Christina POV.
|Here we are in Las Vegas, Nevada. We're here to attend that Thunderstruck competition. Vegas is really important, because we only have two more competitions before Nationals in Tahoe.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
The girls and I walked into the dance studio with our mom's behind us.
"Welcome to Las Vegas!" Ms. Abby greeted us with a smile.
The girls and I stood in a line with our dance bags in front of us.
"I want to reflect on Starpower last week. Some of you did really well, however, as a whole, not so great. I brought Brandon and David in, Christina and David had chemistry but Brooke, you and Brandon didn't and the dance was a complete mess. The competition in Las Vegas this week is Thunderstruck, and we have four days to prepare. As a group, this particular group has never not placed in the overall high scores. So you need to be flawless this week." Ms. Abby said.
Ms Abby revealed Vivi-Anne 's picture with a big red X across her picture.
"Vivi-Anne. Not here. Her mother made it quite clear she was not traveling to Las Vegas, so you know what? This poor little girl is going to suffer. Her mother didn't follow the rules. Let this be a lesson to all of you, and to all of your mothers. If you don't follow the rules and you don't give me 100%, I will yank your number from the competition." Ms. Abby said.
|She's the one that quit, she's the one that bailed, she's the one that ran back to Ohio. You know, we've been on the road, there's bonds that have been made, these people have worked under great pressure, and it's that old adage: I can talk about my moms, but don't anybody else talk about them.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Next up.... Mackenzie." Ms. Abby said, revealing Mackenzie's picture.
"Honey, I'm sorry you lost your duet partner. However, I want you to practice on all of your jumps and all of your tricks, because next week you will definitely be competing." Ms. Abby tells her.
|I don't care if I'm not dancing. I just want to hang out at the pool.|Mackenzie Ziegler|Melissa's daughter
Ms. Abby reveals Chloe headshot picture.
"Chloe. You didn't dance last week so there wasn't much to judge you on. Paige. Your performance is good, but you're not winning and you're not placing in the overalls. And I feel that you should be placing definitely in the top ten. This is your city. You have the long legs, you have the look, yes?" Ms. Abby said, making Paige nod.
"Because of that, Paige.... you're getting a solo. Understood?" Ms. Abby asked.
Paige nodded.
"Second row...Nia. Last week in Orlando, you finally won your category. You have Christina to thank for that because she helped you run your solo. I think you need to win all the time. So, I hope your mother now trusts me and doesn't question my every move. I've had it with that. It's what you do on stage that matters. Not the Choreography, not the costuming. It's you and your technique that is going to win first place. It felt good to win, didn't it?" Ms. Abby asked.
Nia smiles and nods.
"This week you get another solo, and I expect you to win again." Ms. Abby said.
Nia nodded. Ms. Abby reveals Brooke headshot picture next.
"Brooke, you did a great job, but you didn't make the top three. Yes, I understand the girls were a lot older, but you can't use excuses. You should blow them away. You are doing a solo, and just like Paige, this is your city. You've been talking about Cirque for years, since you were a little kid. Certainly, somebody from Cirque is going to be judging you here. So you need to step it up and make sure they know your name." Ms. Abby said.
|When I'm older, I want to be on a Cirque Du Soleil show. It looked really fun, and they got to do all these cool, like, wear these cool costumes, and they got to, like, hang on stuff and, like, walk on the ceiling, and do acro tricks and stuff.|Brooke and Paige Hyland|Kelly's daughters
"And on top of the pyramid is Maddie." Maddie said revealing Maddie's headshot picture on the top.
"Now, you're probably wondering why because Maddie got second to Christina last week. I keep hearing, "Nobody can win because Christina wins." Well, you know what? This is your shot." Ms. Abby said.
Ms. Abby reveals my headshot picture on the side.
"Christina, I'm giving you the week off. No new solo." Ms. Abby said.
Maddie Christina
Brooke Nia
Paige Chloe Mackenzie Vivi-Anne🚫
|I'm really happy that Abby is not giving Christina a solo this week. It's giving her a break, I know my babygirl is tired, so maybe she can swim a little, or have some time, and I think it will be really nice for Maddie to be at the top.|Christi Lukasiak|Dance mom
|I'm sick and tired of all the mothers talking about, "Christina gets all the attention and Christina gets the pretty costume and Christina gets this and Christina gets that." I took Christina out of the equation. Now who are they going to blame?|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Maddie, you wanted this shot. Your mother, all I hear is it's, Christina, Christina, Christina, Christina, Christina, Christina." Well, you know what? This is your shot. Here we are in Las Vegas, and you better win." Ms. Abby said, making Maddie nod.
|I am so glad that Maddie is at the top of the pyramid finally, but I know why Maddie's at the top of the pyramid, and it's to set her up to fail.|Melissa Ziegler| Dance mom
"Christina, you're going to do the group dance. You will not be performing a solo this week. Now, understand this has nothing to do with you. I want to let somebody else have a chance to win." Ms. Abby tells me.
|I put Maddie on top because she came in second to Christina, so she has no excuses. She must win.|Abby Lee Miller| Dance Coach
"Let's talk about the group number. Where are we again?" Ms. Abby asked.
