Tonight on Lifetime Abby Lee Miller’s Dance Moms continues with an all new Tuesday June 23 season 5 episode 24 called, “West Coast Strikes Back” and we have your weekly recap ans spoilers below. On tonight’s episode, the ALDC’s biggest west coast rival, MDP, is back and Abby wants to put her best foot forward at competition. After Mackenzie’s huge win against her big sis Maddie, Abby tests her confidence with a big opportunity–will she be able to handle it?
On the last episode for the first time in years, Maddie and Mackenzie were competing with solos against each other in the same age category. The pressure was even higher for Maddie–who, in addition to practicing her risky tap solo, had a new video with Sia premiering this week. Abby brought in celebrity guest choreographer Travis Payne to teach the girls a routine inspired by voguing, a style with which they were unfamiliar. They had to not only impress Abby, but also this high-profile choreographer who was a power player in the dance industry. Did you watch the episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
Tonight’s episode is going to be another drama packed evening, which you won’t want to miss. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of Lifetime’s Dance Mom’s Season 5 episode 24 – tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about this new episode of Dance Moms tonight!
RECAP:
On #DanceMoms, it’s time in LA. At 3rd Street Dance, Maddie says Abby wasn’t that sad that they didn’t win since it wasn’t her dance. She talks about Mackenzie beating her and they talk about her likely being on top of pyramid. Maddie says she can’t believe it and says her tap usually wins. Mackenzie says game over since she won so she’s quitting. Abby calls them in for pyramid. Abby says they didn’t win and they need to get back to their old material and she won’t do a jazz dance for a while.
Holly is disappointed that it’s back to the old stuff. Abby shows Kendall at the bottom of pyramid since she wasn’t there. JoJo is shocked that she is next. Abby says she didn’t nail her ending turn. Next is Nia and Abby says her isolations at the end of group were a hot mess. Kalani is next and Abby says she was soft in the group dance. Next is Maddie in second and Abby says she’s getting a lot of other jobs and it takes a toll on her technique. Mackenzie is at the top and Abby says it was perfect.
Abby says it’s tough to get to the top and tougher to stay there. Abby says they’re going to Fierce Talent Competition in Calabassas and she doesn’t know who will be there but Melissa says MDP will be there. JoJo says her grandmother will be in town and she has stage four colon cancer and asks Abby if she can have a solo to dance for her while she has the opportunity to be there. Abby says she knows what she’s going through and says she’d love her to see her perform and says she can have a solo.
Jess is excited that JoJo will get a solo and then asks who will be the best foot forward to beat MDP. She talks about scratching Kendall’s solo two weeks ago. She says she was going to have her do that routine this week. Abby tells Kendall that losing is not an option since she’s had more practice time. The group number will be led by Mackenzie instead of Maddie coming off her win. She asks Mackenzie if she has what it takes. Melissa tells her she can do it and she says yes.
Mackenzie says she doesn’t want to let anyone down. Abby points to the moms and asks which of them she’s worried about letting down and says none of them. Abby says good. Mackenzie says she’s worried about letting the girls down and Abby. Abby kisses her and says if she can’t do it, she’ll pull her. Abby tells JoJo she can’t do the group number and has to focus on the solo. Jess doesn’t like it and Abby says, let’s face it, JoJo can’t do both and needs to concentrate on one thing. Rehearsal starts.
Over at Murrietta Dance Project studio, Erin Babbs is putting her girls through the wringer and says she’s going to show them that they are the ones to beat not ALDC. Erin tells the girls they’re going to do Monster Under the Bed and asks them who the monster is and they all shout – Abby. Erin gives Caylie the solo and tells them to all be on their A plus game this week. Abby does the group rehearsal and Abby says they’re up against stiff competition and need a stellar routine.
She wonders if Mackezie can be mature enough with her facial expressions. Holly mentions this is their third time against MDP – the first time a loss and the second a win then now this. Abby tells Mackenzie that her face isn’t changing. Holly says Abby is so negative it’s discouraging her. Abby yells “face” when she dances. Abby asks Mackenzie if she can handle this. Melissa is upset with the criticism. Jess and JoJo meet her grandma Cathy for lunch. She changed up her chemo schedule to come.
Cathy says she’s feeling pretty good this week and Jess says with two kinds of cancer, it’s tough. JoJo says she has a solo but isn’t in the group dance. JoJo is excited her grandma gets to see her dance. Over at MDO, Caylie starts working on her solo rehearsal. Erin says she has to prove she’s the best. Erin says Maddie is a great dancer but not the only one. Erin says it’s killing her that she hasn’t had a solo win against Abby and says her girls have what it takes to win.
Melissa asks if the girls are nervous about going up against MDP. Jill says they’re going to go fancy and says what ALDC has is classic old-world I don’t know. Kendall says that pep talks was worse than one of Abby’s. JoJo starts her solo rehearsal in a number Abby has dedicated to her grandmother. She says JoJo is just not a lyrical dancer because she doesn’t have long lines and the feet she needs. Holly says it’s refreshing to see her not doing a fierce jazz number.
Holly says it’s nice that JoJo gets to show Abby she can do other things. Jess tells them it could be one of the last times her mom gets to see JoJo dance. Now it’s Kendall’s turn. Her jazz routine Just An Illusion features her as a magician. Abby says it should be in her muscle memory already. Abby says it’s not good and yells at Kendall that she had two weeks. Jill says the solo was never prepared so how could it be prepared. Abby says she doesn’t want to lose two weeks before her single comes out.
