The Eldest Ziegler

Competition Begins!

Five Days Before Competition

Today was the day. The day that we go back to Abby Lee's Dance Studio for the new competition season. I felt like I haven't been here in such a long time.

"Monica," My little sister, Maddie says, "Come on!"

Me, the rest of the dance team, and the mom walked into our rehearsal.

There are 7 girls on the competition team. There's me and my sisters, Maddie and Kenzie. The Hylands, Brooke and Paige. Then Nia and Chloe. We have all basically grown up together at this studio.

Our teacher's name is Abby Lee Miller, she is a second mom to me and my sisters. My mom, Melissa and her are really good friends which sometimes makes the other mom's upset.

My family and I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most of my life was around dance but I was ok with that because I loved to dance.

Me and the competition team sat down on the floor in front of Miss. Abby. The mom's were standing on the left side of the room. I was sitting next to Maddie and Kenzie was behind me.

"All right," Miss. Abby says to us. She was standing beside a chalkboard. "It's the first day of rehearsal for the new competition season. Ladies, you all know why you're here. You are the cream of the crop in your age group, and I have lots of new ideas in store. I am going to do something that no other studio in the country does. Every single competition we are doing a new routine."

A new routine? Every week? What was Miss. Abby thinking? But I knew that everything was gonna work out, she wouldn't be doing this if she didn't think we were ready.

All of us looked over at our mother after Miss. Abby told us the new plan.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh," Miss. Abby says, raising her voice, "girls, don't look at your mother. I am the coach. I am the teacher. I can make you or I can break you."

Miss. Abby continued talking then she turned around the chalkboard. I looked to see all of our headshots in a pyramid.

"Everyone wants to be on top, of course," Miss. Abby explained, "But you have to work for it."

I looked to see that I was in the second row beside Chloe. Kenzie was last and Maddie was on the top.

Maddie

Chloe Monica

Brooke Paige Nia Mackenzie

"Everybody wants to be front and center," Miss. Abby says, "I hear it all the time. Whoever is in the front and center, they can't make a mistake. They are holding that group together. So at the top right here I have Maddie because she is dedicated and because of her stellar record last year."

Maddie was the superstar and she always has been. She has a real gift for dancing and won a lot of crowns when we were traveling last year.

Miss. Abby always says that everyone wants to be front and center. But I don't.

I love dancing in a group but I always get nervous when I do solos so I never did well because the judges could see how nervous I was and it affected my dancing. Hopefully, this year, I can get over my anxiety and get a crown.

"Maddie, are you ready to be front and center?" Miss Abby asked, "Can you handle that pressure?"

I took a little peek at the mom's to see that they all had blank expressions on their faces. I could tell that the mom's weren't happy that Maddie was on top of the pyramid. Mom said that they're just jealous.

"Our first competition is going to be in Phoenix, Arizona," Miss. Abby tells us, "Ladies, I chose Phoenix, Arizona because I want you to experience some of the best competition teams in the country. We are going to do two new numbers--"