Abby Lee Miller Misses Chloe Lukasiak And Maddie Ziegler’s ‘Dance Moms’ Rivalry

Abby Lee Miller misses the good old days. During Tuesday’s Season 7 premiere of “Dance Moms” the coach admitted to missing the former rivalries between her elite dance troupe.

After telling the moms she was planning to make big announcement, Abby revealed to her mini and elite students she was looking to make one super group, as opposed to two different teams. “I don’t think the two teams worked out as well as I would have liked it. It was chaos,” Abby said. “It’s my dance company. I don’t want to be split it half.”

Abby went on to drop the bombshell that at the end of the end of the week, some of her dancers would be sent home. “I am going to have one competition team. Take a moment and think about that. Think hard,” Abby said, revealing their weekly performance, “Fight Camp,” would determine who would stay and who would go.

“I want kids who love what they’re doing. If you’re too old, if you’re too young, if you can’t hang... maybe it’s time to go,” Abby said.

Along with the group routine Abby awarded two solos to elites dancers Kendall Vertes and Brynn Rumfallo, who was initially brought onto the ALDC as a replacement for her go-to student, Maddie Ziegler.

“This competition team was originally formed with a rivalry. A big one. You know who I’m talking about,” Abby told the two soloists during rehearsals for their head-to-head routines. While Abby did not name her former students Chloe Lukasiak and Maddie by name, it’s clear she was referring to the former competitors whose infamous rivalry (Lifetime even once aired a special about it!) kicked off in Season 1. “It’s healthy to want to be better than somebody else as a dancer,” Abby explained.

“A few seasons ago when the ALDC won 14 times in a row there was a big rivalry between the dancers and that’s what kept pushing everybody to be the best. I don’t see that anymore on this team,” Abby continued. “I want to get back to those glory days. I want those 14 wins in a row and you don’t get that by playing nice!”

Despite her desire to get back to the “glory days,” Abby refused to cut any of her elite and minis dancers at the episode’s conclusion. With tears in her eyes Abby admitted she was “emotionally torn” about who to eliminate.

“Maybe I’m better with the minis,” she questioned. “I want one cohesive team so it makes sense to cut some of the minis but how did I cut kids who didn’t do anything wrong? ... But then again, I love the girls that have been worth me for years and we’re a family.”

After commenting she was going to be physically ill, Abby exited the competition with her student’s fates left up in the air. “I just, I can’t make the decision,” she said. “It’s awful and I’m just not ready right now.”