“Girls, that was not what I call an Abby Lee competition team dance! What was that?” Abby’s voice boomed, disbelief and fury coloring her tone as she gestured wildly. “Paige and Chloe, forgetting a step is unacceptable! Brooke and Kendall, you were way too fast!” Of course, the ever-present cameras were capturing every dramatic moment, lapping up the tension. “I guess it all comes down to the judges now. If we don’t beat the Candy Apples, you girls will regret it. Every single one of you!” Abby’s glare swept across us, sending shivers down my spine. Right then, I was genuinely terrified of Abby.
“Judging is about to start. Oh, and girls, this competition is a little different. Group awards are first, then duos and trios, and finally, the solos.” Abby’s tone had softened slightly, but the underlying tension remained. She abruptly left the dressing room, leaving us in a mix of nerves and apprehension.
Walking down the hallway, my stomach was in knots. Could anyone blame me? We’d just endured Abby’s wrath, and I had no clue how our dance had actually come across. What if it was a disaster? No, I didn’t think it was awful, just… not our best. Honestly, maybe it didn’t even matter. I hadn’t loved the choreography; hip hop wasn’t really Abby’s forte, despite her confidence. The cameras continued to shadow our every step, an unwelcome presence in my already heightened state of anxiety.
“Taylor! Hurry up! We have to go!” Abby’s sharp call jolted me from my thoughts, and I realized I’d fallen behind the group. I rushed to catch up, and together, the girls and I headed backstage to wait for our category to be called. We were positioned at the front right of the stage, with the Candy Apples team on the opposite side, slightly behind us. As soon as everyone was in place, music filled the auditorium. Immediately, dancers around me started moving to the beat, and the announcer’s voice boomed over the microphone, urging everyone to get up and dance along.
“Why are they making us dance?” I yelled over the music to Kendall, who was fully immersed in some energetic dance moves. “It’s supposed to be like, we’re kids having fun! It looks good, and it’s actually really fun!” she shouted back, not missing a beat.
Looking around at the other dancers and the audience, a wave of self-consciousness washed over me. Just then, Mackenzie appeared beside me, grabbing my hands and spinning me around. “Come on! Dance with me!” she laughed, pulling a silly face. Still holding my hands, she started doing that twisty turn move, a throwback to childhood games of freeze dance.
Deciding to just go with it, I mirrored her twisting motion. It actually started to become fun as I loosened up and let go of my inhibitions. Before I knew it, Mackenzie and I were pulling out all sorts of crazy dance moves, and soon, the other girls joined in. Grinning, I did a spin – not a technically perfect dance spin, just a playful twirl – and landed facing the opposite direction. My eyes locked with Nick’s.
‘Hey,’ he mouthed, a happy sparkle in his eyes. ‘Having fun?’ I subtly gave a thumbs up, continuing to dance wildly, using Chloe, who was now in front of me, as a partial screen so I could still see Nick over her head.
I launched into a truly bizarre move, convinced I looked ridiculous. Nick laughed and started to copy me, adding his own spin so it wasn’t a direct imitation. “Alright, alright, that was awesome dancing everyone! Now let’s get ready for the awards! Are you ready?” the announcer yelled as the music faded and we all took our seats. Everyone around me seemed to know the drill and responded with enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ and ‘Hell yeah!’ shouts.
“Okay, starting off with the group awards, in 10th place we have act number 3, ‘Don’t let me go’.” The announcer continued to work through the placements, each announcement punctuated by applause from the crowd and dancers on stage. “In third place we have number 55 with ‘Let go’.” The tension was building as he moved towards the top spots. “In 2nd place we have number 196 with ‘Go for it’!”
That was the Candy Apples. That meant either we hadn’t placed, or we’d taken first. I was desperately hoping for the latter. “And in 1st place, we have number 184 with ‘Want to beat me’!”
The girls and I erupted in cheers, jumping up and hugging each other. It felt amazing that in my first group dance with these girls, we’d won. We went to the front of the stage where we were presented with a trophy and a certificate. The announcer beamed into the microphone placed before us. “So, who choreographed this winning dance?”
“Abby Lee Miller!” we all shouted in unison into the microphone. “Okay, and what company are you representing?”
“Abby Lee Dance Company!!!” We yelled again, even louder this time. Photos were taken, and as we went to sit down, I glanced back at the Candy Apples and flashed Nick a smile, which he returned.
