Dance Moms Recap: There’s A New Girl In Town

Oh last night’s Dance Moms!  The moms are wearing their finest lido deck attire to hear the results of Abby Lee Miller‘s pyramid.  Seriously, I’ve never seen so many handkerchief gauze dresses in one place!  Abby praises her girls for a phenomenal recital.  This week, the girls are traveling to California.  Big times!

Paige is at the bottom of the pyramid due to her boot. Brooke joins her for a poor showing during the hip hop dance.  MacKenzie rounds out the bottom tier.  It seems the hip hop number was a bit over her head.  Nia is on the second rung.  While she garnered most improved last week, she doesn’t need to “rest on her laurels.”  Chloe joins Nia although Abby doesn’t have a bad thing to say about her.  Once again Maddie is on top for winning the recital’s scholarship.  Abby reminds Kendall that she’s not yet in the pyramid, but by golly is she working her way towards it.  Jill is livid.

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Both Chloe and Nia get solos.  Whoa…Chloe gets a second solo because Abby can’t forget about Maddie disregarding a solo a few weeks ago.  All of the girls are in the group dance, even Kendall who isn’t yet part of the troupe, and Paige who still has a broken foot.  The group number is “I See the Kite Flying.”  Brooke equates it to a bunch of mental patients who are dancing around a possibly non-existent kite.  Brooke is way smarter than I thought.

Abby met Nikaya and her mom Kaya at the recital.  After researching them, she decides that she needs to vet Kaya’s daughter, as she’s quite the dancer in St. Louis.  Let’s see how Kaya meshes with the other moms, as we all know that is the ultimate test.  In the viewing room, the moms do the superficial meet-and-greet, and Holly and Christi are already on the defensive.  Kaya touts the group’s technique, but she thinks the girls could have a bit more personality.  Maddie likes new teammates, but she isn’t so keen on getting one right now.  Abby is concerned that Kaya’s mother may just be shopping for a troupe even if she doesn’t have the talent.  Abby chastises Kaya because her daughter doesn’t know dance terminology. Kaya chides Abby saying that her daughter may not know the terms, but she sure as heck knows the steps.  Abby is impressed by this bravado and invites the pair to return tomorrow.  Christi is far from impressed.  Kaya has a pow-wow with her daughter, and the duo decide to learn Abby’s terminology.

Sisters Brooke and Paige are singing a song penned by Brooke on YouTube.  Perhaps Brooke should spend more time in the recording studio than the dance studio.  The next day at rehearsal, the moms feel the tension when Kaya and Nini arrive.  Not surprisingly, the always sweet girls welcome the newbie with open arms.  Except they want to call her Laquifa.  Paige is nervous that she may not be cleared to dance.  Kaya steps on the mothers’ toes by asking how they are able to support their daughters.  The moms are floored to learn she’s a single working mom.  Doesn’t she have a rich husband to take care of things?  For shame!

Chloe is rehearsing her solo, and Abby wants to instill tattoos and body piercings into her head so that she dances above and beyond.  Paige arrives, and she’s clear to dance but not do tricks for another two weeks.  Abby isn’t on board with this news, as she wants to win.  Abby is wishy-washy between Paige and Nini.  Abby is impressed to hear that Kaya and Nini will willingly travel to California even if Nini won’t compete.

Kaya bites the bullet and invite the moms to join her for lunch.  I pick up on the fact that Kaya may swim in the lady pond, as Melissa is all over the fact she has a girlfriend.  Who cares?  We nary see a husband up in this train wreck, so I doubt Naya’s girlfriend will be trying to get screen time!  Jill just sees fierce competition, as Kendall has yet to make the team. Christi reminds Kaya that she’s far removed from the other dance moms.  Kelly wants to know if Kaya and Nikaya will be joining the group in California.  Holly keeps her misgivings to herself during the lunch, but she shares her concerns in her personal interview.  Meanwhile, Abby works with Nia and MacKenzie on their solos.

For the group number, Abby is substituting Nikaya for Paige every other rehearsal.  Paige is still in a lot of pain due to her broken foot.  Abby insists she’s not replacing Paige, but she’s training Nikaya in the event that Paige can’t compete.  Kelly totally loses it, and Christi has Kelly’s back.  Why do these ladies care that Nini is learning the dance in the event Paige can’t dance?  Nini is basically an understudy.  Abby invites Kaya and Nini to come to Cali, although she won’t promise a spot to dance.  The breakdown among these mothers is both entertaining and disturbing.

The troupe arrives in Hollywood.  Abby has totally lost her voice.  Kaya wants to know if she should make-up her daughter.  Abby takes Kelly aside and wonders if Paige is well enough to compete given that she was complaining about her foot earlier.  Kelly assures Abby that Paige can compete, and Kaya calls out Kelly for being jealous and overly dramatic.  Holly and Christi think that all of this drama is taking away from their daughters’ solos.

Chloe has an amazing solo performance.  Even Abby is beyond impressed.  Likewise, Nia’s solo is flawless as Holly looks on with concern.  Abby couldn’t be happier with her execution.  MacKenzie also rocks her routine, and Abby is all smiles.  Now that  it’s time for the group number, all the moms are on edge.  Who will dance?  Nikaya or Paige?  At least Nini has the cajones to ask Abby point blank if she’s dancing.  Abby pits the girls against one another in a last minute rehearsal in the dressing room.  Abby shockingly makes a compromise and invites both girls to dance.  However, Abby is worried that Paige’s injury is going to prohibit her.  The moms can’t quite comprehend the girls’ spoken word number, but they totally nailed it.

MacKenzie scores third place in her solo.  I am shocked to learn that Nia scores tenth in her age group while Chloe garners fifth.  Weren’t the judges watching?  Of course, Abby now thinks the girls should have been stronger competitors.  The troupe takes the win for the group dance.  After Abby congratulates the dancers, she makes sure to stir the pot between Kaya and the new moms.  Even Holly won’t engage with Kaya in this war of words!

Next week, it’s the competition that determines who will go to Nationals.  Kelly decides to record Brooke’s song while in L.A., and Paige’s injury comes back to haunt her.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE?  DO YOU LIKE KAYA?  IS ABBY MANIPULATING THE TROUPE BY ADDING ONE MORE?

[Photo Credit: Lifetime]

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