Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition recap Season 2 episode 10: Livin’ La Diva Loca

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition episode 10 JoJo

Welcome back, Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition fans. Was everyone still awash in the glow of Rachelle’s good deed, using her callback card to save Trinity, when we started this week’s competition with Abby and her pink feathery boa? I know I was. And it didn’t last but a minute.

Abby reminds the dancers that there are no more callback cards left, so eliminations from here on out are final. Then she tells them that this week’s theme is Divas, and the skill is performance.

Anybody care to guess who we hear from first? La la la la la la … I cannot hear you talking, JoJo. Really, it’s just better for both of us.

The skills challenge will be a dance battle against Asia — whom Abby says was her Season One Ultimate Diva (and who looks a dab more grown up since we saw her last on Dance Moms not too long ago). And speaking of Dance Moms, the battle music is from Asia’s and Kenzie’s “We Hit Harder” duet.

Kira says Kalani better bring it. Jessalynn says there’s no way is Kalani going to win. Abby says she wants attitude and aptitude.

Asia loses right out of the gate to McKaylee, who looks mildly amused and sort of perplexed at having to battle a 7-year-old.

JoJo’s next. Abby tells her to put up or shut up. Cindy says she dances like a baby compared to Asia, leaving out the part where they both are babies and have no business dancing the way they are in the first place. Abby says JoJo’s just copying Asia’s moves, and JoJo’s first-out losing streak remains intact.

Kalani gives surprisingly good battle, backing Asia up and stopping her in her tracks. She’s declared safe, too.

When it’s her turn to battle, Gianna says Asia dances like a little kid who’s had too many Pixy Stix … at a club. I may never stop laughing.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition Asia

She can’t keep a straight face either as the tot writhes and wriggles toward her, dissolving into laughter and applause. Abby says you do not clap for the enemy, but I’m totally charmed by Gianna’s reaction. I’d laugh if that were coming at me, too, and Gianna does it with love.

Being a gymnast like Asia, Trinity momentarily gives the kid a run for her money then just lets Asia take over. Tina says sometimes Trinity has to lose in order to come out on top. I’m going to guess that’s some sort of foreshadowing.

For Round 2, Abby decides Kalani and McKaylee will battle each other and Asia will help her judge. McKaylee runs out of battle moves faster than her rival — Asia says she’s just going in circles — and Kalani is declared the winner. Would you like to eat your words about Kalani with ketchup or just plain, Jessalynn?

Cindy says Abby has a screw loose.

Kalani gets to choose her routine and the person who gets to choose next. Abby calls it a “Diva Chain.” The dances will be inspired by fierce ladies like Nicki Minaj, Cleopatra, and Marie Antoinette.

Kalani chooses the sassy jazz number, since her last one went so well. Clearly disappointed, Abby calls it a safe choice.

Kalani chooses JoJo to pick next. Since she has no idea who Cleopatro and Maria Antwhatever even are, she picks the hip-hop duet, because plssssshhh! that’s her. JoJo is an expert plsssssshh-er. She wants to choose Gianna next, but Jessalynn wants her to pick Trinity. JoJo says, yeah but Trinity might out-dance her. JoJo picks Trinity, anyway. Trinity chooses to join her in the duet, but doesn’t look too happy about it. I think it’s an excellent choice.

Trinity chooses McKaylee to pick next, which Cindy takes very, very personally, like allowance money had changed hands under the table or something. McKaylee picks the contemporary Cleopatra solo. Gianna is stuck with Maria Antoinette. Gianna doesn’t know who she is either. Off with the heads of the history teachers at Gianna’s school. Now let me eat cake.

In the green room, Tina says she can’t believe JoJo picked a duet. Cindy says that’s because she really does live in JoJo World and thinks she’s better than everyone else. Kira is tired of listening to Cindy attack Jessalynn. I’m tired of listening to Cindy, period. Maybe we could stick Cindy and JoJo in a soundproof booth and let them have a Yap Battle until they both come up hoarse.

