On Probation (My Episode 3, Season 3 Recap)

We took the long walk back into ALDC studio last week after our silent protest. No regrets there considering we finally were able to get Abby’s full attention and I think show her how much our girls contribute to the studio.  We already knew that our daughters needed dance training on a regular basis which is why we have been so committed to bringing them back and forth to that studio for hours on end…Back we were, which also meant that the contracts had to be signed again. It was time to get serious about the competition season and if Abby needed those contracts signed to get started, then so be it. The girls were ready to dance and with our team almost complete (Kelly being steps away in the parking lot), it was time to show Abby how committed we were by signing the contracts and getting the girls back in the studio.

When dealing with Abby, you know that anything she does not like will result in some form of punishment. Although I wasn’t quite sure what the punishment would be, I was unsurprised to see the flattened pyramid with Sophia’s lone photo hovering above our girls, the original ALDC, and Abby’s true work product. Abby may be a very good dance teacher but she did not train Sophia to dance like that in a week, so we all know that someone else is really responsible, making it all the more interesting for Abby’s retribution to take the form of placing all of the dancers she trained on “probation” while elevating the dancer she received from someone else. The studio was thick with tension and probably a little nervousness on the part of the girls.

• Back in Action (Episode 3, Season 3 Recap)
• "The Stand-Off" (Episode 2, Season 3 Recap)
• A Not-So-Happy Reunion (Episode 1, Season 3 Recap)

That carried over to competition day; especially when it became clear that Abby did not really want the group number to win this week.  She kept repeating how she felt the girls were unprepared to compete as though she could talk a loss into being, while Abby focused her attention on Sophia’s solo to the exclusion of the group dance. Those girls had a lot of pressure on them to come in first this week to show Abby what they can do and to show her how wrong she is to underestimate them. If the team of ringers got second place last week, then our girls HAD to place first! That’s exactly what they did and poor Abby actually seemed disappointed! I can only imagine what we can expect in the upcoming weeks of competition given her response. Either way it was a win for the girls and ALDC. 

Like our girls, Sophia’s talent is obvious once you see her dance. Sophia’s strengths are her turns and flexibility. She seems like she will be an asset to the team.  As do we all, each of the girls has something special and unique that they contribute to the team. It would be great if their teacher could see that as well as we moms do. It is too early to determine how Jackie would fit in as a “dance mom” of a member of the ALDC competition team, but we will see how that unfolds. Thus far she just seems to be a mom dedicated to her daughter’s dance education. I was shocked to hear the limited number of hours per week that Sophia actually spends in an academic educational setting. My daughter, like most of the other girls, is enrolled in school in addition to the hours she spends dancing. It is clear how important I believe education is to her overall well being and in helping Nia become a well-rounded and informed citizen. Dance is her love but her academic education is nonnegotiable. 

Don't miss new episodes of "Dance Moms" Tuesdays at 9/8c. Watch full episodes online now!