“Now for the duos and trios. In 3rd place we have number 44 with ‘Like a sister’.” That was Paige and Brooke! Brooke went to collect their award, and all of us, including me, clapped and cheered. They had performed beautifully, even if Abby might not be thrilled with a third-place finish.
“Now, we’re moving onto the solos.” The announcer began working through the age groups until he reached Nia, Maddie, and Chloe’s category. “In 3rd place we have number 34 with ‘Take a break’.” That was Nia! Beaming, she accepted her award to enthusiastic applause.
“In 2nd place we have number 56 with ‘What I need to do’.” Chloe’s name was called! She also went up, radiating happiness as we cheered for her just as we had for Nia.
“And last but not least, in 1st place we have number 54 with ‘Taken’.” Maddie’s smile could have lit up the entire auditorium. From up on stage, you could even hear Melissa’s excited shrieks, which made me laugh. The girls and I joined in the cheering for Nia, Chloe, and Maddie, along with everyone else in the audience.
They returned to their seats, and it was time for my age group’s solo awards. My nerves were through the roof, and every time the announcer was about to call out a name, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be mine.
He announced 3rd place. Not me.
He announced 2nd place. Still not me.
My stomach dropped. It was down to first place, or nothing at all. Nick also hadn’t been called yet. Maybe I hadn’t placed. Any hope of winning against him felt impossible. If I said I wasn’t a little disappointed, I’d be lying. I genuinely thought I’d danced better than not placing at all.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, something incredible has happened, a rarity in our competitions! We have a tie! First place will be awarded to two phenomenal dancers!” The announcer’s voice was filled with excitement, and the crowd and dancers fell silent, waiting to hear the names. Secretly, I allowed myself to hope that I was one of them.
“So, sharing first place, the winners are, act number 132 with ‘Beautiful You’ and act number 133 with ‘Young and Beautiful’!” I couldn’t believe it. I had won, or tied for winning, anyway. I was still in shock when Paige nudged me, bringing me back to reality. I stood up and walked towards the stage, where Nick was already waiting. I found my place next to him, we shook hands, and looked towards the announcer.
“So, how do you both feel about tying?” the announcer asked, handing the microphone to Nick.
“Well, I’m really excited and happy because I thought she was amazing, and it feels great to know we both danced well enough to tie,” Nick said graciously, then passed the microphone to me. Public speaking was not my favorite thing, so I kept it brief.
“Just like he said, it feels amazing. I honestly didn’t think I could beat him, he’s such an incredible dancer, and I’m honored to tie with him.”
“Okay, and what dance companies are you both from?” the announcer asked again as a woman approached with a trophy and certificate, ready to present our awards.
Nick, ever the gentleman, spoke first. “Candy Apples Dance Center.” He quickly handed the microphone to me, and I said, clearly and hopefully audibly, “Abby Lee Dance Company.”
“Brilliant!” the announcer smiled before gesturing for the lady to give us our prizes. She handed me the certificate and Nick the trophy. I was about to step away after one last smile at Nick when he placed a hand on my shoulder, handed me the trophy, took the certificate from my hand, and with a quick “Here,” walked back to his spot. The crowd erupted in a loud ‘aww’, and it took me a second to process before walking back to my place. Nick had definitely surprised me. The girls immediately stood up and engulfed me in a celebratory hug.
“That’s so cute. You guys tied! I wonder what Miss Abby will think,” Paige said as she hugged me, and we all sat down, but only for a moment before the announcement came that we could leave the stage. “It’s not cute!” I protested, even though I was secretly lying. If it had happened to anyone else, I would have been part of the ‘aww’ crowd. “I just hope Abby isn’t too mad.”
“I guess you’re right, but on the bright side! We all did really well. First place for group, and top three for all our other dances,” Brooke chimed in as we headed backstage towards the hallway where the moms would be waiting.
We reached the backstage exit and the entrance to the audience seating area just as we saw Abby and the moms heading towards us. Abby looked furious, and hoping I wasn’t the target of her rage, I glanced behind me and saw Cathy rounding the corner, walking straight towards Abby. Their eyes met, and I knew instantly this wouldn’t end peacefully.
“Abby, I want that trophy!” Cathy shrieked in her grating voice.
Uh oh.
