Tonight on Lifetime Abby Lee Miller’s Dance Moms continues with an all new Tuesday June 16 season 5 episode 23 called, “Maddie vs. Mackenzie” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, for the first time in years, Maddie and Mackenzie are competing with solos against each other in the same age category.
On the last episode Jealousy and competition threatened the ALDC as the team was divided into two factions when Abby excluded Nia and JoJo from the rest of the planned events in Australia. Kendall, Kalani, Maddie and Mackenzie had to learn a new routine to perform at a private fan event, while Holly brought in Mikey Minden to help Nia prepare to perform her single for the first time live. Holly made it clear that, if the moms didn’t show up for Nia’s performance, it could be the end of the ALDC as we know it. 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, “for the first time in years, Maddie and Mackenzie are competing with solos against each other in the same age category. The pressure is even higher for Maddie–who, in addition to practicing her risky tap solo, has a new video with Sia premiering this week. Abby brings in celebrity guest choreographer Travis Payne to teach the girls a routine inspired by voguing, a style with which they are unfamiliar. They have to not only impress Abby, but also this high-profile choreographer who is a power player in the dance industry.”
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 23 – 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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The #DanceMoms are at the studio in LA and Jill wonders if Abby will be there. Holly talks about how Abby is like an infant who doesn’t transition well. Jill says Abby’s name is on the mats and she let the kids down by not being prepared. But they’re wrong – Abby is already inside the studio watching a video. She criticizes Nia’s performance and Nia sasses her back about not giving her enough opportunities.
Abby has Nia at the bottom of the pyramid. Holly is mad that she’s on Nia’s case. JoJo is next and says she’s late. Maddie is next and Abby says she didn’t stand out at all when she should be the it girl. Mackenzie is one above her sister then there’s Kendall. Abby says Kendall didn’t even dance but her video premiered so she ranks higher. That puts Kalani at the top of the pyramid and Abby says she was absolutely beautiful.
Jill tells Abby they’ll be gone Saturday and Abby says they are going to Center Stage to compete and says Mackenzie will have a solo called Sink or Swim. Then she says Maddie will get a solo and it’s a tap number. Melissa says she’s a fan of tap and it will show Maddie can do anything. JoJo gets the third solo called Rebel Without a Cause. Melissa says Maddie and Mackenzie knew they would compete at some point but this is a lot of pressure.
Abby has brought in a guest choreographer for the group routine and says he’s won three MTV video awards and has worked with JLo, Michael Jackson and Gaga. She says he will have free reign and says he’s a legend. She brings in Travis Payne. Abby says if you don’t recognize him, he worked with Michael Jackson. They’re doing an 80s and 90s number. The moms step out for rehearsal to start. Abby says if her girls don’t win with his choreography, it won’t speak well of them.
He says they’re going to mix a bunch of styles together. He brings in Aisha Francis, his collaborator, who has danced with Beyonce. The moms watch happily. Jessa says she’s excited about the voguing and is excited that it’s new and fresh in LA. Abby sits and watches him work with the girls. Jill is thrilled and Holly says it’s unusual to see the girls having fun. Jill says this will actually help the girls in auditions. Abby says she’s excited that he’s working with her girls.
He tells them to channel fashion model, club kids. Jill says Abby has never been so open to another choreographer. Jessa says it’s about Abby stepped up like this or she wonders if Abby is just being lazy. He give Mackenzie feedback to stop kicking her feet and place them. Holly says Abby is interfering and we see her talking to Travis. Jessa is annoyed and thinks that Mackenzie should get to be front and center and not make the group number a competition between the dancers.
Jill freaks when Abby pulls out her hair piece and Holly says since she can’t choreograph, she’s literally pulling her hair out. The moms hoot and laugh as Abby coughs with her tongue out putting her hair back in. Holly says she shouldn’t be doing the crazy in front of a guest. Maddie rehearses her tap number and it’s one she already knows. Abby says she has to make a statement with this number and says she’ll make sure it’s a winner.
Abby tells her she needs gogo arms and a frugue and jerkier body movements. Jill wonders why Abby is rehearsing with Maddie when she already knows the number instead of working with JoJo and Mackenzie. Melissa says the other moms don’t understand you can’t learn a tap number in two hours like you can other dances. Holly says Abby has two other dancers in the room that haven’t learned any steps. Abby gets on to JoJo for posting something about a master class.
Abby asks what she knows about being a master instructor and says she needs to be careful with that word. She says that title is earned. Jess says Abby is wasting time and Abby says she’s trying to make an extra buck on the weekend because her dad doesn’t make enough money. Jess comes in and tells Abby that JoJo is not teaching the class, she’s in the class. Jess says it’s no different than when Abby hosts master classes. JoJo starts crying and Jill says Jess going in didn’t help.
JoJo tells Jess outside that it sucks that she’s on her and Jess says Abby wanted to put Abby down and make her daughter cry and it pisses her off. Travis seems to be shocked by all this. He comes out and talks to JoJo. He tells her she’s an awesome talent and one of his favorites. He says she has her own style and JoJo says Abby always yells at her. Travis says maybe she focuses on her because she’s special. He reassures her then jokes and tells her to get a bigger bow.
Jess says it’s hard that JoJo is going up against Maddie and Mackenzie with no effort on Abby’s part. She says she’s glad JoJo has Travis there. Abby has Mackenzie working on an acrobatic number. Melissa says Maddie’s new video with Sia debuted and already has almost a million hits. Melissa reads positive comments and then Sia texts her when it hits a million views. Holly is outraged that Melissa is ignoring Mackenzie’s rehearsal.
