Nia, Paige, you will be learning the same choreography.
Maddie,
I'm throwing you in there too.
[Holly]
but once I heard Maddie's name,
I knew it wasn't going to be a level playing field.
This is nationals, so if you're going to be here
and you're going to be on this team,
you are going to be the absolute best
that you can be. Spread apart.
Grand plie in second.
I love that every single kid in there
gets to learn a solo this week.
The problem with that is is that half of these girls
are learning a solo and wasting practice time
on a solo that they're not gonna do.
[Kelly]
and she's having the girls compete for it.
I'm going to know, just from the music,
from the style of the dance, who it's gonna be for.
You can't take Paige's choreography,
and Maddie's choreography and say they're the same.
[Abby] That was that sous-sus thing. Alright.
[Holly]
It doesn't take a doctor to figure out
how that's going to end up.
[Abby] Don't rush.
[Melissa]
It's obvious, but I think that
Abby is just having the other girls dance with her
which I think is a fabulous opportunity.
It lets the other kids dance.
They're spending a lot of time on this solo.
-[Christi] Oh my God. -I'm just saying.
Because this is the dance she cares about.
This one.
'Cause it's...
-Maddie. -Maddie.
I think Abby cares more
about Maddie regaining her national title
because she's still bitter that Chloe beat Maddie last year,
more so than even the group number.
-Do you really feel that way? -Yes.
She's had so many wins since nationals.
I think you still have that in your head.
You're not gonna let that ever die.
That your daughter isn't Maddie.
If the group was really first,
would she be spending an hour and a half
working on Maddie's solo?
No.
[Christi] That's what she cares about.
[Leslie] Eventually, I'll see the light?
Abby isn't fooling anyone with the whole Maddie-Nia-Paige
like solo focus session.
We know it's Maddie's solo
and it's obvious to everyone in the room.
I know that dance.
There's no chance in hell that Paige will get that.
[Holly] Or Nia.
[Leslie] You think Maddie's
definitely getting this solo?
I-I don't-- I don't definitely know anything.
While you were in there, Christi said
that her Chloe was definitely not going to get the solo.
-No. You're twisting my words. -I'm not twisting-- She said--
Christi and Jill, did I say that today?
I said Abby can't get over it.
She's still bitter about it, and the dance in there,
that solo is the dance she cared about.
I feel that Chloe gets every single opportunity
-that Maddie gets. -No, no, I said the dance--
Can I finish a sentence?
I said the dance she cared about was Maddie's solo.
You said this dance means more than the group back there
because it's about Maddie.
And you're always harping on that. It's always about Maddie.
I feel that your daughter gets
just as much opportunity as Maddie.
And you're always being into everybody's brains.
And you know what? Payton would love
to have the opportunity that your daughter gets.
Your daughter's not always the victim.
You might cry it all the time. She's not always the victim.
-Don't go there. -I'm going there.
Every time somebody calls you out on something
you always say, "Don't go there."
I'm going there.
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer]
state junior and lyric solo.
Please welcome Maddie performing "Amazing Grace."
[cheers and applause]
♪ Amazing grace ♪
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
♪ That saved a wretch
♪
♪ I once was lost ♪
♪ But now I'm found ♪
♪ Was blind but now ♪
♪ I see ♪
[cheers and applause]
[Abby]
She was an Angel on that stage.
She didn't let anybody down, mainly herself.
[Abby screaming]
You were so good! You were so good!
You shoulda heard them behind me. Silence.
And your highest scoring elite junior soloist
Maddie, entry number 32, "Amazing Grace."
[cheers and applause]
[Melissa]
And she wanted that so bad.
You know, next year, we have to win again.
That's what she expects, and that's what we'll do.
Before I give out assignments.
I want to let you know that this entire week
is going to be all about my mom.
The best dance mom in the whole world.
This week, the dances pay tribute to a woman
whose life revolved around children and dance.
So this is a tribute to my mom's success stories.
Our group routine is "Amazing Grace."
Everybody is in.
Except you, Mackenzie.
You have a lot on your plate.
Now, Maddie did a solo to "Amazing Grace" at nationals.
You are now going to rework this routine
into a group performance. Okay?
So it's lyrical, it's pretty.
Nia, you're in it, I guess.
Yes, we'll see.
Everybody,
this has to be flawless.