Over at MDP, Erin has an Abby doll and tells her girls she’s not scary. She says they’re going to show that Abby’s soft, slow style can’t compete with their West Coast style. Her moms poof up the Abby doll’s hair and added a rhinestone bracelet. Erin says the only difference is that the doll is quiet. She tells the girls to go put the Abby doll under the bed prop to be the monster. Back at ALDC, it’s group rehearsal. Abby says Mackenzie is physically performing the lead fine but her face is no good.
Abby says this win is too important for her not to do this well. Melissa says Abby doesn’t like this and has Maddie demonstrate the proper way then moves Maddie into the lead. Abby thinks and says Mackenzie just can’t do it then moves Maddie into the lead. They ask Melissa if she’ll let her get away with this but Melissa agrees that Maddie is better. Jill asks why she doesn’t stick up for Mackenzie. She says she’s not the teacher and she’s not going in to fight with Abby over this.
Jess says it’s sad for Mackenzie but Melissa says it is what it is and they have to win against MDP. Jill asks how it’s okay for her to take it away for no reason and Melissa says it’s none of her business then tells Jill to go to hell. Jill says she’s not sticking up for Mackenzie. Melissa says she’s had it with these other moms and she’s visibly flustered.
It’s competition day and Jill says the last time they were there, well, there was a huge blow out between Christi and Abby. Melissa wonders if Christi is hiding behind the curtains, but she’s not. Erin and the other moms from MDO come in and then Abby arrives. Erin says they have something for her. Abby says to bring it to the new studio but they come in anyway. They have balloons and Erin says they’re making friends with the monster. Jill says that’s rude.
Erin says they had the girls write things on balloons. Jill pops all the balloons and Abby smiles as the moms hustle Erin and the MDP moms out. Abby tells the girls to get ready then whispers to Melissa that she wants to pretend Maddie is doing a solo and tells her to get into a costume and go stand backstage and warm up to make MDP sweat. JoJo’s grandma Cathy comes backstage and gives JoJo a hug. Cathy says to dance from her heart and Jess tells her to dance from grandma.
Abby tells JoJo to make her proud and tells she and Kendall that they’re winners and she wants to sit out there and watch them win. The moms go take their seats. JoJo says it’s hard to know your grandma is sick but says dancing with ALDC is a dream. JoJo’s solo is up first. Her grandma cries as she watches JoJo twirl. It looks good and everyone cheers. She cries as she goes offstage. Jess says she thought it was beautiful and says she was happy to see her get through it without crying.
Next is Kendall. Abby says Kendall has everything it takes to be a great dancer and says she better be amazing since she had two weeks to learn the number. It looks good and is very twirly. Jill cheers once she’s done. Abby says Kendall performed well but not great. She wonders if Maddie can scare the other team’s soloist right before she dances. Caylie says she thought she was only going up against JoJo and Kendall. She’s nervous.
Caylie comes out to do her solo and she missed her footing coming off the first set of spins. Erin watches with a critical eye. Erin says Caylie bobbled at the beginning but it was strong by the end and is confident she’ll win. ALDC hears the MDP girls shouting in the hall saying monster and counting. Abby comes down the hall and sees them. She smiles and asks if she’s the monster then tells the girls she doesn’t care if Erin gets mad and says it’s obnoxious to act that way backstage and says jumping on concrete is bad for you.
Then Abby goes and tells her girls they have to win because she just called the other team obnoxious. Abby tells the team she’s trying to win, not trying to shove Maddie down their throats. Erin tells her girls they have to stand up against Abby and win. Monster Under the Bed is the first group routine in the rivalry. It’s a cute number for sure but many of the girls have timing issues and don’t move in concert like they should. The lead pulls out the Abby doll at the end. Erin smiles the whole time.
Jill says those kids are good. Next up is ALDC with “Voices in My Head.” Maddie starts out onstage with just Kendall. Then Kalani comes out then Nia. Mackenzie joins them last. It’s a beautiful routine with none of the timing issues the other group had. JoJo watches them from the wings. It looked perfect. Abby whoops when they are done. Melissa says putting Maddie in means they nailed it. First are solo awards. 3rd place goes to another school. 2nd place goes to Kendall. Abby says she blew it.
First place goes to MDP’s Caylie. Abby says JoJo’s solo was about honoring her grandmother but she wishes she also would have won. Now it’s groups. 3rd place goes to another school. 2nd place goes to ALDC. Abby is crushed by second and says she can’t stand it. 1st place goes to the Monster routine and MDP. Kira says she doesn’t agree with the judges. Jill says it was very entertaining and the ALDC moms congratulate them and then Jess says they heard Caylie’s mom drop the F-bomb.
Jess says she hopes her mom is proud of the way she talks. Another mom tells Abby that she hopes her mom is proud of her. Abby tells her flat out that her mom is dead and the other mom is appalled by putting her foot in her mouth. Erin comes in to give Abby the Monster doll and Abby says it’s great. Jess asks who gives the prop from your dance to another coach. Abby throws the doll on the ground and tells the girls she’s upset about two losses back in LA. She says they need to be the team no one can beat.
The End!
Image Credit to FameFlynet
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