Previously on ‘Dance Moms’: Gone, Abby Gone

Last week on Dance Moms, the girls and their moms showed up at the ALDC studio only to find that their dance coach was missing! Giana, Abby’s 24-year-old assistant, told the team that no one had heard from Abby all day. Not sure where she was or when she was coming back, a bewildered Giana took the equally confused team into her own hands.
Giana confessed she wasn’t even sure where the team was competing this weekend, much less who Abby wanted to give routines to. However, Abby had left music for the group dance, so Giana got to work choreographing.
Up in the viewing room, the moms didn’t miss Abby at all, but they did wish she had left instructions for solos – of course the women all thought their own daughter deserved one the most.
After their bickering subsided, Christi decided to call up Kelly and let her know that Abby was out of the studio. Kelly was thrilled and decided this was the perfect opportunity to bring her daughters back to dance class. When Kelly, Brooke, and Paige showed up, poor Giana was unsure of what do. Although she knew Abby wouldn’t want them here, she let them into the group number just to avoid a blowout with the moms.
The next day, Abby finally made contact with the studio. She texted instructions to Giana – the girls would be competing in Sandusky, Ohio, and Asia and Maddie would be doing solos. Brooke slowly raised her hand – Abby usually enters four routines at a competition, but that was only three. Brooke asked Giana if she could have a solo for the fourth routine. Giana hesitantly agreed.
Only a little while later, Giana received another text from Abby, stating she would be fired if she choreographed Brooke a solo. Conflicted and stressed, Giana confided in Melissa that she didn’t know what to do – she didn’t want to anger either Abby or the other moms.
Meanwhile, in the viewing room, Leslie took matters into her own hands. Leslie called up Abby’s phone and left a voicemail ratting out that Giana was teaching Brooke a solo. A smug Leslie read the moms what Abby texted back, “Yes, I did tell Giana that Brooke should not do a solo or be in the group dance. Payton can do a solo.”
However, when competition day rolled around, the fourth solo was still up in the air.
Some special guests came to the competition – and no they weren’t Ohio’s own Candy Apples. A mom and daughter from the Starlight Foundation, which Melissa is very involved in, were big fans of Maddie, so Melissa invited them to come meet her and watch the dancers. Hannah and her mom came into the dressing room and were ecstatic to meet Melissa, Maddie, and the rest of the ALDC girls. Hannah had brain surgery when she was two-years-old and was left unable to participate in physically exerting activities. When Hannah confessed that she can’t even jump on a trampoline with her friends, Melissa was brought to tears.
Melissa wasn’t the only one crying, though. Brooke started sobbing after Abby telephoned the moms and said she wouldn’t come back until Brooke and Paige “get the hell out of my studio.”
After weeping at Abby’s ridicule, Brooke decided to go on with her solo anyway, even though she never ended up learning one at practice.
Brooke took the stage in a makeshift costume – black shorts and a black sports bra. She danced to one of her own songs, “I hurt.” The song didn’t have a great beat for dancing to, and the choreography was pretty bland. Nevertheless, Brooke did a good job for only having learned the dance in 15 minutes before she performed it.
Asia’s solo, entitled “Lightening,” was sassy and spunky as usual. Her shiny blue spandex costume had one long pant leg and one short leg. Asia’s choreography was very sharp and went along with her eye-catching attire.
Maddie’s lyrical solo, “Hold On” was meant to challenge her to connect with audience with her facial expressions. Her dancing was just as beautiful as always, but it seemed like she used the same old Maddie faces.
The group dance, “Just Be,” had all nine girls in it, which is unusually large for the ALDC. Although they weren’t perfectly in sync, the dance was lovely. Giana could give Abby a run for her money with her choreography! Watch the full dance in the video below.

Abby would have been happy if she was there for awards. The group dance won first place, along with Asia’s solo. Brooke’s solo won fourth place in her category, but Maddie’s earned first place in her own.
When Maddie accepted her award, she told the audience that her dance was dedicated to her new friend Hannah, and she wanted to give first place trophy to her, saying Hannah is the “real winner.” Aww! Maddie said later that meeting Hannah made her even more grateful for being able to dance.
Back in the dressing room, Melissa called Abby to let her know about their wins, but Abby didn’t pick up her phone. It looks like Abby will be back in the next episode, though. How angry do you think she’ll be that Brooke and Paige went against her wishes and performed? We’ll find out Tuesday on Lifetime!
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