Victor Rojas will choreograph Kalani’s Movie Star solo. Speaking of taking things personally, Abby crabs at her that she should have picked a slower, contemporary solo. I disagree 100%. Richy and Rachelle aren’t Kalani fans — she has to knock their socks off, not dance pretty, if she’s going to win them over. The theme is performance, not technique, and Kalani wants to perform.

Trinity and JoJo will be Down and Dirty Divas, courtesy of a gentleman named Q Pittman. He tells the girls to think of themselves as a hip-hop super group and this is the opening number of their concert. JoJo is all about his GAH GAH YAH attack style. Trinity and Q are not about JoJo’s timing issues and lacking tumbling skills. JoJo does not appear to care.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition episode 10 JoJo

Joyce Chittick will choreograph Gianna’s Marie Antoinette solo, called — yay! — Let Them Eat Cake. She tells Gianna to find something that motivates her to want to have a tantrum in order to channel MA’s attitude. This should help — all the other mothers have inexplicably dropped by for a visit. Their ridiculously self-conscious expressions let us know that this is no spontaneous social call, even though we’re supposed to think it is. Jessalynn tells us that watching Gianna makes her feel better about JoJo.

They stay a few minutes, saying nothing, and leave.

McKaylee’s Queen of the Nile dance will also be choreographed by Victor Rojas. It’s about the night before Cleopatra is to be crowned queen. Abby beats her down good for I’m not sure what and brings the usually composed girl to tears. McKaylee says there is wheat and corn — not divas — in Nebraska. Plssssshhh! Shari has clearly done a fine job of sheltering her girl from JoJo and Jessalynn.

Come competition day, JoJo says that if it weren’t for the callback card, Trinity would be home crying in her bed right now — so she’s hardly worried about dancing with her. Tina tells her daughter not to dance down to JoJo’s level.

Asia and her mom and little sister are in the audience. Manno looks fetching in shades of periwinkle.

Gianna goes first. Cindy says her confidence is suffering, but you wouldn’t know it watching the girl. The dance ends not with Gianna losing her head, but eating cake in true diva-queen style. Richy and Rachelle leap to their feet, but Abby is frowning. Gianna didn’t kick her head. Who in their right mind kicks their own head? Besides of which, you could have fooled me for as close as she came.

Then Abby points out Gianna’s grimy shoes.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition recap pretty bad

There was no pavement back then, people. Shoes got grimy. So there.

Abby concedes that it was good, but maybe not good enough to go on. Richy and Rachelle protest that this week is about performing, not clean shoes, and Gianna’s wide smile returns. Rachelle says it was one of GiGi’s best performances. I would like to marry Richy’s 5-6-7-8 vest. Cindy would like to punch Abby in the face.

Gianna tells her to just calm down. Cindy does this instead.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition recap Cindy

Good luck getting that out of your head when it hits the pillow.

As McKaylee heads out to the stage, Shari worries about her daughter’s diva potential. This is a whole different dance than Gianna’s spicy, sassy choreography, but McKaylee’s technique is flawless and her expressions are spot-on.

Abby says she was indeed a diva and her technique was — mostly — great. Richy says it was fantastic and that this is the McKaylee he always wants to come out onstage, because she was diva even when the dance didn’t call for eye contact with the judges. Rachelle praises her ability to be still and still be in character.

I’m not real nuts about Kalani’s choreography either, but as much as Abby is furious with her girl for not choosing lyrical solos, I think the more lively dance styles suit her — especially when the choreographer is able to incorporate the lyrical elements that show off her strengths.

Abby stands by her assessment that a lyrical solo would have better suited the girl. I’m starting to think maybe Cindy is right and Abby did give Kalani a leg up in the dance battle because she thought she would surely choose the lyrical solos that Abby loves so much. The chip on her shoulder is a mile wide. Richy says Kalani was OK, but didn’t really bring the diva. Rachelle says she did, too. No one seems too excited about the dance, though. I worry that JoJo may survive to blow another skills challenge.