Then Jess reads off negative comments about how the video is boring and disturbing. Jill tells Melissa that everyone is entitled to their opinion. Melissa says Shia LeBeouf even texted Maddie and says it’s impressive and she could give a f-k what 10 year olds have to say. Abby tells Mackenzie she has a lot more work to do to make it perfect then sends her off to work alone. Abby then works with JoJo on her jazz dance and says it’s tough, strong and very 1960s. She has just one day to learn it.
Abby says JoJo has an undeniable spark but is also a rebel that Abby has to rein in so she doesn’t embarrass her. Jill tells Melissa and Jess that Abby expects Maddie to beat both of them. Jess says she knows that but says JoJo says she stands a chance of beating Maddie if the judges don’t like tap. Jess thinks JoJo would have a better chance at winning if Abby would give her more time. Next is more group rehearsal with Travis.
Maddie says they have to do new styles now that they’re in LA and says she’s so nervous since it’s totally new. The moms talk about how much they love Travis and how he’s a breath of fresh air. Kira says Travis is just what they need and Holly says the girls are responding to his positive energy. Travis asks Maddie how the spotlight feels and the girls say there’s a lot of attention on them and they need to be perfect. Travis talks to them about balance and remaining themselves.
He says his friend Michael Jackson worked since he was five and says he was so kind and trusting that he didn’t always know when people weren’t looking out for his best interests. Jess says if they don’t win, Abby won’t bring in any guest choreographers. Abby inserts herself into rehearsal and starts criticizing but Travis says he wants to finish the run through before they fine tune it. Abby wants the girls to impress Travis since he could hire one of them for a job.
Holly says it looks good but she doesn’t know how it will do at competition and doesn’t look like a typical ALDC dance. They worry how Abby will handle it if it doesn’t win at Center Stage.
It’s competition day for the Center Stage event and there are tons of fans there to greet them. Maddie says she knows there are still questions about why she’s still competing when she’s been in three Sia videos but says the team is her focus. Holly says it’s no surprise that Abby is only interested in Maddie and her solo. Maddie says Abby is obsessed with high hair poufs when Maddie just wants to work on the dance. Abby pulls out her hair weave and sticks it into Maddie’s hair.
Mackenzie says she thinks Maddie will win then changes her mind and says she doesn’t know who will win. Abby tells the three soloists it was inevitable they would have to compete against each other. Jess is nervous that JoJo is going up against two of Abby’s favorites. JoJo’s solo is first and she comes out and does her cool jazz number – her costume and make up are cool and the tattoos and all are really neat. Her spins look perfect. The crowd cheers when she enters and exits.
Next up is Mackenzie who is nervous about all the tricks in her solo. Hers is very bouncy and athletic. She lands some really hard looking tumbles and it’s amazing. The crowd cheers for her too and Abby says Mackenzie was close to perfection. Maddie goes next and she says she’s nervous because she doesn’t do a lot of tap. Maddie’s tap number is totally a 60s gogo type number. It looks great if tap is your thing (doesn’t do much for me). But as always with Maddie, she does most everything well.
Abby says Maddie is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. Holly tells Abby it looks like she spent a lot more time on Maddie’s solo than the other two. Melissa says her girls have been with Abby since they were three and two and rank a little higher. Jess says Abby doesn’t seem committed to JoJo. She asks how much she cares about JoJo and Abby says it’s a revolving door, dancers come and go. Jess isn’t pleased. Travis shows up then.
Holly is thrilled that he’s there to work with the girls. Abby says they have 10 minute and the girls get dressed. He does a last minute run through with them. Kira says she loves the number but says jazz funk is something unusual at competition. She says they need a win. Travis holds a circle with the girls just before they go out and says to thank the dance horizon for making them amazing and says for them to go show everyone who owns this thing.
Abby says it’s an honor for Travis to choreograph a number for these girls from Pittsburgh. It’s time for the group number Beautiful Bizarre. Travis and Aisha watch cheering from the wings. It looks amazing. Aisha tells them they were so good. Holly says she wants it to work out well and hopes they pull off a win. She says if he can’t win with his choreography, Abby will use it as a reason to push them back into her typical lyrical.
Now it’s awards time! First are the solo awards. 3rd place goes to JoJo. Jess says JoJo did great but didn’t get as much preparation. 2nd place goes to Maddie and Abby is shocked. She says she was really shocked that Mackenzie didn’t place but then they hear that Mackenzie took 1st place. Maddie is so proud of her sister and Melissa is in tears. Abby swept the top three. Abby says she’s proud of Mackenzie who is also working on her second album.
Next is the group. They don’t win 3rd. Then 2nd is announced and it’s ALDC. Travis seems surprised. Travis tells the girls it was a great job. Travis says he really enjoyed working with them and says the girls are special. He says second place lets them realize how much we enjoy first and how much harder we need to work. Abby is not happy with 2nd place. She says Travis is not a competition choreographer and says competitions are training grounds for professional dancers.
Holly says Maddie hates to lose and she and Melissa are putting on brave faces. Melissa tells Mackenzie that Maddie is proud. Maddie tells her mom to stop it and says she’s happy for her. Abby calls the three soloists over and says they all did well and says they’re going to go out and celebrate Mackenzie’s win. She’s annoyed at the other moms talking about how Maddie wasn’t going to win because it was a tap number.