"Las Vegas." The girls and I said in sync.
|Vegas is really important to us, because we only have two more shots till we go to our huge Nationals in Lake Tahoe, so this is a really important win.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
"Does everyone know another name they use for this city?" Ms. Abby asked.
Brooke thought about it then she raised her hand.
"Brooke." Ms. Abby called.
"Sin City." Brooke replied.
"Sin City." Ms. Abby repeated.
"Good job, Brooke." Mommy said.
"The concept of this contemporary routine is Sin City." Ms. Abby said.
|We chose a piece about seven deadly sins, but we don't have seven girls so we went with sinful just to kind of get a little bit of a darker vibe to the piece.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Put your bags away. Moms, go ahead. Come on, let's go." Ms. Abby said, as the girls and I picked up our bags and put them to the side.
|I'm kind of happy that Ms Abby decided to give me a week off, because I work so hard and I'm tired. I'm happy to be in Las Vegas., maybe Ms. Abby will take us to the beach. (Smiles)|Christina Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
Christi POV.
"So how about my kids at the bottom of the pyramid again? Surprise, surprise." Kelly said.
"I'm sorry." Holly apologized.
"But you know what? I-I just want to tell you something. I think that her solo was the bust she's ever done, any solo. Didn't you?" Melissa asked.
Kelly shrugged.
"She acted so well with this." Melissa added.
"She made me smile." Melissa said.
"That was my concern for the "Laquifta" dance, was the same thing. There wasn't a lot of dancing. " Holly said.
"Well, Nia moved up the pyramid." I said.
"Yeah." Kelly agreed.
"She did." Holly said.
"How about that red slash over Vivi's face?" I asked.
The other moms gasps.
"That was cruel." Holly said.
"That is cruel." I agreed
"You should never put any mark on anybody's face. that's like putting a big bull's-eye. Why don't you just throw darts at it?" Holly asked.
"Wait till Cathy sees that." Melissa said.
"I don't think we're ever gonna see Cathy again. I think Cathy hit the road." I said.
"You don't think so?" Holly asked.
"No." I replied.
Cathy POV.
|As I was driving home from Pittsburgh, I was elated. I could not get far enough away from what was going on at the Abby Lee Dance Company. I was really happy to see the Ohio sign. "Ohio welcomes you." I couldn't have been happier.|Cathy nesbitt-stein| Vivi-Anne's mom
I drove to my Candy Apples Dance Center. The moms and my dancers walked in.
"First of all, ladies, gentlemen, I am so happy to be back. As you know, I was splitting my time from the Abby Lee Dance Center and Candy Apple's. I wanted Vivi to get a little bit more experience because she's starting to get on that brick of titles, and with me being her mom, I wanted to let her go to a dance teacher that wasn't me and wasn't Erin, and I felt that, that was important, but while I was there, it was an experience of a lifetime. She is winning competitions, and I say "she," I am talking about Abby Lee Miller, and I don't know how she is winning everywhere she goes, because her kids have a ton of technical issues." I explained.
|I'm starting to feel this energy that the plan that I'm going for is what I really, truly am going to do and I'm gonna put it in motion, and that is that Candy Apple's Dance Center is going to meet up with the Abby Lee dances next week in Hollywood, and we're going to go head to head.|Cathy nesbitt-stein| Vivi-Anne's mom
"There are going to be three of you that get to go to Hollywood, California. Justice. Justice, you are going to go to Hollywood. Vivi. Vivi had the inside scoop there. You are going to go to Hollywood. And our third apple, Taylor O'Lear. Taylor, you will be doing a contemporary piece and competing against one of Abby's so-called finest." I explained.
|Is it vengeance? I would say, it's artistic vengeance, because I want her to see what Vivi's capable of.|Cathy nesbitt-stein| Vivi-Anne's mom
"Hollywood, here we come." I said, walking up to my dancers and holding up my hand.
"Hollywood, here we come!" The dancers and I said in sync as they gave me a high five.
|I've got a plan where we say, "We came, we saw, we kicked apples."|Cathy nesbitt-stein| Vivi-Anne's mom
Christina POV.
*Four Days To Competition*
Group rehearseal
"Let's go from the top with music. Place. Lift, open. Back flex hard!" Ms. Abby said.
Brooke did a side Arial.
"Better. go." Ms. Abby instructed Chloe.
Chloe rolled over her head into a flip.
"Push." Ms. Abby said.