We’ll find out, because she’s up next. Jessalynn says she doesn’t want her kid know it, but she is freaking out inside because of what happened last time JoJo danced with Trinity. And literally from the first second, JoJo’s timing is off. The. First. Second.

Allow me a moment on my soapbox.

I do not enjoy disparaging a 9-year-old kid (or giving you guys a platform to do so, either, for that matter) — especially one who has been fed a steady diet of her own fabulousness and was going to suffer the consequences of that at some point in the near future, TV show or not. But this is a TV show, and we have had to put up with an endless overdose of JoJo’s lip since the very first episode. I could not be happier for those of you that do, because I am sure it makes your AUDC experience much more enjoyable than that of those who endure it so we can continue to watch more talented dancers perform. But I have raised four kids, all of whom suffered mightily for half the impertinence that has only served to score JoJo twice the camera time of other dancers. If I have to stomach that, I would like to see dance skills that support her being around week after week. Especially these weeks, when she is near-comically out of her league.

To wit, in this dance she is basically a distraction to Trinity hitting this dance clean out of the park. A distraction in a suck-up ALDC shirt and Abby-mimicking soda-can hair bauble.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition recap JoJo diva

When it’s over, Rachelle stands up so we can see what she is wearing today, and also so she can hurl her white fur coat at Trinity in a diva salute. Trinity puts that bad boy on and beams at Rachelle’s praise. Richy says not only did she bring the diva, but her performance was top competition level as well. Abby says she has no criticism. I pinch myself hard a couple of times just to make sure I’m awake. Richy and Rachelle leap to their feet for joy.

As for JoJo, Richy says hip-hop may be her thing, but next to Trinity it sure doesn’t look that way. Rachelle says that her confidence in the moves seems to disappear when she gets onstage. Abby says that Performance Week was made for her and she made one bad choice after the next, choosing not to do a solo and then giving Trinity the chance to come in and steam roll her in the duet.

Cindy says Jess should not have listened to her 9-year-old and made her choose a solo. To us, JoJo says she knows she’s a good dancer. But backstage she cries to her mother.

Come deliberation time, pretty much everyone thinks Kalani has peaked. I still say she is a 1000% better candidate for Joffrey than JoJo. Richy says McKaylee is the dancer who most consistently applies corrections, but Abby wants her to make wiser decisions. Everyone also agrees that the duet was more like two solos, one great, one forgettable. Rachelle says, even so, JoJo is a performer, which makes Abby look like this.

Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition recap Abby

She says the hair bleach is sinking into JoJo’s brain to make the choices she did. Yes, but is one bad choice enough to get JoJo sent home, Rachelle wants to know. Abby nods. Lori nods harder. One bad choice … and a season full of dancing that is not on par with these other girls.

Still sniffling, JoJo reminds us she is not known for her technique. She is known for performance and stage presence. Yes, child. And you brought neither. And tonight is hardly the first night. But tonight is Performance night and that makes it so much worse.

Abby tells the other two that she has to deal with cute day in and day out. Jessalynn still thinks if they send JoJo home on Performance Week, they are crazy. Lady! Please! This week perhaps most of all!

On to Gianna. Rachelle and Richy said that she commanded the stage more than any other dancer out there. Abby says she has a problem with Gianna’s technique. This is not Technique Week, Abby. That was last week. This is Performance Week and Gianna delivered that in spades. And I will hold Gianna’s technique up to JoJo’s any day of the week. Especially when the next thing you say to your fellow judges is that they are going to hand someone $100,000 in cash and a full scholarship to the Joffrey and need to send the girl who is going to represent you the best.

Come results time, Abby tells the dancers that there were standouts, but no one was diva-perfect. Then she bellows at Gianna that the only reason her legs aren’t up where they should be is because she doesn’t care. I don’t believe that for one second. I think Gianna is suffering from Chloe Syndrome. Hate the mother; take it out on a perfectly good kid. And that is sad.

Abby tells Gianna, who is used to bellowing women, that Richy and Rachelle loved her so she will dance another week. Cindy says she’s glad Richy and Rachelle have some power over Abby.

