''Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition'' is an American dance
reality competition
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
series on
Lifetime. A spinoff of the hit reality television series ''Dance Moms'', the series follows twelve talented boy and girl dancers who are competing for $100,000 and a scholarship to the prestigious Joffrey Ballet Academy. The show is hosted by Kevin Manno, and judged by
Abby Lee Miller
Abigale Lee Miller (born September 21, 1965) is an American dance instructor, choreographer, studio owner, television personality, and author. She is the founder of the Abby Lee Dance Company, and owns a studio in L.A. She appeared on the realit ...
,
Richy Jackson
Richard "Richy" Jackson is an American dancer, creative director, and choreographer from the San Francisco Bay Area best known for his work with Lady Gaga. Jackson has a lifelong interest in dance, and after seeing school friend Aaliyah on tele ...
, and
Robin Antin
Robin Antin is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with international hits, a Las Vegas nightclub ...
. Season 2 premiered on September 3, 2013, with Rachelle Rak replacing
Robin Antin
Robin Antin is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with international hits, a Las Vegas nightclub ...
in the judging panel.
Season 1 Cast
Dancers
* Brianna Haire, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Temecula, California
Temecula (; , ; Luiseño language, Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and was Municipal corpora ...
. She became the first winner of ''Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition'', winning the $100,000 and the scholarship to the young dancers program at the
Joffrey Ballet School
The Joffrey Ballet is an American dance company and training institution in Chicago, Illinois. The Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at the Civic Opera House, including its annual ...
in New York.
* Madison O'Connor, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...
. She was the runner-up of the competition.
* Asia Monet Ray, a jazz/contemporary dancer and singer from
Corona, California
Corona (Spanish language, Spanish for "Crown") is a city in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States, directly bordering Orange County, California, Orange and San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino counties. Its curre ...
. She was placed 3rd in the competition, and was beaten by Madison and Brianna. Asia later joined ''
Dance Moms
''Dance Moms'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Lifetime (TV network), Lifetime on July 13, 2011. Created by Collins Avenue Productions, the show followed the training and careers of children in dance and show business ...
'' briefly in season three, dancing with the Junior Elite Competition Team at the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) and left just before Nationals.
* Amanda Carbajales, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. She placed in 4th in the competition.
* Jordyn Jones, a hip-hop/contemporary dancer from
Three Rivers, Michigan
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The population was 7,973 at the time of the 2020 census.
Three Rivers derives its name from its location at the confluence of the St. Joseph River and two tributaries, the Rocky and Porta ...
. During a flexibility test, she was successful in the test until she pulled a muscle, which lead to her being sent home and placing her 5th in the competition.
* Hadley Walts, a jazz dancer from
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...
. She was placed 6th in the competition. Hadley later appeared on ''Dance Moms'' to be a guest dancer for the Candy Apples Dance Center (CADC) in seasons three and four.
* Lexine Cantoria, a jazz/contemporary dancer from
Norco, California
Norco is a city in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States. Located roughly inland from the Pacific Ocean, Norco is known as "Horsetown, USA" and prides itself on being a "horse community". The area is dotted with corrals, far ...
. She was placed 7th in the competition.
* Elisabeth Tracy, a lyrical/contemporary dancer from
Coto de Caza, California
Coto de Caza (Spanish for "Hunting Reserve") is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 14,710 at the 2020 census.
The CDP is a suburban planned community ...
. She was placed 8th in the competition.
* Lennon Torres (appeared as Zack Torres), a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
. She
placed 9th in the competition. Lennon later appeared on ''Dance Moms'' to be a guest dancer for the CADC in seasons three, four, and seven. She was the first ''Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition'' cast member to join ''Dance Moms''.
* Tua Tevaga, a lyrical/jazz funk dancer from
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona� ...
. She placed 10th in the competition.
* Kyleigh Jai Colchico-Greeley, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg (formerly Black Diamond, New York Landing and New York of the Pacific) is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an industrial suburb located on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay in the East Bay region of t ...
. She was placed 11th in the competition.
* Tessa Wilkinson, a lyrical/contemporary dancer from
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...
. She was placed 12th in the competition. Tessa later appeared on ''Dance Moms'' to be a guest dancer for the CADC in season five as well as a guest for JC's Broadway Dance Academy in seasons five and six.
* Amanda Kelly, a lyrical/musical theatre dancer from
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Rochester Hills is located about north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...
. She was placed 13th in the competition.
* Nicole Yu, a jazz dancer from
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
. She was the first sent home, placing her 14th.
Moms
* Kris Haire, mother of Brianna.
* Coreen O'Connor, mother of Madison.
* Kristie Ray, mother of Asia.
* Mayelin Carbajales, mother of Amanda C.
* Kelly Jones, mother of Jordyn.
* Yvette Walts, mother of Hadley.
* Maria Cantoria, mother of Lexine.
* Erin Tracy, mother of Elisabeth.