Better. Hold. Step down. Good." Ms. Abby said.
|Since we are here in Las Vegas, I wanted to do something about the sins. It's a very dark number. There's a section of the routine where each girl does their own Choreography, and I assign each one of them a "sin" to protray.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Brooke, you would be sloth. So I'm telling you right now. You have all this amazing talent, and you throw it away, and you give it to me sloppy." Ms. Abby said.
|None of us really knew what the seven deadly sins were, and Abby had to explain it to us.|Maddie Ziegler|Melissa's daughter
"Paige. You are going to be gluttony." Ms. Abby said.
"Is that the one that's fat?" Paige asked.
"Gluttony... That's not....No, you're just thinking, like, a pig is like a glutton." Ms. Abby replied.
|The dance was called "Sinful." They were all doing different parts. But I don't think they needed to be labeled. I think it was just another way for Abby to give a dig.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"Nia, you are going to be greed. You want it all, you want it right now, and you want it your way." Ms. Abby said.
|Nia was assigned greedy. Nia is the antithesis of greedy. She.... There's not a greedy bone in that child's body.|Holly Frazier|Nia's mom
"Maddie, you are going to be wrath. What that means is, you get upset, you are ragingly angry." Ms. Abby said.
|She actually handed each person their own sin so they could act it out on stage. But it was just for a dance. It's just acting. It's just a role that everyone has to play.|Melissa Ziegler| Dance mom
"Chloe's going to be envy." Ms. Abby said.
I looked over at my mom and noticed that she was upset.
"Do you know what envy is? Envy is, like, you wish you had what another person had, or you wish that, that other person didn't have it." Ms. Abby said.
|I knew Abby was going to assign Chloe to envy. And Chloe came over to me, and she said she was upset, because she said, "I'm not jealous of Christina." No, she's not jealous of her own twin sister. The only thing that Chloe's jealous of is the fact that Abby Keeps comparing them. And, it's like, Chloe and Christina are two different people.|Christi Lukasiak|Dance mom
"And last but certainly not least, Christina.... your going to be pride. Pride is like you have excessive love for something. Or like you have the dire to be better or more important than others." Ms. Abby says, as I nod.
|Of course Abby gave Christina pride because she's my pride and joy (smiles) and I love her to death.|Christi Lukasiak|Dance mom
"Brooke, I need you to be back a little bit so that it's staggered on that. Move upstage." Ms. Abby said.
"All right, lots of just...." Ms. Abby started.
A lady walked through the door before Ms. Abby can finish her sentence.
"Oh, hi." Ms. Abby greeted.
"Hi." Liz waved and laughed.
"Come on in! It's so great to see you." Ms. Abby said.
They hug.
|Liz Lieberman is a friend of mine from way back when, and she is the epitome of Las Vegas showgirl.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"This is a dear friend. This is Liz Lieberman. Say hello." Ms. Abby said.
"Hi." The girls and I said in sync.
"Hi, all, how are you?" Liz asked.
"She is the showgirl. Yes?" Ms. Abby said.
Liz laughed.
"They've designed entire shows just around her." Ms. Abby added.
"Would you like to learn a little bit about the posture and walking on the balls of your feet?" Liz asked.
The girls and I nodded excitedly.
"Okay. Don Arden invented this walk." Liz said, demonstrating the walk.
|Learning to walk like a showgirl isn't easy as it look. You have to have really good posture and really good focus. It's kind of walking like a giraffe. "It's really fun to walk like a showgirl. My dream is to be a professional performer. Of course I'm going to help my twin sister Chloe before I reach my goal but I think it'll work out perfectly." Christina said. The big neck(the twins smile)|Christina and Chloe Lukasiak|Christi's daughters
"Now, then, I have a surprise. So....who wants to put something on?" Liz asked.
The girls and I screamed and ran towards her as we grabbed the black hat. Chloe puts the black hat on.
"Al right, ladies, I have one other surprise for you." Liz said.
*Four Days To Competition*
"All right, ladies, I have one other surprise for you." Liz said.
"A real live showgirl. Katy!" Liz said.
Katy walks into the studio.
|I think the girls were excited to see and actual showgirl. I think it was nice for them to see, like, this is what you're working for. This is what you can be someday.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"There's on thing, I was the principal in the show. And there was a caveat that I had to work topless." Liz explained.
|I think Liz didn't realize how young the kids were. Cause everything was going great and then she talked about going topless. And I'm like geez!|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"It's not every show in Vegas by any means, but the shows I did, we had to." Liz said.
|If Maddie ever told me she wanted to be a topless dancer I would totally lose it. I would lock her in her room and throw away the key.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
Christi POV.
|Christi and I hang out a lot together.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"Hi. I'm so sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry I'm late." I told her, because I showed up late.
I sat next to her.
|We're pretty good friends. We do things while our kids are doing things.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"I'm so sorry. I had to pick up the Chloe's costume." I said.
"Your costume's ready?" Kelly asked.
"I'm assuming yours isn't?" I questioned.
"Would you expect anything different?" Kelly asked.
"Let me see the costume." Kelly replied.
"Oh, it's cute." I said.