Next Abby says McKaylee needs to show them that she’s more than just another pretty face … and now my blood pressure is up so high that I’m wildly glad there are only a few moments left in the episode. That kid has been a marvel, well beyond her 13 years, week after week after week — not once resting on her lovely face or natural elegance. Mercifully Abby walks it back and says that this Cleopatra continues to reign as queen of the dance floor.

She tells Trinity they all agree that she has proven she was worthy of Rachelle’s callback card.

Kalani and JoJo are the bottom two. Abby takes one last opportunity to beat the dead horse that is her anger at Kalani not choosing a lyrical solo. Then she tells JoJo her half of the duet was a mess.

Today is not JoJo’s day. The judges give her a standing ovation. Kalani cries and clutches her pal — turns out they were besties on the show. Jessalynn tells JoJo to look on the bright side — they don’t have to listen to Cindy anymore. JoJo goes out in true JoJo style, saying that if Kalani doesn’t win this, she’s going to slap her as hard as she can.

So what say you, AUDC fans? Did the show get just much more — or much less — watchable? Is Abby unduly hard on Gianna? Should she have just let it go about Kalani already? Who’s your pick for the win in two weeks? Sound off in the comments section below.

New episodes of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition premiere Tuesdays at 9/8CT on Lifetime.

 

35 Comments

  1. Still a JoJo fan. I thought she did a great job right up to her goodbye speech on stage. People need to remember that reality shows are all about “good television”. Contestants that are always polite and obediant would make for a pretty boring show. JoJo is filled with personality and spunk and I hope we haven’t seen the last of her, she is entertaining and funny and the girl can dance.

  2. I love Gianna as a performer… That big smile and her expressions make her so interesting but her mom ruins it. Some one already said I wonder what it feels like to be more mature than your mom. Mckaylee is the total package and I think she will win.

  3. First of all I love your recaps – they make me laugh! What I do not like is adults saying such mean-spirited comments about a 9 year old! As a mother of a 11 year old I know that his behavior is a reflection of me as he learns his behavior from me as well as at school. JoJo is with her mother 24/7 as she is home-schooled – her mother is responsible for her behavior.

    We live in such a technology world and comments made about any child can be seen and read by that child. It is not only comments on this site there are mean comments made on most of the sites who cover Abby’s Ultimate. I can’t believe grown adults would subject a child to this. The definition from webster’s for cyber bully is the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person (as a student) often done anonymously. Please people keep this in mind for when you make future comments about ANY child who is on a TV show.

    • I also want to point out to everyone who is saying JoJo is not talented – she beat out hundreds, if not thousands, of dancers to even get to Abby’s Ultimate and getting to the top 5! Was it her time to go? Yes. But she does have a lot of talent and if her mother straightens her out or they end up on Dance Moms she will continue to grow to the level of the girls who were in the top 5 by the time she is there age.

        • Agreed, Jojo had a mouth that far surpassed her dance ability, and a mother to go with it. Not to say she wasn’t talented, but she would have stuck out like a sore thumb at the Joffrey. Someone has to be the comic relief on a tv show, especially with someone as polarizing as Abby.

    • I agree. Usually love the recaps, but thought “I hope JoJo doesn’t see this.”

      And she was picked on for wearing “a suck-up ALDC shirt.” But Trinity had one on too. And they both wore Richie vests and Rachelle pants. Those items were part of their costumes.

      I think JoJo has a great personality. Honest and innocent.

  4. I have to say I was really impressed with Asia at the beginning! She has grown as a dancer so much in a year.

    I think the right dancer went home. I feel sorry for Gianna. It must be awful to be more mature than your Mom. I love AUDC and Dance Moms for seeing how the dancers study and grow, hate the arguing.

  5. Rachelle has broadway background. Richy has coragraphed most of lady gah gahs dances. Can anybody tell me what experience Abby has on judging dance. She doesn’t seem the type to get on the floor and do what half of them girl could do. Am I wrong?

