Dance Moms Season 4 Episode 30 Review: Judge, Jury and Executioner
Winston Rice
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After weeks of winning numbers and first-rate shouting matches, the dance season is coming to a close; the ALDC is officially only one week away from Nationals. And you know what that means: time for the annual dance concert!
Each year, Abby uses the concert as a precursor to nationals; it helps her determine who is ready to compete at Nationals and who isn’t.
That being said, on Dance Moms Season 4 Episode 30, Abby tasks the members of the Elite competition team, as well as Select Ensemble team member Kamryn, to choose (with the help of their mothers) the best 45 seconds of a previously choreographed solo that they believe showcases their talents best and then perform it at the dance concert.
Serving as sole “jury, judge, and executioner,” Abby will use these solos to decide who will perform a solo at Nationals. Maddie is already a lock, as long as another professional opportunity doesn’t arise, so she doesn’t have to audition. This surprises…absolutely no one ever.
Sadly, Maddie won’t be the only one not auditioning this week. Because of the buckle fracture in her foot, Chloe, in order to better her chances at performing for nationals, must sit out the dance concert for the first time in twelve years.
With Chloe now out of the group routine, Abby has to re-block the number, which means bye, bye Sarah. This infuriates Christ-y, but Abby couldn’t care less.
Sarah just wants to leave at this point, accepting Abby’s decision to cut her. But Christ-y isn’t ready to let it go, forcing a crying Sarah to go back into the dance studio. That changes absolutely nothing.
The moms seem shocked by Christ-y’s behavior…as if they haven’t all done the same thing to their daughters at some point. Melissa, in particular, always reprimands her daughters whenever they cry in public.
The real beneficiary of Chloe’s absence this week is Kamryn. Karmyn not only gets the lead in the group routine, but she also gets more of Abby’s attention.
And it certainly doesn’t help matters that Christi finds out Abby went to the judges at a recent competition and pretty much asked them to change Chloe’s first place finish over Kamryn.
Abby believed Kamryn should’ve won, and she had no qualms about campaigning against Chloe in the process.
This makes Christi livid, but instead of laying into Abby, she directs her anger at Jodi, Kamryn’s mom, who takes full advantage of Abby’s favoritism. This couldn’t be clearer than when Abby neglects to critique Kamryn’s solo at the dance concert fairly.
Instead of marking Kamryn down for falling out of her turns, Abby’s eyes zero in on the positive parts of Kamryn’s performance, specifically how she’s able to use her face to play to the back of the house.
Jodi is well aware of Kamryn’s faults but doesn’t say a thing to Abby. Then again, she wouldn’t really be a dance mom if she did.
Abby has no problem critiquing all the other girls’ performances, though. Kendall, in agreement with her mother Jill, performed “Demand Applause.” She didn’t flub her routine, so I’d be shocked if she didn’t get a solo at Nationals.
The only remaining question is whether it will be Nia or Kamryn who gets the final solo spot. Abby says she needs more time to think on it, when it really should be an easy decision. Nia deserves it more.
After receiving her first ever overall high score at a dance competition last week, Nia has more than proved her tenacity and has earned the chance to show what she can do at Nationals.
Final comment: if your heart didn’t break watching Chloe cry on the sidelines as her friends got to dance the caper inspired group routine in honor of Maryen Miller, Abby’s late mother, then you don’t have a heart.
So…what do y’all think? Who should get a solo at Nationals? Hit the comments with your thoughts and watch Dance Moms online now.