"Yeah, rub it in a little bit." Kelly said.
"Look, she's a little french, like, traveler." I said.
|I don't understand why everyone else has a costume but my kids don't.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"I just don't understand why my kids never has a costume. She doesn't get the time with the Choreography and stuff like that. She gets the shit Choreography and then...The shit costumes. And when she does get them, it doesn't fit. Or they don't go with the dance. I don't. I don't...I'm just so tired of it." Kelly explained.
"I'm sorry." I apologized.
"I don't know. I hate Vegas." I added.
"I know. We need to do something fun. We'll have to think about it and find something...that everybody could do." Kelly agreed.
"I think we need to go, because the kids are almost done with rehearsal. Our cupcake date's over. Cheers." I said.
"I know. It was so yummy." Kelly agreed.
Kelly and I clicked glasses.
Maddie POV.
*Three Days To Competition*
Dance Style: Contemporary
"All right, ready, Maddie? Let's go." Ms. Abby instructed.
I started rehearsing my solo as Chloe was in the corner going over her theatrical Ballet solo. Chloe and I are going head to head.
"Bigger jump. That needs to be big." Ms. Abby said.
|Ms. Abby says this week I have to win, because I don't have Christina competing against me but I have Chloe. I guess people say the twin's are my biggest competitors.|Maddie Ziegler|Melissa's daughter
"Maddie, look at Chloe. She's doing her solo perfectly. What are you doing!?" Ms. Abby yelled.
I started to tear up.
|I put a lot of pressure on Maddie because I am sick and tired of hearing the Christina excuse. You know what, there's a thousand Christinas out there. You can't control it. Go out there and do your best and win, because you're great. Maddie has amazing opportunities. She has an amazing future ahead of her. And I know she has what it takes.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Big." Ms. Abby said.
|When Ms. Abby's tough on me it's definitely not the greatest feeling.|Maddie Ziegler|Melissa's daughter
"I am giving you this opportunity, yes? I am sick and tired of hearing, "I never win, I never win. It's not about me, it's not about me." It's about you. Yes. You and Chloe have new solos. Go out there and win." Ms. Abby said.
|She can be tough. She can be very tough.|Chloe Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
"Pas de bourée! Glissade! Head up!" Ms. Abby said to Chloe to correct her on the side.
Christi POV.
The moms and I were in the limousine, going out of town.
|Abby has the girls tonight, so we decided that we're going to go for a night out of town. And it's Vegas, so we're going to live it up.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"I'm so excited! Do we all know where we're going tonight?" Kelly asked.
"No." Melissa replied.
"I do. I'm excited. Minus 5." Kelly said.
"What's that? And what is it?" Melissa asked.
"It's like, the bar is frozen. So, like, when you you set your drink down it stays nice and cold. When you put your Diet Coke down, Dr. Holly...Oh, no, Dr. Holly and Melissa are drinking." Kelly said.
|It's kind of nice to go and chill.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
The moms and I walked into the the bar.
Christina POV.
The girls and I plus Ms. Abby walked into a place.
"Isn't this neat?" Ms. Abby asked.
The girls and I, plus Ms. Abby sat down.
|The rehearsals we're getting pretty intense. We were working for hours on end. So I thought we would just take a little break, and I took them next door to get ice cream.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"What do you think this spoon is for?" Ms. Abby asked.
"Ice cream." The girls and I in sync.
Ms. Abby laughed.
"Are we right?" Chloe asked.
"Yes, you're right." Ms. Abby replied.
"Yes." Chloe and Paige said in sync.
"We're having a treat, a treat. Cheers." Ms. Abby said, clicking our spoons together.
"Can we get some service here?" Ms. Abby asked.
Christi POV.
The moms and I are wearing fur hats and fur coats.
|So we get to Minus 5 and we get to try on fur hats and fur coats. It was really fun.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
The moms and I walked into the bar and started screaming.
"Oh, my god, it's an igloo!" Kelly laughed.
|It's a igloo, it's made out, out of ice. It's cool, literally.|Christi Lukasiak|Dance mom
The moms and I are having so much fun at this frozen bar.
|So I was looking around the bar, and there was this ice sculpture of boobs. And I'm like, "What the heck is this?"|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
The moms and I walked over to the sculpture of boobs.
"Look, it does look like yours! That's why I wanted you to come over. Look, here's Melissa's." Kelly said.
Kelly and Melissa both laughed.
"It's exactly me." Melissa agreed.
"She went to the pretty kitty." I said.
"And you've seen me naked." Melissa said.
|It's the craziest thing I've ever seen.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
Christina POV.
The male waiter brought over to sun'dea.
"Oh, my god!" Ms. Abby said.
|I love ice cream.|Nia Sioux|Holly's daughter
"No, give it to me!" Paige and Chloe were play fighting.
"You have ice cream right there, right, there." Ms. Abby puts ice cream on Mackenzie's face.
The girls and I laughed.