Now remember, girls
Maddie won at nationals with "Amazing Grace."
So the group routine needs to be new and innovative.
Get it?
Alright, don't let me down.
["Amazing Grace" playing]
[Abby] That will work, Maddie.
[Abby]
called "Amazing Grace."
This was the solo that Maddie did at nationals
and she won, hands down.
We're turning it into a group routine
to pay homage to my mother, Maryen Lorrain Miller.
["Amazing Grace" continues]
[Abby] Together, Nia, stay with them.
When you step out on that left foot
make sure it's turned out.
Everybody in, Nia.
You're late. You're sloppy.
A beat behind. Back here.
Look where she is.
Where her leg is, in the air.
Your leg is like down here.
You don't push it either.
Nia is getting one correction after another.
Just like the last group dance we did.
She needs to pick up and apply the corrections I'm giving her.
Oh, Nia, don't chug there. I know you're trying to travel.
Don't chug the passe.
The head has to elongate!
Nia!
Good God. What does that woman want?
Blood.
Nia, can you go get your mom and tell her to come down here?
There's nothing wrong.
I just want her to be able to hear what we're saying.
Alright?
She's not pulling her weight and that's all there is to it.
[Melissa] Oh, you got pink!
[Holly] Hi, sweetie, how are you?
Now, let me be very clear with you. I will come downstairs
I'm gonna be up front.
You're not in trouble.
What Abby is doing right now,
she's yelling at you and trying to get you distracted
so you lose your place and your focus in the dance.
She can say you don't know the dance.
This is her game.
Ignore her.
You got it?
Look, I think you're getting the eyes.
Hurry up, hurry.
[Holly] Yeah, I can go.
-Go get 'em, Nia. -She was tapping her watch.
I don't care.
[Holly] I don't care.
[Holly] Yes?
I don't want you to assume
anything sitting up there.
Nia is in the group. Nia has a costume.
Nia needs to pull her weight.
So I want you to hear the corrections.
So if she's practicing on her own, you can remind her.
So, have a seat, relax.
I am sensitive to her situation, so,
I'm not going to lash out at Abby
but I'm also not a doormat,
and I'm not going to let her walk all over me
and I'm not gonna let her walk all over my kid.
[Abby] Nia, you don't want to be moving over.
Head up! Don't lose your releve on that passe, Nia.
Lookit, Holly is perturbed. Look at her.
She is perturbed. Look at that face.
I don't blame her.
Oh, God, no.
Alright, stay in here. Stay warm.
Get over there. Get in a split, do something.
Thank you for inviting me down there.
I saw a noticeable difference.
Nia, apply those corrections.
That's taking the high road.
So how'd that go?
It's like, it's not-- it's not pick on Nia day.
If you have an issue with an adult,
take it out with the adult, not a child.
A child is completely defenseless.
Today it's one child, and the next day that's someone--
it's your child that's on the out.
-And advantage-- -Wait, wait, wait!
-What did you find out? -I got a message.
"Hey, Melissa, it's Kelly Larkin."
-Who's that? -She's-- Larkin Dance.
"I wanted to make sure you got my message on Instagram.
I am coming to Buffalo this weekend
for the competition with you guys.
Can't wait to see you guys.
My dancers are all excited to see you girls.
See you Saturday."
That's not good.
-They're amazing. -I know.
And their soloists win.
Oh my gosh, their soloists are like... they're good.
[Melissa]
but of course, our girls are competitors.
They know how to beat good studios.
[Christi] Our group dance is not clean.
It's not the kind of dance that we're gonna go up
against a great studio and win.
They just learned the dance an hour ago.
If we don't win this week, then it's going to be like,
"Oh, they lost...," you know,
at pyramid when we have to go through pyramid
with these new people.
If they lose, heaven help us next week.
♪ Amazing grace ♪
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
We're talking and we're worried about
studio Larkin this week,
but next week we're gonna be worried about the other team.
Well, if Abby's looking for talented students
from around the country,
no other studio's really training kids
the way that Abby is training them,
like learning a new number in two days.
-Absolutely. -Or a day.
Or in 17 minutes.
[laughs]
You know, Abby always says that she wants people
who can come in here and beat our kids and...
Sarah beat Mackenzie in that eight and under group.
So maybe Sarah is going to be part of that new team.
I don't think Mackenzie has to worry
about being in Sarah's shadow.
