Dance Moms Recap: A Star Is (Mel)Bourne!

dance moms nia jojo

Well, apparently the hemisphere doesn’t make a difference when it comes to Abby Lee Miller’s hateful ways, but the mothers on last night’s Dance Moms may have annoyed me even more than the tyrannical teacher. At least we got to see some precious animals and some great performances. The girls are spending their down time feeding kangaroos and koalas, and even though Holly, Nia, Jessalyn, and JoJo are in attendance, the girls won’t be performing in the upcoming expo with their ALDC teammates. Kira and Kalani are touring Sydney on their own, and Holly finds it odd that Nia attends everything and isn’t included, but the opposite is true for Kira and Kalani.

The group number is a Mad Max theme, and Holly interrupts to share that Nia will be giving a concert in Melbourne the same day the group will perform. She’d love to have all of her friends and Nia’s teammates to come show their support. Jill doesn’t see how they’ll be able to do both their performance and Nia’s show in one day–sorry! Abby doesn’t even pretend to hide her disgust, rolling her eyes and making faces. Jessalyn then scolds the team for making fun of JoJo after a video was leaked online. The girls offer up their apologies, and JoJo handles herself more maturely than any of the mothers. Holly and Jessalyn complain that their daughters are being excluded, but Jill believes this is Holly’s punishment for not allowing Abby to manage Nia’s music career. Jessalyn confronts Abby about why some dancers are constantly criticized, yet others can make big mistakes that are never addressed. To whom could she be referring? Abby shares that she tends to humiliate those who repeat mistakes in hopes of making them realize their issues. Jill breaks it down in simpler terms…Maddie is protected from criticism.

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Mikey Mendez joins Holly in Australia, and she’s introducing him like he’s a giddy new love interest. Mikey reveals that he has a special part in Nia’s show for JoJo, and Abby snidely remarks that Nia obviously isn’t able to work well with different choreographers if they had to bring someone she’s used to all the way from L.A. Jill is upset that the other girls aren’t included in Nia’s concert. Why is JoJo getting special treatment? Am I crazy, or just five minutes ago was she whining about even being bothered to attend? Jill claims that Holly has changed and now she’s a big ol’ one-upper. I do agree that Holly may want to better read her audience when it comes to promoting Nia among her peers. Jill wants to know where Kalani is, and Abby huffs that she’s the star of the group number and isn’t required to practice with the girls as her choreography is completely different. Holly pops in to see how their rehearsal is going, and Abby snarks that Nia’s concert is purely a result of Holly piggy-backing off of her event.

The following day, Kira and Kalani are in attendance for rehearsals, although Nia, Holly, Jessalyn, and JoJo have already headed to Melbourne. Jill hates that the team is becoming more divided, but Kira doesn’t care. She feels that Holly has brought this on herself. Nia and JoJo are working with Mikey, and his teaching style is very different from Abby’s. Nia is under a lot of pressure, and she hopes to prove to Abby that she’s a star. That’s never going to happen. Back in Sydney, Jill and Kira are at odds over Kalani missing rehearsal in favor of more koala bear time. Melissa snarks that Kira really just wanted a day with her boyfriend. Abby is incredibly on edge, and Jill blames her attitude on her anger with Holly. Abby lectures Kalani about her absence and gives a stream of blanket insults to the girls before storming out of rehearsal. After giving herself a moment, Abby returns, citing that she can’t let down her fans with a subpar group routine.

Holly is over the moon for Nia’s rehearsal at her venue, and Nia is absolutely glowing. JoJo and Nia are bonding over the experience…well, that and Nia was the only teammate not making fun of her. Jill and Melissa are seething with jealousy, and Abby criticizes Nia’s new mature look in her video. Melissa warned Holly and Jessalyn not to upset Abby by showing up to her private events, but Holly wants to prove to her friends she is supportive…and remind them again about Nia’s performance. Jill stirs the pot by sharing that Kalani missed her first rehearsal in exchange for a “me day,” but Kira counters that Holly has taken several “me days” to further Nia’s music career. Before they can get into a full blown argument, Jill shoos Jess and Holly out of the venue, citing she doesn’t want Abby to see them.

Abby warns Kira that there will be hell to pay if she messes up the number due to missing rehearsal. She shouldn’t have worried. The Mad Max routine is amazing and garners a standing ovation. Before Nia’s performance, JoJo questions whether Nia is sad that her teammates won’t be attending. JoJo thinks their friends want to be there, but they are too scared of Abby. Nia totally understands their predicament. Nia is singing for a packed crowd, and Holly is overwhelmed when Jill, Melissa, and Kira surprise her. Nia is a true performer, and she can lip sync and dance with the best of them, and JoJo totally rocks her part. Jill hopes that her attendance will aid the moms in bridging the divide.

TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE? WHICH MOM WAS MOST OVER THE TOP?

[Photo Credit: Lifetime]

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