"Now listen to me. We're in Las Vegas. I want to have a good time. I do not want your mothers starting all this crap with me. It's your jobs, when I correct you, I am correcting you. I am not going to deal with your mothers rolling their eyes and..." Ms. Abby explained.
|Sometimes Ms. Abby just talks and talks and talks and talks and talks and talks even when we're out for ice cream sundaes about dance.|Chloe Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
"Th-there's no way. They don't pay me near enough to put up with all their crap." Ms. Abby said, as I ate ice cream.
Christi POV.
The moms and I squealed as the man bartender held a ski shot in front of us.
"It's a shot ski!" I yelled slightly.
Kelly laughed.
"Shot ski! I get it." Kelly said.
Christina POV.
"Listen, shh.... enough. The group number could win. It's contemporary. I want to see those characters come through. This number could win." Ms. Abby said.
|We flew 3,000 miles here to Las Vegas to do this competition. This is not a vacation. This is a dance competition.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
Christi POV.
"One....two....three." The server counted down.
The moms and I took the ski shot together.
"Whoo!" Kelly cheered, after we were finished.
"I don't remember the last time..." I said, wiping my mouth.
Paige POV.
Two days to competition*
"Now, remember, I want a showgirl. Introducing Paige." Ms. Abby said.
The music started and I started dancing.
|My dance is called "Tongue-Twisters, and it's an acrobatics routine. And I love the dance, and I use a chair in it.|Paige Hyland|Kelly's daughter
"Swing your hip up there. Push it. Push. Push. Up. Down. Tuck, jump down." Ms. Abby instructed.
|The pressure is really on for the solos. These girls need to get out there, and they need to impress the judges. They should be on a 20-ppint spread, between them and the girl behind them. That would be the goal.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
Brooke POV.
Gianna is helping me learn my solo.
"Where are your legs on that?" Gianna asked.
I stopped dancing and held my shoulder.
"I think they're..." I started.
"Let's just walk through it once from the top. Okay?" Gianna asked.
"My shoulder hurts." I complained.
"Again?" Gianna asked.
I nodded.
"This has happened before, yeah? You just have to get through it. If it pops out, we just need to...get it back in there." Gianna said.
"Just...like pop it back in." My mom said.
|Lately, my shoulder has been hurting pretty bad when I do my headstand twist. I don't think I'm going to be able to dance with my shoulder pain, just because it... I'm always putting pressure on my hands.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
"Remember, pull. Harder. I know it hurts.| Gianna said.
|Not performing is not an option for me.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
I sat next to my mom and she put ice on my shoulder and kisses my cheek.
Maddie POV.
My mom and I sat on the couch in our hotel room.
"So you're at the top of the pyramid, kiddo." Mom says, as she pats my head.
"Yeah, but....Ms. Abby was saying to me, like, "Oh, since Christina's not in this, you have to win. You have to win, you..." I said.
"You don't have to win because Christina's not in this. You're Maddie, you're different. And there's nothing wrong with being Maddie. Maddie is amazing. Because I wouldn't trade one Maddie 100 Christinas." Mom said.
|This week, Abby is putting an exorbitant amount of pressure on Maddie. She's screaming at her, telling her l, You're at the top of the pyramid. You better win."|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
"But I promise you, I pinky-swear. I pinky-swear, that I will not let her continue to treat you this way. Okay?" Mom asked, locking our Pinky's together.
I nodded.
"Lock it." Mom tells me.
I kissed my thump while mom does the same thing as I smiled. I hugged my mom and she hugged me back
"Love you." I said, pulling away from the hug.
"I love you, too." Mom says, kissing my cheek.
I got up from the couch and walked away.
Melissa POV.
I signed and got up.
"Mads, I'll be right back, ok?" I said to my daughter.
I walked out of our hotel room and walked to Abby's hotel room.
|When Maddie told me that Abby has been screaming in her face, but doesn't scream at Chloe and belittling her, and talking to her the way she is, I...I will not put up with this anymore, I-I can't. I can't. It is my duty as Maddie's mother to put an end to it.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
I knocked on Abby's hotel room and signed as I waited for an answer. Abby opened the door while on the phone.
"I need to talk to you." I said.
"Just rude again. Come on." Abby said, gesturing me inside.
|Melissa came to my hotel room unannounced, which I did not appreciate. She didn't know if I was indisposed or if I was in the shower or what. But you know her, raised in a barn. Comes knocking on my door. "I need to talk to you."|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Yeah, we'll talk about rude." I said, walking into the hotel room.
|Melissa is rude, arrogant, and she's clueless.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"You're not paying me for this time" Abby said, closing the door as I sat on the couch.
"You owe me for this time." I told her.
"I owe you nothing." Abby said.
"You're incredibly rude to my daughter. You cannot...All I'm asking you for is to treat my daughter with a little bit of respect." I said.
"I do, every single time. When you are in the picture, your child looks at you." Abby said.