* Gina Torres, mother of Zack.
* Shayna Tevaga, mother of Tua.
* Kristen Colchico-Greeley, mother of Kyleigh.
* Renée Wilkinson, mother of Tessa.
* Michelle Kelly, mother of Amanda K.
* Sabrina Jackson, mother of Nicole.
Season 2 Cast
Dancers
* McKaylee True, a lyrical/contemporary dancer from
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
. She became the second winner of ''Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition''.
* Gianna Newborg, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
Yardley, Pennsylvania
Yardley is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Yardley borders the Delaware River and Ewing Township, New Jersey to its east and Lower Makefield Township to its north, west, and south. The United States Post Office assigns ...
. She was the runner-up of the competition.
* Trinity Inay, a jazz/hip-hop dancer from
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
. She was placed 3rd in the competition, and was beaten by Gianna and McKaylee.
* Kalani Hilliker, a lyrical/contemporary dancer from
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...
. She was placed 4th in the competition. Kalani was brought to the ALDC during season four on ''Dance Moms'' to replace Brooke and Paige Hyland. After several weeks with the ALDC team in season four, she was made into a permanent team member in season five. Kalani left the ALDC during season seven to form "The Irreplaceables" with several other elite team members, and left the show entirely following the season finale.
*
JoJo Siwa
Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa ( ; born May 19, 2003) is an American singer, dancer, actress, and media personality. From 2015 to 2016, she appeared as a dancer on two seasons of the reality television show '' Dance Moms'' alongside her mother, Jess ...
, a jazz/hip-hop dancer from
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
. She was placed 5th in the competition. JoJo was brought to the ALDC during season five on ''Dance Moms'' to replace
Chloe Lukasiak
Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root , which relates to the colors yellow and green. Th ...
. After several episodes as a guest dancer, she was made into a permanent team member, but left the show near the end of season six after signing a contract with
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
. JoJo also made a guest appearance on ''Dance Moms'' in season eight and in the season finale of season 7.
* Travis Atwood, a hip-hop/contemporary dancer from
Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 5,559 at the 2020 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay. It also includes the uni ...
. He was placed 6th in the competition.
* Ally Robinson, a hip-hop/jazz funk dancer from
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 United States ...
. She was placed 7th in the competition.
* Tyler Atwood, a hip-hop dancer from Jamestown and Travis' identical twin brother. He was placed 8th in the competition.
* Haley Huelsman, a lyrical/musical theatre dancer from
Madison, Connecticut
Madison is a New England town, town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The town is part of the South ...
. She was placed 9th in the competition. Haley later appeared on ''Dance Moms'' as a guest dancer for the CADC during seasons five and seven.
* Chloe Beatty, a contemporary ballet/lyrical/jazz funk dancer from
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
. She was placed 10th in the competition.
* Sarina Jassy, a lyrical/jazz dancer from
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. She was the first sent home, placing her 11th.
Moms
* Shari True, mother of McKaylee.
* Cindy Passanante-Walton, mother of Gianna.
* Tina Inay, mother of Trinity.
* Kira Girard, mother of Kalani.
* Jessalynn Siwa, mother of JoJo.
* Sheryl Atwood, mother of Travis and Tyler.
* Tiffany Robinson, mother of Ally.
* Melanie Huelsman, mother of Haley.
* Angela Beatty, mother of Chloe.
* Sharon Jassy, mother of Sarina.
Episodes
Season 1 (2012)
Season 2 (2013)
Progress table
A recap of both seasons.
Season 1 (2012)
Bold means the dancer was the challenge winner that week.
: The dancer won Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer came in second place in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer came in third place in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer received high critiques and one of the best performances of the evening based on the judges decision and advanced.
: The dancer advanced to the next episode without being in the bottom or being one of the top performers.
: The dancer received low critiques and was at risk, but did not land in the bottom and advanced.
: The dancer landed in the bottom two and was at risk for elimination.
: The dancer was eliminated from Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer was eliminated in a previous episode and is no longer competing.
Season 2 (2013)
Bold means the dancer was the challenge winner that week.
: The dancer won Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer came in second place in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer came in third place in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer was eliminated before the finale and came in fourth place in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer received high critiques and one of the best performances of the evening based on the judges decision and advanced.
: The dancer had immunity from the elimination.
: The dancer advanced to the next episode without being in the bottom three or being one of the top performers.
: The dancer received low critiques and was at risk, but did not land in the bottom and advanced.
: The dancer landed in the bottom two and was at risk for elimination.
: The dancer was eliminated but was saved by one of the judges by using their Call Back Card.
: The dancer was eliminated from Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
: The dancer was eliminated in a previous episode and is no longer competing.
References
External links
*
{{Lifetime Shows
2010s American reality television series
2012 American television series debuts
2013 American television series endings
American television spinoffs
American English-language television shows
Lifetime (TV channel) original programming
Dance competition television shows
Dance Moms
Reality television spinoffs
Television series about children
American television series about teenagers