‘Dance Moms’ Drama: Maddie Ziegler’s Role In Sia Music Video Slammed By Rivals In Season 5, Episode 12

Abby Lee Miller was all smiles on episode 12 of “Dance Moms” Season 5 Tuesday due to the premiere of Maddie Ziegler's second leading role in a music video alongside pop singer Sia. Her happiness, however, was short-lived when she discovered that her rival, Cathy Nesbitt-Stein of the Candy Apples, not only had plans to show up at the weekly competition, but also had created an all-new team. The team, Abby learned, included some of her former dancers seeking revenge.

In spite of all the drama, Abby decided to honor Maddie’s performance in the video — titled “Elastic Heart” — by having the ALDC members compete three duets in her honor in "Abby's Trash, Cathy's Treasure." Maddie, 12, was paired with Kalani Hilliker, 14, to perform a number titled “Walking Through the Storm.” JoJo Siwa, 11, and Kendall Vertes, 12, were granted a dance inspired by the Disney film “Freaky Friday.” The final duet went to Mackenzie Ziegler, Maddie's 10-year-old sister, and Nia Frazier, 14, called “The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane.”

The group routine — a dance inspired by the classic board game Clue — was an ode to Maddie’s avant-garde role in the Sia video. Due to Maddie’s use of acting in the music video alongside “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf, Abby announced that all of the girls would need to use their performance skills in a spooky group routine entitled “Get a Clue.” Abby said acting was being incorporate into the number because the ALDC team was just two weeks away from heading back to Los Angeles.

Prior to the competition, Cathy shared her negative feelings about the Sia video with TMZ while rehearsing at her own studio. “I almost threw up!” Cathy told the reporter, a comment that was soon after published in the Jan. 8 article about Maddie’s role in the project. “I am flabbergasted," she said. "I don’t think that many parents out there would allow that. That was not an art form to me."

After Cathy let her two cents be known, the two teams traveled to Detroit for the Energy Dance competition. After the ALDC was bombarded by the Candy Apples after arriving at the event -- Cathy and the moms hid in the ALDC's dressing room in an attempt to stir up drama -- Abby's team once again was attacked by their rivals ahead of Maddie and Kalani's duet performance. Following Candy Apples mom Melanie Huelsman's comments about how Abby uses the "same six steps" in all of her dances, Maddie's mom, Melissa Gisoni, told the "Dance Moms" newcomer to stop "embarrassing herself."

"I don't care! I would be embarrassed about the video your daughter was in!" Melanie -- who is the mother of former "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" contestant Haley Huelsman -- yelled at Melissa. "I can't see a grown man like that, sorry!"

In Maddie and Melissa's defense, ALDC mom Kira Girard asked her fellow competition attendees to back her up. "What do you all think?" Kira asked the audience. "Are you all embarrassed about what Maddie did?"

The audience responded with positive cheers.

Following Melanie's comments, Abby made her upset feelings known to the moms back inside the ALDC dressing room. "She would sell her kid to any Tom, Dick or Harry on the street corner if she thought it would get her face on television!" Abby yelled about the Candy Apples mom.

Despite Cathy creating a new team made up of Abby's former dancers, she still was unable to pull out a win. Her team took home third. Abby's team took first overall. Kalani and Maddie also took home a first-place win for their duet.

"Dance Moms" airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT on Lifetime.