"Because she's afraid of you." I defended Maddie.
"She's like this. You ask her a question, she goes like this. It's like she's competing with you and me, and you and me, and you and me. When she's there with me all day, she's loving that studio." Abby said.
|I've been doing this for 30 years. There is a great camaraderie, a wonderful, beautiful relationship between the child and I, and the mother is jealous.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"You have a problem with your kid! Get some help!" Abby yelled.
"Oh, Abby." I said.
"You do." Abby said.
"You who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." I said.
"I'll throw whatever I want to throw. You know why? Because I am responsible for Maddie's success." Abby said.
|She wants to be a showgirl herself. She missed her opportunity. It's Maddie's time. Let me do my job.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"She is a beautiful dancer. She's a great kid." Abby said.
"Treat her like that." I said.
"But she looks with you with one eye, like this, scared to death to fail." Abby said.
"Oh, my God. All she does is fail. all you do is set her up to fail." I said.
"She's holding two national titles!" Abby yelled.
"You went up....you went backstage before somebody and said, "Be like Christina! Who does that to a kid?" I yelled.
"Deny it all you want, Abby." I added.
"Why wouldn't you want to be like Christina? I want to be like Christina." Abby said.
"Because Maddie doesn't need to be like Christina. Maddie is Maddie, and that is good enough." I said.
"For who?" Abby questioned.
"For her." I replied.
"Not for you." Abby said.
"Yes, it is." I argued.
"Then why are you so jealous of an nine-year-old?" Abby asked.
"Oh, my God." I rolled my eyes.
"You should love her unconditionally." Abby said.
"I do. Abby, don't you dare question my parenting." I said.
"I-I....I do." Abby nodded.
I shook my head at her.
"The bottom line is, I would really appreciate it if you could just be w little bit kinder to my daughter. that's the bottom line." I said.
|My tears aren't a sign of sadness. They're really frustration. I'm so frustrated with this woman. She will never understand my point of view, because she's not a mother.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
"So Maddie's at the top of the pyramid this week, and what are your expectations for her?" I asked.
"I expect her to win, beat Chloe, hands down. I expect people to be talking about Maddie. People should be buzzing about her." Abby replied.
"I just want to leave kind of and move forward, because we're obviously kind of stuck with each other." I said.
"I agree. I agree." Abby agreed.
"I know that you've said point-blank, you don't like me." I said.
"I said I can't stand you." Abby said.
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not as bitchy as I come across." I said.
|I saw a more human side of Melissa. She broke down a little bit. I saw her be a little bit more emotional. However, I hope I got through to her that I do have Maddie's best interest at heart. She just needs to let me do my job.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
After my talk with Abby, I got up and left her hotel room and went back to mine.
*Day Of Competition*
|The stakes are high in Vegas, because we're here to attend the Thunderstruck competition. And all of the West Coast is here. The kids are incredible. The costumes....I mean, it's Vegas. It's rhinestones and sequins and feathers. Oh, my. So Vegas is really important, because we only have two more competitions before the final Nationals in Lake Tahoe.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Where's our costumes?" I said, walking fast.
Christina POV.
The girls and I plus our moms walked in our dressing room.
"These kids should've been dressed, ready to go, testing out the stage already. This is not how I do business." Ms. Abby said.
"Why were those three other kids not over here already?" Ms. Abby asked.
"I have no idea. Okay, who's costumes are whose?" Mommy asked.
|Vegas is really important to us, because we're getting close to the end, and we have to win. We haven't won the last couple competitions, and we need to reclaim some type of victory.|Holly Frazier|Nia's mom
"All right, let's go." Ms. Abby said, as we got done putting our group costumes on.
"Chin up. Chin up. Confidence. Let's go." Ms. Abby instructed.
|Before I go on stage for "Sinful," I need to really get in my character. And I think we'll do really good with it.|Christina Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
"You better have that same confidence later today." Ms. Abby said.
|It's going to take a heck of a lot for them to pull off winning with this routine. The routine is difficult, it's contemporary, and there are incredible dancers here from the West Coast.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Judges, up next, please welcome to the stage 488 "Sinful." The Announcer said.
(Christina is in the middle and Maddie is next to Chloe)
|We all thought we did a very good job. And I, individually thought I played my character and danced as best I could.|Chloe Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
*Group performance Awards*
"In seventh place.... routine number 488, "Sinful." The Announcer said.
Chloe got up and received our award.
"Great job, guys. Thank you. That wraps up this awards ceremony." The Announcer said.
|Seventh overall high score? That's not the Abby Lee Dance Company. We want to be, you know, at least in the top five everywhere we go.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
The girls and I walked to the hallway where our mom's were.
"Girls! Hey, girls." Mommy greeted.
"Good job." Kelly added.
Mommy hugged Chloe and I, Kelly hugged Brooke and Paige, Holly hugged Nia and Melissa hugged Maddie.
