 I've had a lot of
good ideas, but this one
might be my best yet.
It's going to be hip hop.
JOJO: I love you!
 Nobody expects us to be
good at hip hop, but we are.
MACKENZIE: I don't know about
Abby, but I think I killed it.
ABBY: I think the
kid's a nervous wreck.
MELISSA: I just want to
talk to you real quick.
That woman is crazy.
 Watch out.
Be tough.
This is a tough crowd.
You're dealing with
these mothers here, OK?
Hip hop was difficult
enough back in Pittsburgh
when they had Maddie.
Now we're here on the west
coast in LA without Maddie.
I don't think the
girls are going
to be able to pull this off.
 Hi.
ASHLEE: They're adorable.
ABBY: This is Ryan.
RYAN: Ryan.
 Blake and Kenneth, OK?
So they're in your dance.
 Yeah, what do you
think the surprise?
I brought three guys
just to hang out?
CHOREOGRAPHER: Five, six,
and seven, and eight.
 Abby thinks it's a brilliant
idea to add three random boys
to the group.
What is up with that?
The girls have never danced
with these boys before.
They're learning the
choreography now,
and now we're going to add
more people to the group.
That's insane.
 I've had a lot of
good ideas, but this one
might be my best yet.
These three boys
can pop and lock.
They're incredible.
And they're taking my
beautiful lyrical dancers,
and they're making them be
tough and rugged hip hop stars.
 I think we have a
good dance this week.
We have a good chance to win.
This is like nothing
we've ever had before.
 This week we have boys in,
and we're doing a hip hop dance.
And nobody expects us to be
good at hip hop, but we are.
OK, just going to say that.
ANNOUNCER 1: Next up, we
have number 35, "Straight Out
of Pittsburgh."
[crowd cheering]
MUSIC: I never give up.
I refuse to lose.
I do what I got to do.
I'm paying my dues.
Yeah.
Never give up.
I refuse to lose.
Never give up.
Refuse to lose.
Do what I got to do.
I'm paying my dues.
Got to stay focused.
Won't lose control.
Then I make it happen
when I'm selling my soul.
[crowd cheering]
 For team group, in first we
have number 35, "Straight Out
of Pittsburgh."
[crowd cheering]
 Oh, yes.
The dance Gods us singing today.
ABBY: This weekend, Jojo,
you will be doing a solo.
It's going to be hip hop.
 I love you!
ABBY: Brynn, you
will be doing a solo.
It's also hip hop.
My last solo for this
week goes to MacKenzie.
 Yay, Mackenz.
Hip hop?
 Actually, you are
doing hoedown showdown,
a gymnastic routine.
It's what you do.
 MacKenzie's
amazing at hip hop.
JILL: You should let them
all three do hip hop.
 I have never done
a hip hop solo.
And I feel like I'm really
improving in hip hop,
so I hope she changes her mind.
 So then you're not
going to do a solo.
That's what's going to happen.
 Oh my god.
ABBY: MacKenzie will
soon be moving on.
Why not take the opportunity to
work with me on her technique,
her relev .
Dumb mistake, MacKenzie.
Dumb mistake.
 Oh well.
 You know, the fact that you
have never ever in five years
asked for a solo--
 No.
 --and you asked, and
she did that is a shame.
HOLLY: What do you have to lose?
This is the right thing to do.
Say something.
Why wouldn't you?
 I'm going to stand
up for my daughter.
That's it.
She's the best hip
hopper on the whole team.
I just want to talk
to you real quick.
[gasps]
ABBY: Go on.
Shut the door.
Get out!
Get out!
Get out!
 I'm done.
That woman is crazy.
 All right, I have three hip
hop solos in the 11-12 age
category.
Who will be the
prized fighter today?
 I'm really nervous because I
have never competed a hip hop
solo, so there's a
lot of pressure on me.
[music playing] (SINGING)
Forget about things
that you used to know.
Everybody talking like
they think they know,
but I'm the real deal, baby.
Yeah, for sure.
Can't tell me nothing
when I'm on a flow.
When I walk by they
be like there she go.
I bet that you ain't
never seen a chick so bad.
Is it bad that I'm so confident.
I know what I got and
they don't ask what.
How could it be wrong
when I feel so right?
I'm bad.
Just say I own what's mine.
Mine.
Give me, give me that.
Don't hold back.
Give me competition
just like that.
I bet that you ain't
never seen a chick so bad.
Give me, give me that.
Don't hold back.
Patty cake, patty
cake baker's man.