    • You don’t need to be able actually do the moves in order to teach them, especially if you have the technical background that Abby does. She’s been in the business for over 30 years and can choreograph like few are able to. Now that being said, maybe if she got off her butt and did some of the things she’s expecting the girls to do, maybe she’d be a little happier and less miserable…

  6. I don’t think that Gianna suffers from Chloe syndrome as much as Cindy suffers from Christi syndrome – you know your kid is not the favorite, but continue to only make the situation 100 time worse by arguing with Abby about things that don’t need to be argued – therefore Abby likes your kid less in return.

  7. JoJo was very probably egged on by the powers that be — including her mom — to amp it up for the cameras and score the most camera time. The problem is, she had no clue on the planet how the show was going to be edited and how viewers were going to react, so now that she is back home in Nebraska, she and Jessalynn must handle the fallout of that — and I genuinely hope there is much more good than bad in the process. I think she would be great as the lippy little sister on a Nick sitcom or what have you, when the script can be blamed for the words, and her ability to deliver them with panache is a positive. As for anything more than a one-off appearance on Dance Moms, I’m no longer so certain of that. Though she had a boatload of technical woes, it was still hard to take your eyes off Asia when she danced. As Abby said, she deals with cutesy on a daily basis and I don’t know if JoJo’s dancing abilities would warrant Abby taking on her sass. I guess we shall see.

  8. I’m with you about not wanting to pick on a 9-year-old, but…

    Jojo’s timing has been off on nearly every piece she’s performed. And I’m sorry, her age is not an excuse for that when we see Asia and MacKenzie being able to keep the beat or, at least, correct themselves when they get off. Her departure was long overdue.

  9. Forget the Mums and concentrate on the children. All are lovely young women. Macalyee and Kirlani have gorgeous lines and grace and are the obvious choices for the Joffrey Ballet. Gianna is also a wonderful dancer. Trinity while extremely talented does not have the right body type for elegant ballet. My choice is Kirlani, but I would like to see her be hungry for it and not rest on her laurels. Macalyee is a top runner up and a much better less self absorbed person.
    JoJo — you danced great and I didn’t mind your mouth. We all put up with it with Asia and she was more boastful.
    Love this show — the kids are great.

    • It’s hard to ignore the mums when they have filthy mouths. When they act so uneducated. When jealousy is obvious when Cindy out of all people was making fun of someone’s clothes and boobs. And then people wonder why is bullying so bad in schools. It’s because of adults like Cindy. Poor Gianna she has more sense than her mom. I just hope she has good adults in her family to teach her right from wrong because she has obviously surpassed her mom. But I do love the children. I watch it because of the children.
      I also watch dance mom because of the children but I’m thinking twice about next season because the Mums are disgusting . Thank god I just adopted a boy so there is less of a chance of him wanting to be a dancer, ( not that I’m against it), but I just couldn’t deal with all the crazy foul mouth mums.

      • I completely agree! As for your son, don’t assume he may not want to dance; my 10 year old nephew has been dancing since he was 3 and absolutely loves it :). Luckily the moms in his studio, along with the teachers, are amazing, supportive, and very protective of each other and the other kids. None of this trying to sabotage the other ones, Abby does not represent who and what dance teachers are, there are more good ones than bad if you know where to look.

        • I’m not assuming that he ( my gift from god) will not like to dance. My little boy cousin loves to dance. He actually got a two year scholarship to a dance school in manhattan two years ago. But he turned eleven in June and he express his feelings in not continuing studying in that school. I’m so glad his parents didn’t force him to continue. His still loves dancing but he wants to try other things. I meant that statistically there is less of a chance for him to want to be a dancer. I personally don’t think I could deal with all that craziness. I’m glad to hear that there are good dance moms in the world because 99.9 % of the ones on TV are pretty disgusting crazy and scary.

