Tonight on Lifetime Abby Lee Miller’s Dance Moms continues with an all new Tuesday May 5, season 5 episode 18 called, “Showdown in Pittsburgh, Part 2” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, In their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, the ALDC embarks on their final competition before their big official move to Los Angeles. But when only two girls show up to compete, chaos takes over and tempers flare.
On the last episode with the ALDC back in Pittsburgh to wrap up loose ended before they made the full-time move to LA, Abby had scheduled the team to attend both a competition and a convention. Adding to the pressure, two of Abby’s biggest enemies, Cathy and Jeanette were at the competition and were confident they could win. Meanwhile, Holly had organized a premiere party for Nia’s music video, but not everyone in the ALDC was excited about her big debut. Did you watch the episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the Lifetime synopsis, “in their hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, the ALDC embarks on their final competition before their big official move to Los Angeles. But when only two girls show up to compete, chaos takes over and tempers flare. Cathy and Jeanette bring top notch routines to try and take the ALDC down, but without a full team, the threat from ALDC’s rivals takes a backseat to the risk of disqualification.”
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 18 – 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!
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#DanceMoms begins with the ALDC arriving at Starbound National Talent Competition. Nia and JoJo are the only ones there and Melissa tells Holly they’re still at JUMP convention and will come late. Melissa says it was arranged a month ago that the kids could come late. Jessa and Holly say they didn’t hear anything about this. Kalani says she heard it was worked out. Holly says Nia and JoJo have been left out again. Cathy shows up and asks if Abby is scared to lose a competition in her own backyard.
Cathy reminds them Jeanette is there and says they look annoyed. Jessa says Abby won’t let the kids leave JUMP. Holly says she knew nothing about this. Jeanette says they should all be at JUMP or all at the competition. Melissa tells Jeanette that it’s none of her business. Abby comes over and Cathy asks why she would double book and Cathy calls her a blob with big hair. Abby says she doesn’t think her hair is that big today. Abby says JUMP is critical since they teach master classes.
Jessa asks if Abby sent a text saying not to talk to Jessa. Holly says shame on you and says she knows she’s on the way out. Abby says Holly stepped out. She says Nia was included in everything until now and until Holly stabbed her in the back. Abby is annoyed and says Holly chose Aubrey O’Day and made a choice. Jill tells Holly not to open up their business to outsiders. Holly goes off on her and says not to tell her what to say. Jill says no one is entitled to an opinion but Holly who is always right.
Cathy heads off to get ready. Holly is aggravated that Jill is down on her when she was left out. Holly says Abby needs to get the soloists there on time. Holly says she’s not letting Abby control her and says this is absolutely disgraceful. Holly and Jessa stomp off together and she calls Jill an ignorant fool. In the Candy Apples room, the moms says Abby’s team may be falling out. One mom says maybe Abby sent them to JUMP so they would have an excuse of being tired if they lose.
Cathy wonders if she made a mistake putting Vivi into the dance but the other moms say it’s good. Cathy says she wants to prove Abby wrong because she told her she couldn’t teach her own kid. Jessa and Holly talk and Jessa says Abby’s LA studio will tank because of her behavior and says this is like a mean clique and that Abby is a mean girl. The other moms come in and Jill says she had no idea their kids wouldn’t be there. Jessa asks if she thought about mentioning it.
Melissa says she thought all the kids were there and says it’s not her responsibility to make sure their kids are there. Holly says this is garbage and everyone is out for themselves. She says during pyramid Abby emphasized being at the competition and Holly says the girls have been working so hard and now half the team isn’t there to compete. She says that doesn’t send a good message to the other two girls that are there. Abby comes into the room and Jill asks if they’ll have to pull the soloists.
Abby says she doesn’t know if they’ll let them perform out of sequence. JoJo comes in with Nia and Abby says they have to be ready when opportunity knocks. She tells JoJo and Nia that this is their opportunity. She tells Nia she’ll go in for Kalani and JoJo in for Kendall. She says they have big shoes to fill. Abby says she’s going to let the judges know she’s making substitutions. She wants tNia to do Never Know and have JoJo do the Improv number.
Jill says the others are upset that the group number will be scratched. Abby says the kids had to be at JUMP period because of the learning opportunity. She says it’s a big deal and it’s her reputation. She says the kids can’t up and walk out the door because it’s like a middle finger. Holly says then they shouldn’t have made the big effort to be there. Holly says this puts Nia and JoJo up against their biggest rivals including Ava with no preparation.
Jeanette watches Ava rehearse and tells her to use her hurtful words to push her through this dance and says she has to dance for everyone who deals with hurtful words. JoJo goes through her number for Abby. Jessa doesn’t want Abby judging her and Abby tells Jessa to be more open-minded. Jessa thinks Abby should be thankful she’s even letting JoJo do this number. They give her notes. Cathy comes in and asks who’s going to be the soloist and asks if Abby is blessing her with something then sees Nia too. She tells Abby it’s generous to give Nia something.
She says Nia’s video was glorious and Abby can’t take any credit. She wishes the two girls luck then goes. Jill tells them to shut up, give Nia respect and go. Cathy says Jill doesn’t respect her and says she didn’t see Kendall at the video launch. Holly smirks at Cathy taking Jill to task. Abby tells the girls it’s time to go. Melissa asks Holly why Cathy knows their business. Holly says Cathy is talking from a mother’s perspective. Jill says their kids just got solos and Holly says no one else is there.
