old is teen.
And if we keep finding competitions that teen is 12,
you're not junior anymore.
Kalani and Nia pull the average age up above 12.
So if I pull one of them out, then
we're back in the junior division where we belong.
The group routine, "Dominance."
I thought we got rid of a couple of bad apples.
But now I have the domino effect.
Somebody has something happening,
or I address someone about a situation.
And it's like, domino, boom, boom,
boom, boom, boom, boom down the line with all of you, dominos.
[clicks]
Do they all fall down?
Or will somebody be left standing?
It's contemporary. It's dark.
It's sneaky, deceitful.
Deception is all around.
Like, people are being deceitful behind my back.
People are not truthful, something like that.
Go ahead.
[gentle music playing]
The piece is entitled "The Domino Effect."
And I feel that's what's happening with the moms.
Holly calling one of my personal friends, going behind my back,
it was sneaky.
I feel like Holly's falling down.
It's causing the next one to fall, the next one to fall,
and the next one to fall.
I don't want a team of people that
can't be upstanding citizens.
Look at your legs, girls.
Some of you look not neat.
Some of you look like have rolling arches.
Some of you are turned out.
She's referring to us as the moms
as being the domino effect, like we were the issue.
Once again, she's pointing fingers at us
and not looking at what her actions
and how they produce a domino effect.
Kendall, look how far you are from Maddie
and too close to Nia.
Why can't just split the difference?
Unfortunately, this group does not look like a winning team.
And I suspect that we are going to be in the teen division
at this competition.
So I think I'm going to have to make a difficult decision.
Kalani is 14 years old.
She's the oldest.
So she's not in the group routine.
She looks great in it.
She looks wonderful in it.
But--
I mean, this is like--
Kalani says it's her favorite dance.
Good.
She'll get to watch it.
HOLLY: The girls learned this dance with six dancers.
And pulling one dancer is a disadvantage for everyone.
And that sets up for failure for the group.
[girls cheering]
I think that you understand about the group routine.
You learned it.
You're part of this team.
I want you to wear the group costume and represent the ALDC.
I would fight for Kendall to be in a number
that she worked on all week.
Any of us would, accept Kira, of course.
You're not bothered that you're not in the group?
I mean, I'm upset that I'm not in it.
But I can't do anything about it.
Well, but maybe your mother could do something about it.
I think these moms would be a lot happier
if they would stop encouraging people
to have fights with Abby.
ANNOUNCER: Up next, we have a small group
doing a contemporary routine, "The Domino Effect."
[music - elle vee, "dominos"]
(SINGING) We fall like dominos.
But just like dominos, we all fall.
[applause]
I think Abby does her best work when she is personally
connected to a dance.
And let's face it.
She had a lot of emotion to pull from from being in LA.
The result was beautiful.
Junior small group category, second overall goes to act
number 38, "Small World."
[applause]
And our first overall in the junior small group category
goes to "The Domino Effect."
[applause]
ABBY LEE: I stuck to my guns.
I kept the girls in the junior division, and we won.
Now, do I think they're ready to head back
to the West Coast right now?
Hell, no.
But at least I'll sleep a little better tonight.