          • That’s awesome, I hope my nephew continues to love it (and all the girls he dances with too lol) but if he decides to quit, I think my sister would be quite heartbroken. He’s only one of 3 boys that dance in the studio, so he gets a lot of attention, but he hasn’t let it go to his head – yet. I told him if he turned into one of those bratty kids he sees on tv I’d kick his butt LOL.

  10. SO SO glad JoJo is gone – she has been the one distraction the show has not needed. Her ego centered antics will get her in trouble one day. The pity is her mother eggs her on. I love McKaylee and Trinity and in spite of Cindy I like Gianna, but I don’t think Gianna quite has the maturity to win. Cindy, at least, has the guts to stand up to Abby. It will be interesting to see who wins.

  11. To Alldogsgotoheaven,
    I like what you said. You nailed it. Cindy needs to keep a mozzle on that mouth. I partially blame her for the feelings that Abby has against Gianna. Granted that should not effect Abby’s opion… The other thing is, why is other parents worried about kids that’s not theirs. It’s enough stress on the kids trying to prove their selves to thier own parents, fans, and ABBY, then you have the mom’s calling the other children bratts, ungly, untalented. Sometimes I wonder “what is wrong with these moms”.

    • Thank you for agreeing with me. What wrong with these moms? They are nasty foul mouth bullies. A child is a blessing from god . They should be loved, taught, trained and corrected when necessary. Some of these moms want to live through their children. Which is sad. Some don’t even know how to be supportive. Some of these mothers are obvious bullies and that is why there are so many bullies in schools. Thank god Gianna seems to have more sense than her mother. The part I hate the most is when these adults are actually bullying the kids by saying nasty things about them in front of them.

  12. Obvisiously abby would pick JoJo over Kilani. She’s the pick of the litter. But giving Gianna such a hard time about EVERYTHING is getting to a bit much. Seriously, dirty shoes. I think it’s all because Abby can’t stand Cindy. Plus do you see how Abby’s treats some of the mom’s. She yelled at Cindy for wearing flip-flops and travis and tylor mom was chewing gum when talking to Abby, so Abby took the gum and stuck it to her nose. Whose does that!!??

  13. If Abby, Rachelle and Richy examine these four girls in the next 2 weeks and don’t recognize McKaylee as the perfect fit for the Joffrey ballet school, my days of watching are over! What an amazingly talented young woman and a joy to watch!!

    • If they follow the format from last year, there’s still one more elimination before the finale. The only one I don’t see at the Joffrey is Gianna, she just doesn’t seem to have the deportment for the hardcore discipline of ballet. McKaylee is the total package and has improved week after week, I really hope that she wins :).

  14. I think Abby and Cindy are both donkeys I really dislike both. I feel sorry for Gianna. I rather be an orphan than to have a filthy mouth crappy mother. Why does she feel the need to be so nasty but yet complain that Abby is nasty. I could never see myself being so nasty towards a child. Just ignore the child and concentrate on yours. It’s pretty obvious Gianna doesn’t like her mothers nasty obnoxious attitude. “Hey Cindy, you embarrassed that poor girl enough. Just be quiet and instead of letting manure come out of your mouth sew your mouth shut before you finish the next costume. This is getting filmed and she will remember it for ever! ” as for Abby I thank god she doesn’t have kids because I think she would be just as nasty to her kids. Every time she is nasty I swear she is having a Big Mac attack!, I want to buy one and stuff it in her mouth! You don’t need to insult children to be a good instructor . Why does Cindy worry about JoJo so much or Kalani? Li e I said I think Gianna is a great kid and a very good dancer but I hope she doesn’t win. I want trinity or mckaylee to win.

  15. Bummer.. JoJo is a brat but I wanted to see Gianna go home first. (Just to see Cindy FREAK out) I really hope either McKaylee or Trinity will win. I think Kilani will get third and Gianna will go home next week.

  16. I just wish Cindy would go home. Can’t stand listening to her anymore. I think she says “bitch” more than anyone I’ve ever heard on any other show. Truly a disgusting woman with no class.

Comments are closed.

About Lori Acken 1195 Articles
Lori just hasn't been the same since "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure" went off the air.