-She doesn't. -She doesn't.
-You snapped. -And I feel bad
and I apologized to her and I will not do that again.
I would never ask someone to take their kid and leave
but Christy with a "Y"
doesn't know when to shut up.
[Gianna] Girls, this is for her mom. It has to be good.
♪ That taught my heart ♪
-[Christi] Look, Abby's here. -Oh sh--
Lock the back of that kneecap.
[Melissa] I hate that she walks in during the song.
-This song's hard to take. -Look, look at her face,
She looks like she's about to fall apart.
I can't even look at Abby.
[Holly]
she hurts just like everybody else,
even though she pretends that she doesn't.
She is a real person.
♪ I see ♪
Okay, girls, I...
just want to tell you that we don't know
what's going to happen in the next week.
Okie-doke?
My life will change significantly.
You never know how long you have on this earth.
You have no idea. Okay?
So make the most of every moment. Don't waste a second.
[dramatic music playing]
Oh, look at her. She's crying.
[Nia]
I don't want Miss Abby to be sad about Mrs. Miller,
so I want to do really well for her this week.
My mom has defied all the medical textbooks
and she is still hanging on.
I'm not going to be attending the competition.
I'm going to be here in Pittsburgh, where I belong.
[Melissa] I wanna call Abby.
[Abby]
Hi, Ab.
They're good. You would have been so proud.
Girls, you want to say hi to Miss Abby?
[all] Hi, Miss Abby.
We're all wearing angels for Mrs. Miller today.
-Say "Bye" to Miss Abby. -[all] Bye, Miss Abby
Bye.
Girls, I know that we've been talking
about the number of wins all season.
But honestly, it's more than a win.
It's really about
Mrs. Miller
and tribute to a legacy.
But the new team is coming and...
you guys need to win today to show her
that you guys are her dream team.
Abby took pressure off but I'm putting a bit back on
because this is a winning routine
and we want nothing less than a winning routine. Right?
Come on, let's go.
[girls chattering]
[Melissa] Break a leg, girls.
[announcer]
we have entry number 56. This is entitled "Amazing Grace."
[cheering and applause]
[Holly]
Now the girls need to get ready to compete.
We could still possibly win.
♪
♪ How sweet the sound ♪
♪ That saved a wretch ♪
♪
♪ I once was lost ♪
♪ But now I'm found ♪
♪ Was blind but now ♪
♪ I see ♪
♪ 'Twas grace that taught
♪ My heart to fear ♪
♪ And grace my fears ♪
♪ Relieved ♪
♪ How precious did ♪
♪ That grace appear ♪
♪ The hour I first ♪
♪ Believed ♪
[cheers and applause]
[uplifting music playing]
That was so nice.
The girls looked beautiful. And everyone was on.
Not one person made a mistake, in my eyes.
[announcer]
In third place, act number 38, "Fix You."
[cheers and applause]
In second place with a score of 284.7,
"Amazing Grace."
[cheers and applause]
[Holly]
has come to an end.
And I sure hope Nia's not going to be the blame
for not winning the 14th win.
[announcer]
act number 57, "Tears of an Angel."
[cheers and applause]
[Jill]
They were beautiful on stage.
It just wasn't enough.
But the timing couldn't be worse.
So we wanted this win for Mrs. Miller.
They have five 15-year-olds.
They were better.
It's easy to be better
when they're five years older than you.
It doesn't matter if their average age is five years older,
they beat us. We're going into a new team as losers.
Who's making that call to Abby?
-It's okay, guys. -What are those frowns for?
You could hear a pin drop when you guys were dancing.
And guess who would have been so proud of you? Mrs. Miller.
What was that dance about?
Was a tribute to Mrs. Miller. And you did that.
She would be so proud of you guys.
You guys were gorgeous.
Overall, I think we did the best we could do.
Girls, I'm gonna call Abby. Do you want to talk to her?
That's exactly right.
[dramatic music playing]
[Abby]
Hi, Abby, it's us.
I just wanted to say that Maddie's solo did get first.
Chloe was fifth, and the group was second.
[all] Thank you.
Okay, love you, bye.
It's obvious that Abby has more things on her mind
than a group dance.
But next week is a different story.
She's going to be mad at the girls,
and she's going to have this amazing new team of dancers
ready to take our kids' place.
We're definitely gonna feel this loss next week.