Mine.
[crowd cheering]
MACKENZIE: I don't
know about Abby,
but I think I killed that.
But Jojo and Brynn, they're
both really good hip hoppers,
so I don't know what
place I'm going to be in.
But let's hope it's first.
 In fifth place, number
12, "Million Dollar Baby."
 It's fine that
Jojo got fifth place.
As long as Jojo doesn't lose
to Brynn, I will jump for joy.
 Fourth place,
number 11, "Break."
[applause]
 Are you freaking kidding me?
 Third place, number 8,
"I'm Not Afraid of the Dark."
Second place, entry
number 6, "Burn It Up."
 Oh, no.
 And your highest scoring
junior solo, number 13,
"Bully" from the Abby
Lee Dance Company.
Junior dancers take a bow.
 It feels great to win because
Abby didn't think I could win
with a hip hop solo,
so that's her fault.
I think I proved Abby wrong
with the hip hop solo.
ABBY: Maesi's routine is a hip
hop number called "I'm Alive."
I think Maesi does
have a lot of potential
to be a professional
working dancer in LA,
but I think the kid's
a nervous wreck.
Try to pick it up.
And Maesi forgets her dance.
 That's just probably
over-rehearsed.
 Wait.
She's over-rehearsed, and
she can't remember it?
You're done.
Go.
 Until you get
in front of Abby?
I know.
This is a lot of
pressure to come in.
I hope she can pull through
this because Maesi wants
more than anything to dance
the solo this weekend.
You're OK.
If you have to throw
up, you throw up, OK?
She's going to throw up I think.
If you throw up, we clean it up.
It's that simple.
MAESI: [gags]
JILL: Maesi's throwing up.
MELISSA: Maesi's sick.
 She not here?
JILL: She's like--
she's in the bathroom.
I think she's,
like, throwing up.
 If God gave me that mother,
I'd throw up every day.
 She's just going to
practice her dance and vomit
in a giant garbage can?
ANNOUNCER 2: Up next
is entry number six.
We have Maesi
performing "I'm Alive."
[crowd cheering]
[music playing] (SINGING)
I've seen the truth.
You need to love.
They try to bury it, but
they just can't hide.
Went through the darkness
and found a life.
The world is changing
right before my eyes.
I'm alive.
I'm alive.
I'm alive.
I'm alive.
[crowd cheering]
 Maesi, it was so good.
 Thank you.
 You did everything
Abby told you to.
ANNOUNCER 1: All right, in
second place is entry number
six, "I'm Alive."
[applause]
 She beat Brynn.
No one, except for me,
thought that was possible,
and, hopefully, this
will make Abby see Maesi
in a new bright shining light.
ABBY: Back let higher, Kalani.
OK, here's the deal.
I think that you
know it, but faces,
there's nothing happening.
The meanness that you start
out with dies very quickly,
and then I get nothing.
This is it.
 I think people continue to
try really hard to bring down
the ALDC, but I think
our girls are strong.
I think they're survivors,
and they're fighters.
And they're going to
fight on the dance floor.
ANNOUNCER 3: We are starting
with entry number 70.
Please welcome to the
stage "Stomp The Yard."
[applause]
[MUSIC - BECKAH SHAE,
 "HEARTBEAT"]
(SINGING) And his blood has
ransomed people for God, hey!
From every tribe and language,
people, every nation, hey!
Where warriors have fallen,
there's a resurrection coming.
It's your time to
rise and shine.
Oh, wake up, you sleeping giant.
The wounds of injustice are
being healed by the peace, hey,
of YHWH, who's bringing
us power through unity.
Yeshua, bring us together.
Bring us together.
Together we cry out,
out for your heartbeat.
Your heartbeat, oh.
Give us your heartbeat.
[crowd cheering]
 I thought the group
dance was excellent.
Time for the awards.
Now, if we lose to Jeanette
and Ava, watch out.
 And our top scoring energy
junior small group is entry
number 70, "Stomp the Yard."
[crowd cheering]
Congratulations.
 You got served.
 The next solo
is going to Jojo.
You are doing the hip
hop dance entitled
"I'll Show You The Dark Side."
GIRLS: Oh!
 Jojo's solo is called "I'll
Show You The Dark Side,"
and I'm thrilled because
I know Jojo is going
to pull this character off.
And this is Jojo's
opportunity to go 110%
and show everyone
what she's made of.
 Competition is tomorrow.
So tomorrow, you
have a solo to do.