Holly asks if Abby should have had an empty chair do a solo. She asks what Jill wants. Jill tells her to be quiet and listen and says she wants to hear her say it’s a good day for Nia since Abby gave her a solo. Holly asks if she’s done then says what she asked but then adds that it was only by default. Holly says Nia isn’t prepared or supported so the odds are stacked against her. Nia is out first for her solo. Abby and the moms watch from the audience.
Jill says they are a team and she will always support Nia. She says she knows it’s a horrible situation but she hopes Nia takes Ava down. Speaking of Ava, she’s up next and Cathy watches nervously. Jessa says that JoJo’s strait jacket number was tough but says this is tougher since she’s up against Ava and is improvising a number. JoJo comes out to do her improvised solo. It looked great. Abby says Nia and JoJo did a good job but now she’s worried about the group.
Jill tells Holly and Jessa and says you couldn’t tell they went out there without preparation. Cathy and her moms come to congratulate Nia and toss confetti on Nia and call her a star. Holly thanks them for the applause. Abby comes in and Cathy says they came to throw stars at Nia since she’s the star of the team. One of the mom then mocks Melissa’s daughter Mackenzie’s video. Jessa snaps and says to get out. Cathy says Abby is going to hear from her attorney about filming her.
Abby holds her cell phone up to Cathy’s face and says she’s filming her wrinkles. Cathy says Abby has jowls then stomps out. Cathy goes to check on her team before the group number and says it’s all about Vivi getting her citizenship. Jeanette is also running her rehearsal and says they need wake up the crowd – it’s hip hop plus jazz funk and she says it’s something new for the judges compared to all the contemporary routines of the day.
Holly asks Abby about group since they don’t have the group. Melissa says she texted to find out where the kids are. Jill says Abby told them the kids were leaving at noon and Holly says Abby lied and Jill is following along. Holly asks who will take control of this situation. Jill texts and is told the kids can’t get their scholarships if they leave. Jessa says they shouldn’t have sent them and Jill asks Holly what she wants her to do. Jill says she got word that the kids are on their way.
Cathy goes over the patriotic group dance. She tells Vivi to go slow and hit everything perfectly and says she’s beautiful. They head out. Abby tells Nia and JoJo to get ready for the group and Nia asks if the others will be there soon. Abby says she heard from her assistant that they’re on the way and says the bottom line is, the wants to win. Jeanette tells Cathy she didn’t see ALDC listed in the group numbers. Cathy thinks Abby is running scared.
Cathy’s girls come out to do their patriotic number. They start without Vivi. Then Vivi runs onstage with a flag and they circle around her. Her part isn’t that great – she’s a little clumsy – and is only on stage for about 30 seconds (or less). Cathy thinks it was phenomenal and says she feels really confident. Cathy then complains and says she thinks they’re waiting for ALDC to show up. The other girls make it there and Abby tells them to hurry up and get ready and says there’s no time.
They can’t warm up and Jill worries how they’ll get them ready on time. Ava talks to the others int eh group about waking up the audience. Jeanette’s group heads out to do their D-Town number. It’s cool but doesn’t seem like a win-worthy dance number for the competition. It almost has a competitive cheerleading vibe. The audience seems to like it and Jeanette says she thinks they killed it. The ALDC moms are rushing to get the girls ready and in makeup.
Holly says they’re about to be disqualified and Abby is in chaotic mode. The announcer calls for the ALDC but they’re still in the prep room. Abby screams for makeup. The announcer calls ALDC again and then there’s a last call for them. Jill says it’s a catastrophe and it’s crazy. Abby hustles them out and Nia runs out and says they’re going without her. They make it just before they’re disqualified. The moms take their seats and the number starts.
It’s a really cool number. The crowd eats it up and there’s wild applause. Melissa says it was flawless. Now for the awards. Solo awards are first. JoJo takes third place and Jessa says that’s great for an improv solo and says Abby should be impressed. The top junior soloist is Ava. Jeanette is over the moon. Abby says hats off to Jeanette but says there’s no way she can beat Maddie. Now it’s time for the group awards. They hear that just half a point separated first and second.
Candy Apples takes second place for their patriot number. First place goes to the ALDC. Jeanette is not pleased and Cathy makes a gag me motion. Abby is jubilant. The girls take their bow as Abby blows them kisses. The moms tell the girls there was a lot of pressure and they did it. Holly says they’ll leave Pittsburgh on a high note. Kira is thrilled they beat the crabby apples. Abby wheels in a cake with a photo of the girls that says “Hollywood or Bust.”
She tells the girls that today was a good example of what they can expect in Hollywood with multi-tasking. She says she’s proud of the group and solo winner and just wishes they could have won both solos. Nia is very upset that she was singled out. Jill talks about the move to LA and the trip to Australia. Abby says it’s thunder down under and then they see Cathy and the moms lurking in the hall. Jeanette asks Abby what she thought of Ava – Abby says she looked great.
But then she tells Jeanette that she needs to stop doing acrobatics because she is no good at it. Jeanette freaks out and then Abby says Vivi had amazing opportunity and Cathy took it away from her. Abby says Cathy has paint by numbers hair. The moms get into a scuffle and Jill is angry that Cathy took her phone. Cathy has her phone and Jill lunges at her. Jill says she’s going to kick Cathy’s f-ing ass. Abby says payback is a bitch and Jill calls her a loser.
Holly asks how they got to this point – she says this is about kids dancing and should be fun. She says she hopes they don’t get thrown out of Australia and asks what they’ve become. Jill tells Abby she’s tired of dealing with trash like them.
THE END!
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