"I'm very proud of everybody." Mommy Said.
I thought you guys definitely did better than seventh place." Kelly added.
"Yeah." Mommy agreed.
"I know. What was those judges thinking?" Holly asked.
|Even though we didn't place as high as we thought we were, like, Nationals, there will be a different set of judges. And those judges will have different opinions, so maybe they'll like our dance better.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
"You should be proud of yourselves." Holly said.
|Since the group didn't do as well as I like, the pressure is really on for the solos. These girls need to get out there, and they need to impress the judges. They need to take it to another level.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
The girls and I plus our moms went back to the dressing room.
"Samba around the room. One and two, use your head. One and two, one and two. Paige hasn't even had her costume on." Ms. Abby said.
"Yeah, I've never seen it." Kelly said.
"Neither have I, the finished product." Ms. Abby said, sitting down.
"Go. Right not. Hurry up." Kelly rushed Paige.
|I told Kelly that Paige's costume was hanging against the wall. I had yet to pul it out of the bag. I never saw it.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Paige, let's see you, babe." Ms. Abby called.
I was helping Chloe run her solo in the corner.
Paige came from behind the curtain in a costume that was too big for her.
"Oh, I knew it was going to be too big. Come here." Ms. Abby said.
Paige walked over to her. Mommy was doing Chloe's hair.
|I thought my costume was very pretty. It's just, they normally don't fit.|Paige Hyland|Kelly's daughter
"Kelly, I think we're going to need a headpiece." Ms. Abby said.
"Abby, she goes on in 15 minutes." Kelly said.
"Well, you have to make one." Abby said.
"Why is it that my kid always gets the costume five minutes before we go on stage, it doesn't fit, and I have to make a headpiece? Please tell me why." Kelly asked.
"I thought her..." Ms. Abby started.
"It's every time, it's my kid. It's either Brooke or it's Paige." Kelly said.
|I'm tired it. So Abby gives me the costume for Paige 15 minutes before she supposed to go on stage, and it doesn't fit.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"She looks like she has (beep) on the bottom of her pants l. Everybody gets a new costume every week, and I get (beep)." Kelly said.
|The costume clearly was not the right costume, so instead of saying, "Oh, my God, this is not her costume. What can she wear?" It was, "It's always my daughter! It's always my...." Again, the victim.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"My kid should have her own costume that fits more than five minutes before she goes on stage." Kelly said.
"I agree with that." Mommy said.
|I'm not letting my daughter go on stage and feel uncomfortable in a costume.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"We don't even have a black chair. I'm using a hotel chair for God sakes." Kelly said.
"But what happens..." Ms. Abby started.
"But if this was anybody else, they'd have a hot pink (beep) chair with rhinestones all over it." Kelly said.
|When she used the "F" word, I almost fell off my chair. You can talk like that in your house, but don't talk like that around my dancers. She should've been expelled.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Just pull the number." Kelly said.
"Paige, I'm gonna go pull the number, I need to hear it from you. Do you really think by not getting on stage and dancing is gonna make you better?" Ms. Abby asked.
"Paige, go put your clothes back on, please." Kelly said.
Paige went and changed back into her clothes.
|I'm not letting my daughter on stage and feel comfortable in a costume. I'm not allowing her to dance.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"Paige, are you absolutely positive you want me to pull this number?" Ms. Abby asked.
"Yes." Paige replied.
"Then come with me. Let's go." Ms. Abby said, standing up.
|I have not pulled a number in years. If a child got hurt and couldn't dance, we needed to reblock it without them, I would pull the number. But just pulling a number because you have a kid and a mom that are acting like two big brats, because their costume isn't right, rediculous.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
Christi POV.
Kelly and Paige walked back into the dressing room.
"Well, from now on, I get to draw my own costume...have them made and pay for them and have my own Choreographer." Kelly said.
"You're own Choreographer?" I asked, gasping.
"Yeah. Isn't that fabulous? Maybe I'll have a good dance, for one." Kelly said.
Holly and I laughed.
"No." I said.
Brooke got ready I her costume and is now running her solo.
|I'm done talking with Abby about costumes. I don't have time. I have two daughters that I have to get ready myself. Brooke is now trying to get ready for her solo, and lately, she has been off her game, because her shoulder was bothering her. She's been wobbling on tricks and falling out of things, and it's just not like Brooke.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
"If you want to get noticed for Cirque stuff, Vegas will definitely be the place to be noticed. Just go out, she them what you can do." Kelly told Brooke.
|Brooke's dance this week, it's an acrobatic routine. And this is big for us, because we're in Vegas, and that's the city of Cirque Du Soleil. So this is the city that Brooke needs to show them what she can do. Hopefully she pulls it off.|Kelly Hyland|Dance mom
Brooke POV.
My mom and I are walking backstage.
"Come here. Do good." Mom says, kissing my cheek.
