With everyone back in the studio, Abby tells the dancers how proud she is that they came in first ov...

1. Another Controversial Routine on Dance Moms Season 2
Episode 8
With everyone back in the studio, Abby tells the dancers how proud she is that they came in first
overall at the (completely fake) Fire and Ice competition in Pittsburgh the previous weekend. That
being said, she goes right into the pyramid for this week.
Dance Moms Week 8 Pyramid
The first dancer on the bottom of the pyramid is Paige, for some tiny criticism that Abby hands down
about her arms. Next to Paige is her sister Brooke, because Abby still need her to smile more. The
poor girl just wants to be a cheerleader! Watch for Paige to pull an injury next week (yet to be seen
whether it is real or faked for the show) that may take her off the pyramid for a while.
The final dancer on the bottom is Mackenzie, because Abby tells her that she is wonderful but is not
quite at the level that her sister, Maddie, was when she was 7 years old. Really?! Mackenzie is still
the smartest person on the show, since she tells the audience that she is only on the bottom because

2. she didn't perform a solo last week, and she's fine with that.
In the middle of the pyramid is Chloe (who just needs "more", as Abby vaguely puts it) and Nia (who
did a solo completely out of her usual style last week, did alright, and only lost to Kendall). Maddie,
for no apparent reason whatsoever, is back at the top of the pyramid. Abby explains that this is
because Maddie is a "born leader."
Once again, the pyramid means nothing, because only Maddie and Chloe are going to perform solos
in this week's competition. The girls are also going to do a group routine to include everyone.
Fire and Ice Competition in Pittsburgh, 2 Weeks in a Row?!
Which brings us to this week's competition venue. Apparently (just go with it right now), Fire and Ice
has an "elite" competition where the top socring studios from previous competitions can complete. It
is very "exclusive" and whatnot, and Abby is very happy because "elite" means that Candy Apples
will not be there.
Apparently Cathy's Candy Apples decided one fake competition was enough for them, and they had
better things to do (which will be discussed later).
It has been discussed at length online, and representatives from Fire and Ice have confirmed that
they "loaned" one of their backdrops to the Dance Moms producers to stage two different
competitions in Pittsburgh. Whatever the motives for this, it is apparent that the people behind the
scenes at Dance Moms either don't understand the dance competition industry, have been
blacklisted by too many competitions, or think their viewers are idiots. I'm going with the second
one.
So, let's continue with this charade, shall we?
Rehearsals for Fire and Ice Elite Competition
This week's group routine is Abby's homage to showgirls, and she tells the dancers that "the
audience should think that you are nude." The girls, ranging in age from 7 (Mackenzie) to 13
(Brooke), think this is a little ridiculous, and they start getting nervous. However, Abby tells them
that they'll be using large feathered fans to cover themselves and to use a props. The routine is
called "Fan-Tastic".
The first rehearsal goes until 10pm, and it is apparent that this routine is using all new
choreography. The girls are nervous about it and they aren't learning as quickly as they normally do.
At one point, Abby yells, "It's crotch... boobs..." to demonstrate the choreography. Lovely!
Maddie's solo is a contemporary/lyrical routine called "I'm Already There", and Melissa believes that
it might be her favorite yet. Abby says that the choreography in this routine is more difficult than
Maddie has been given previously.
Chloe is performing a dark contemporary solo called "The Raven", with moves reminiscent of her
Black Swan duet with Maddie.
When the girls get their costumes for the group routine, there is a general shock through the
dressing room. They will be wearing white booty shorts that look like underwear, and tan-colored
bras with clear straps. Mackenzie says, "I could fit this on my American [Girl] doll!" From the back,

3. with the clear straps, they look completely topless.
Of course, there is a large pink feather headpiece, as showgirls wear, and each girl gets two large
pink feather fans. The choreography indicates that they are pretty much never using the fans to
cover themselves, though. Christi says that the moms will add brooches and rhinestones so that the
bras are at least a little visible from the audience.
Commercial for Tommy's Jerky
In a completely unrelated storyline, Cathy's husband Mike apparently owns a jerky store and sells
meats. Funnily enough, it is revealed that "Tommy's Jerky" (who's Tommy?) is next to, and in the
same building as, Candy Apple's Dance Studio. Mike decides that he wants to shoot a commercial for
his store, and Cathy wants to help.
She calls Christi, knowing that Chloe has had film experience from the music video they did last
season (and possibly for some ulterior motives). Christi agrees to bring Chloe in for the filming, and
sees a handful of Cathy's dancers dressed in red western gear inside the jerky store. For Chloe's
costume, however, Cathy wants to do a variation on Lady Gaga's meat dress - a flesh-colored unitard
with pieces of jerky and sausage attached all over it.
Chloe is understandably distressed about this, but Christi gets her to follow through with it, since
they are being paid and this is a "business decision".
Later, in the dressing room at Fire and Ice, Chloe shows everyone her commercial on her laptop
(which includes the line "No one jerks it like Tommy!" and Mike's "This ain't my first rodeo" closing.
Abby is upset that Christi let Cathy humiliate her daughter like that, and says that if Abby was there
are her manager, she never would have been wearing the meat suit.
Fire and Ice Elite Competition, Pittsburgh, PA
The girls arrive at Fire and Ice, apparently being held at the Pittsburgh Monroeville Convention
Center. There is one other "studio" there, all wearing light blue warmup suits. There are no names
visible on the suits, so it really isn't clear whether this is definitely another local studio, or just more
of Abby's dancers made to look like the competition.
In the category of "Junior Solo Contemporary", Chloe performed her raven routine very well. Abby
said that there were things she could have done better. In the category of "Mini Solo Open", Maddie
also did a good job.
In the category of "Junior Small Group Open", with the caption "Burlesque" on the screen, the group
performs their showgirls routine. Kelly thinks they might be disqualified, since the tops have been
rhinestoned but still look bare. The choreography may cross some lines as well. The judges (although
we know they are "fake" judges) appear very uncomfortable, and are actually laughing at the
dancers.
Fire and Ice Awards
When it comes time to give awards, 3rd place in the overall Junior solo category goes to someone we
don't know from the "blue" studio. Chloe receives 2nd place overall, and it isn't clear who gets 1st.
For the top overall scoring solo of the day, and the "Break the Ice" award (something Fire and Ice
actually does give out at their competitions), Maddie is the winner. A fake competition and they still

4. have to put Maddie slightly ahead of Chloe?!
In the Junior Small Group category, all three trophies were given to the other studio. Although Abby
was claiming she had a "winner" not five minutes before, she now interviews that "it's not always
about the win, it's about teaching them something different. This was different."
Melissa agrees, saying that "the studios we were against were amazing" (what studios?!), but Holly
thinks that "it's time for Abby to eat crow."
In another completely unrelated and ridiculous storyline, Kelly and Holly decide to throw Melissa an
engagement party, that actually turns into more of a bachelorette party in the dressing room at the
convention center. Kelly and Christi bring some decorations, champagne, and a stripper dressed as a
contractor who says he is there to "fix the heat" (Holly's cue to take the children out of the room).
Who does that at a dance competition?! Oh, right, it wasn't really a dance competition.
Next week, the dancers head to Miami Beach, to hopefully perform in a real dance competition with
real competitors and real awards.
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