Melanie Ziegler || Dance Moms

Abby's New Favorites

I was in the Dancer's Den working on my laptop, listening to the beautiful music of yet another fight between Abby and the moms. I was actually working with some acting stuff, I've already got two guest starring roles for next year. First one is on 'Grey's Anatomy', and the other one is on a new Disney Channel series, 'Stuck In The Middle'. It also means that I'll be gone for a day next week. It'll hopefully not be bad.

"Mel, it's time for the pyramid." Jess tells me and leaves, probably to tell the rest, who were in the trampoline room.

I put my laptop away and fix my dance clothes as I enter studio A, where Abby was with the minis. The rest of the girls come and we form a line.

"Welcome, everybody!" Abby exclaims with a fake smile, "How you little ones doing?"

Kenzie and I look at each other, arms crossed, and look back at Abby.

"Are the minis on the pyramid today?" Sari asks.

"The minis are on the pyramid today." Abby answers, "Maddie is not here. She is in New York City. I wasn't there last week. I don't really care what happened. What I do know is that I had three duets in."

"Did you see any of the duets?" Ashlee asks.

"Actually, I did." Abby says, "I saw the people that beat you. They're nobodies. Nobodies." She emphasizes, "Again, you had a group routine. I thought it was sloppy, I thought it was a hot mess."

"Well, Abby, Ashlee had a problem with, um, Kendall and Brynn's duet. It-it, was the highest duet in this room." Jill says, "But it came in third and she's used to always winning. So maybe this isn't the place for her."

"I don't like to lose." Ashlee comments.

I look over to the minis, then at Kenzie, then at the other girls, and back at the pyramid.

"Okay, so, girls, pyramid." Abby says as she reveals the bottom headshot, "Peyton. You need to wash out your mother's mouth with soap." Kerri shrugs, "Next we have, Ari. For the level of your dancing, you should be able to pick up the choreography at that same level of expertise. And you don't." She reveals the next headshot, "Alexus. You pick up well, but nature isn't on your side. It's the flexibility, the strength, the turn-out. All of those things you're lacking. Alysa. You pick up quick, you're smart, you're not built like your mom. Right now, that's not a problem. Someday it will be. Moving up, JoJo. I think that you welcome every genre of dance, and I think that you enjoy learning new things. It's not a bad thing where you are; it's just what it is."

"Yeah, I'm not on the bottom row." JoJo comments.

"Brynn. Your legs are great, your leaps are great, your acrobatics tricks are great, but you don't attack the dynamics of the music or the style of dance you're doing. That's where you fall short." Abby reveals the next headshot, "Kendall. Your duet. Third." Next headshot, "Next, Melanie. I took you out of your group and put you in with the minis. You looked a thousand times better than any of them, so that's why you're back with your old team." I smile, "But right after that, you weren't in rehearsal for almost a whole day."

"She was on a doctor's appointment." Mom says.

"Yeah, but part of being a great dancer like Maddie comes with working hard." Abby tells me, "It's not only about the perfect facials, perfect legs, perfect feet, it also comes with the dedication to dance." And my smile fades, "You can go to your doctor appointments when you have the day off, not while you're supposed to be in the studio dancing."

She wasn't there either, so I basically was there more time than her. God, give me patience, please.

Mackenzie

Kalani   Nia

Melanie   Kendall   Brynn   JoJo

Alysa   Alexus   Areana   Peyton

This week, there's two group dances and a solo that goes to Alysa.

Next couple of days, mini drama, mini moms drama, mama drama, all kinds of drama.

Hollywood drama.

Dance drama.

Life drama.

Abby Lee Miller drama.

At least there was not me drama.

That would've been worse.

•Competition Day•

"Ooh, the stage looks amazing." Kalani sings as all of us look at the empty black stage.

"It looks just like it always does." Nia comments, "But I'm so excited to get dancing up there."

"And kick butt." I add, "Abby doesn't really care 'bout us right now, but let's show her that she should."

"Yes!" Kenzie exclaims.

"We're the revolution!" Brynn exclaims, "Wait, where did I even get that from?"

"Good question." JoJo agrees, "Sometimes I wonder what's going on inside your head."

"Inside out." Kenzie answers, "The movie that made Melanie cry."

"It was sad." I defend myself, "Bing Bong did not have to die."

"But the imaginary boyfriend was cute." Nia comments.

"Probably because it was based on Harry Styles." I smile, "I mean, why not?"

"It'll never grow old, will it?" Kenzie asks and I shake my head, "But didn't you have a crush on Niall?"

"That's a story for another day." I tell them, "We should go back to the dressing room."

"So now that we're talking about crushes." Kalani says, "Let's start talking about Li--"

"You always bring him up at the worst times!" I interrupt.

"But--" Kendall tries to say.

"What about Nash or Austin or Justin or Cameron?" I ask, "I've got secret weapons, but mostly for Maddie."

"Gino and Zac." Kenzie agrees, "Who could forget your little argument with her when Liam walked in last summer?"

"That was awkward." Nia comments.

"Sounds awkward." Brynn adds.

"Okay okay, let's go back to the dressing room." JoJo says, "I'll lead the way with Kenz."

"You bet!" Kenzie exclaims as the two of them run away.

"Should we follow them?" Kendall asks.

"I guess so." I say, "Last one to get there has to pay for our lunch next week!"

The rest of us follow Kenzie and JoJo back to the dressing room.

~~~
After Areana and Alysa performed their solos, we were ready to perform the group dance, but first we had to watch the minis perform.

The minis were definitely trying their best I smile, I remember being in their shoes a couple years ago, but Abby doesn't really care about that.

"Coming up next, we have entry number 15, teen group lyrical, 'Better Off Now'." The announcer says and Brynn goes on stage.

So I'm moving on
I-I've gotta try to be strong
I'm not gonna be afraid
I won't let you stand in my way
I'm not going to be ashamed to try

Brynn was an amazing lead of the dance, and I hope she'll be on the team soon. Awards started soon, and here's what happened to the minis: The group dance was somehow first place, same with Areana's unaired solo. Alysa's solo was second. Now with the juniors: We were obviously first, what did you expect? Felt good to shut Abby up for five seconds, definitely worth it.