You're going to be in
makeup for a long time,
and you're going to have to keep
your mouth shut while they're
doing it because you
can't move your face.
 Darn.
 [laughs]
ABBY: OK?
HOLLY: This is so creepy.
 Oh, Jojo, look at your eyes.
 Is that crazy?
 Let me see.
 As much as Abby
comes down on Jojo,
she knows deep down Jojo
can play a character.
Kendall got the opportunity,
and she didn't embrace it.
Jojo is Abby's star.
That's who Jojo is.
[music playing]
MUSIC: (SINGING)
Middle of the night
I can hear your heartbeat,
heartbeat, heartbeat calling
out my name.
Yes, I know it
must seem strange.
And I know these things
are going on in your brain.
I know what you're looking for.
I know what you need.
[MUSIC - MIDI MAFIA FEAT.
BEBE O'HARE, "CLOSET FREAK"]
(RAPPING) Mark be all
on my case.
Jacob all on my mind.
Stacy good on his feet.
Adam all on my line.
I got a bald man I call Balmain.
Spoil me on the weekend and then
take me out to the ballgame.
Jordan fresh and he tall, man.
Cartier got them dollars.
I'm a closet freak.
No time to speak.
I ain't saying it like
I'm proud or something.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Ow!
[applause]
 In second place, "I'll
Show You The Dark Side."
[crowd cheering]
 I'm super excited for Jojo.
This is a really good way to
start out the year for Jojo.
ANNOUNCER 3: Wonderful job.
 You will do a hip hop
routine in the competition
this weekend.
 Yay!
 Maddie and Kenzie's
last number, Abby's
not even teaching it.
 She doesn't care.
 Aren't you kind of glad
that you're not going to have
to deal with that anymore?
Yeah, you know you are.
 We'll have to hear it,
but she won't have to hear.
ABBY: How is everybody?
Melissa, how you doing?
MELISSA: I'm good.
 You good?
You relishing in the moment?
JILL: I think she's ecstatic.
 No, I cried.
I was crying down there.
 Oh, stop.
 I will say this week has
been a weird week for me
because you have
been, in some way,
very much in denial
that they're leaving.
Melissa just wants
everything to be happy,
and it's really
hard for some people
to process the closure of
what it means to move on.
Our elite team will never
be the same anymore.
ABBY: Girls, this will
be the last time--
[clears throat] --that I work
with Maddie and MacKenzie.
So it's kind of like when
you graduate from high school
and you're off to something
maybe not better--
maybe not bigger.
You never know what
your future holds.
ANNOUNCER 4: Small group hip
hop, number 128, "Boss Ladies."
[crowd cheering]
JESSALYNN: This is Maddie and
McKenzie's last performance
with our team, and we've got a
lot of cards stacked against us
right now.
If we lose this week, it is
going to be devastating for us.
[MUSIC - PHOTRONIQUE FEAT.
SHARI SHORT, "WE ON TOP"]
(RAPPING) Put your hands up
in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
I turned nothing into something.
I work hard then I play.
I be chilling, but I'm business.
Call me boss lady.
Don't be jealous my hustle
because I'm killing all day.
I be flexing my muscles.
I don't care what they say.
See the watch.
See the Benz.
I can spend my money.
So much dough, so much bread.
I could have a bakery.
Watch out.
I'm in my zone.
Hand me the microphone.
They say when in Rome.
Yep.
Me and my crew, although we
made it, yeah, we on top.
We keep on pushing.
Bars are raising.
We don't stop.
No one can replicate the magic
that we unlock because we
on top.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
We on top.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
We on top.
Me and my crew, although we
made it, yeah, we on top.
We keep on pushing.
Bars are raising.
We don't stop.
No one can replicate the magic
that we unlock because we
on top.
We on top.
Hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
Put your hands up in the air.
That's right.
Listen.
No tripping.
Put your hands up in the air.
We don't stop.
We on top.
[crowd cheering]
 Good job, girls!
Woo!
 I did it!
 Oh my gosh!
That was so fun!
 Are you guys ready
for some awards now?
That's why we're here, right?
 This has been a really long
amazing journey with the ALDC,
the junior elite team.
And to think this is our
last awards ceremony,
I don't want Maddie
and MacKenzie
to leave on a low note.
I want them to
leave as champions.
 Top senior group of the
day, it goes out to 128,
"Boss Ladies!"
[crowd cheering]
MADDIE: This is
exactly how I wanted
to end my whole
experience on the team.
I ended it with a bang.
It's great.
I wanted to win.
And it happened, so it
was just a great day.
