Bittersweet | Dance Moms

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DANCERS (s2 ep14)

"Girls! Let's go, hurry up!" Abby shouted, her voice sharp and commanding as the girls trickled into the room. Virella followed behind Maddie, wearing a soft light pink dance set, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She felt a sense of quiet confidence now—far more than last week, when everything had been uncertain. She could almost forget about the rough patch she'd gone through, but her knee, still aching, would likely be a lingering reminder of everything that had happened.

Abby stood at the front, looking over the group with a disapproving glare. "Girls, you walked into this room just as sluggish and boring as you walked out on that stage—zero energy. You have to come out there with energy. You can't get halfway through the routine and then peter back. You're boring," she scolded. The girls stood silently, trying to take in her words.

"Okay, at the bottom of the pyramid, Maddie," Abby said, her eyes fixed on the younger dancer. "Maddie, you had an opportunity to dance. That didn't happen. They announced you, and you're bawling in the audience. That is unacceptable behavior. You're nine years old. When an opportunity knocks—open the door." The words cut through the room, and Maddie seemed to shrink under the weight of Abby's disappointment.

"Next, Mackenzie," Abby continued without missing a beat. "Mackenzie, your routine was a winning number. You were tenth. I don't do tenth." There was no warmth in her voice, only the blunt truth that hit Mackenzie like a wave.

"Next, Paige. You went out there. You looked great. You forgot a step. You can't forget a step," Abby said, directing her attention to Paige, who stood stiffly. There was a slight edge to Abby's voice, even though the reprimand was somewhat milder than the others.

"Brooke. Brooke, you're here because you give me this much," Abby said, holding her fingers a small distance apart to show just how little she thought Brooke had been contributing. "I don't see effervescent personality. You see this fake little smile. You're concentrating so much on not screwing up the dance that you can't have fun out there. That's what's holding you back. You have to find joy in it."

"Next, I have Nia," Abby said, moving on to the older dancer. "Nia, again, you're here because you showed responsibility. You quit fooling around. And I didn't hear your mouth all day long, yes?" Nia nodded, a small, determined smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she stood tall.

"Lacey... you did good," Abby said, her tone a bit softer. "You did your part. You're learning to be a group dancer. You're keeping up. But I don't think you're getting enough class, especially turn class. You need to work on that if you want to stay at the top."

"And next," Abby continued, her eyes focusing on Chloe. "Is Chloe. Chloe, you did your solo. But listen to me, I want more. You have it in you, but you need to bring even more to the table."

The room went quiet as Abby shifted her attention, now turning her gaze to Virella. Her voice softened slightly, though there was still that ever-present edge of expectation. "And on top is Virella," Abby began, her tone slightly different than with the others. "You weren't supposed to dance, but something happened, and you stepped in. You were in the program, and you danced. I'm glad you did, because you did great. Your music skipped, you didn't let that throw you off. You stayed with the counts all the way through. You danced despite the pain— that's what a professional does. You showed up and delivered, and I'm proud of you for that. You kept going, and that's the kind of determination we need here. Keep it up." The room was silent as Abby's praise for Virella hung in the air, a stark contrast to the sharp criticisms she had given to the others.

Virella
Chloe Lacey Nia
Brooke paige kenzie maddie

"This week, we are going to the Energy Dance Competition in Chicago," Abby said, standing in front of the girls with a stern look on her face. "We had a great competition the last time we were in Chicago, but we didn't win. I'd like to win this time." She paced back and forth, her eyes scanning the room, making sure everyone understood the importance of what was coming.