"Keep your balance. Don't be nervous. Don't watch people in front of you. Good luck." Mom says.
|In this solo, I'm on my hands a lot, and I have a hard time putting pressure on my shoulder. It's just really sore. I was standing behind the wings, and I decided to do a handstand, and my shoulder popped out of place.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
I tried to get my shoulder back in place. My mom came backstage.
"Did you pop your shoulder out?" Mom asked.
I nodded.
"I mean, is it back in?" Mom asked.
Mom helped me pop my shoulder back in.
"Oh, my God, you're like an accident waiting to happen." Mom said.
|I was just worried I wasn't gonna be able to do my solo.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
"Next, we have Brooke, performing in "Metamorphosis." The Announcer said.
|I went to do the handstand on stage, and my shoulder popped out again. I just kept dancing.|Brooke Hyland|Kelly's daughter
After I was done, I curtsy with a smile on my face. Then I strutted off stage. When I got backstage I held my shoulder in pain.
|I could tell by the look on her face that she was in pain.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
I walked to the audience and immediately went to Ms. Abby.
"Hey. What's wrong?" Ms. Abby asked.
"My shoulder popped out." I replied, hugging her.
"I know, I know. I could tell it was hurting. It was killing you."Ms. Abby said, hugging me back.
|Immediately following her routine, she came right around and found me.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"I don't, I don't really think it's out. I think if it was out, you would be screaming in pain." Ms. Abby said.
|I was very proud of Brooke. She's been training for years to get out there and do what you know best. And that's what she did.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
Christina POV.
Maddie and Chloe's solos are up next. Mommy and I was in the dressing room getting Chloe ready because she's on right after Maddie.
"I just want to let you know that I went and I had a talk with Ms. Abby about what you told me. You're not in trouble, she's not going to yell at you." Melissa said to Maddie.
|Abby is putting an exorbitant amount of pressure on a little girl. We're at the top of the pyramid. You better win, no matter what.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
"Don't worry about me, okay? You just go out there and worry about you." Mommy tells Chloe.
"You got this, Chlobird." I said, boosting up her confidence.
Chloe nodded.
|Right before I go on stage, I'm a little bit nervous, cause I don't want to forget the number or mess up something, cause Ms. Abby says I must win.|Maddie Ziegler|Melissa's daughter
Mommy and I sat in the audience Maddie struts on stage and got in her starting position.
After, Maddie finished her solo, she strutted off stage as we clapped for her.
"Our final performance, contestant number 364. It's Chloe performing "Missing you." The Announcer said.
We clapped for her as she strutted on stage.
|I love to watch my twin sister Chloe dance because it feels my heart with joy when we dance together. Although, Ms. Abby may mix us up sometimes we never let it get to us as long as we have each other.|Christina Lukasiak|Christi's daughter
When she finished her solo, we all clapped and cheered for her.
|I loved Chloe in "Missing you." I was so proud of her in that dance. I thought she was amazing.|Christi Lukasiak|Dance mom
"Beautiful work." The Announcer said, as Chloe strutted off stage.
*Solo performance Awards*
The girls and I sat on the stage.
"We will now move to our overall awards." The Announcer said.
|I am hoping beyond hope that Maddie squeaks into the top ten and beats Chloe. I hate to give Abby any kind of an opportunity to torture my daughter.|Melissa Ziegler|Dance mom
"In third place, routine number 153. That's"Metamorphosis," Brooke!" The Announcer said.
Brooke got up and went to receive her award while the audience clapped for her.
"Our final place overall champion, routine number 364. Chloe! With "Missing you!" The Announcer said.
Chloe smiled and got up to receive her award.
"What's the name of your studio?" The Announcer asked, as the lady judge puts a tiara on Chloe's head.
"Abby Lee Dance Company!" Chloe said, into the mic.
|I'm over all the excuses. No more excuses, Melissa, no more "my poor Maddie," no more "Abby shows favorites." Your kid was the favorite for a week, and you know what, she blew it. Vegas was a catastrophe. I gave Christina the week off, big mistake, Maddie's time to shine didn't even make the top ten, and she got beat by Chloe. I'm so proud of Chloe. I'm not going to take that win away from her because she deserved it. Brooke did something to her shoulder, Paige scratched her number. I just want to pretend that Vegas never happened.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
Mommy hugged Chloe as we walked back to the dressing room.
"I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed in the routines, I'm disappointed in the judging, I'm disappointed in all of you. I'm proud at Chloe for getting first place. I'm done. I've had it." Ms. Abby said.
|We have one more week in L.A before we get to the end of the line in Tahoe. They need to get their act together. This is not a vacation.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"Moms, 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, I want them ready. We're gonna do a legs and feet class and a ballet class and new Choreography." Ms. Abby said.
|This is my name. It's my reputation on the line.|Abby Lee Miller|Dance Coach
"My name is not going go down. Uh-uh. Do you understand that, all of you? Step it up." Ms. Abby said.
We all packed up and went to our hotel rooms.