‘Dance Moms’ News: Abby Miller’s Replacements Named, ALDC Suffering Without Her?


It looks like Dance Moms will go on without Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) owner, Abby Lee Miller. Replacements of the feisty dance instructor have already been working with the girls for episodes in the second half of Season 7.

According to the ever-reliable Dance Moms insider, Dance Moms Reacts, Miller revealed in one of her meet and greet sessions with fans during her overseas tour that she has officially left Dance Moms.

Miller has been traveling outside the country in the past few weeks even though brand new episodes for the show are being filmed. These trips, however, are related to Dance Moms.

A Dance Moms Season 7 promotional still featuring Abby Lee Miller [Image by Lifetime]

So far, she is only confirmed to appear in the first two episodes of Dance Moms Season 7B. Unless her trips in the United Kingdom and Mexico will be featured on the Lifetime series, Miller will be absent in later installments, a first in the show’s history seeing that she was in every Dance Moms episode since its inception.

Expected to take Miller’s place for the rest of Dance Moms Season 7 and quite possibly as long as the show stays on air are choreographers Meagan Nugent and Laurie Ann Gibson, who already teamed up with ALDC in the most recent competitions filmed for the show.

Nugent and Gibson both work under BoomKack WorldWide. The latter is also known for choreographing routines for big names like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and even the late Michael Jackson.

Dance Moms Season 7 new cast member Laurie Ann Gibson [Image by Maury Phillips/Getty Images]

However, things are not going well for the team so far. Nugent and Gibson were first brought in last February 25 for the Fierce National Dance Competition in Panorama City. Abby was not around during the filming of this Dance Moms competition, with dance mom Ashley Allen revealing on Instagram that Miller “left us.”

Spoilers ahead! The following contains details on the results of competitions to be featured in future Dance Moms episodes. Read only if you want to know ahead of the airing.

The solos performed by Camryn Bridges, Maesi Caes, and Nia Sioux in this contest did not place while ALDC’s Jazz Funk group dance titled “Judgement Day” only landed at fourth place.

The group dance performed by their contender Murrieta Dance Project (MDP), which former ALDC favorite and returning Dance Moms cast member Chloe Lukasiak performed with in this competition, bagged the top award.

Nugent and Gibson came back the following week to help the girls prepare for the Fierce National Dance Competition in Fresno, California held March 4. There, the ALDC did better than the previous week.

Their Contemporary group performance titled “Q” placed second overall with the Dolce Dance Studio owned by Kendra Primavera claiming the top spot. Brynn finished third in the teen category for her Jazz solo, “The Trip,” but did not place overall. The Dance Moms star was bested by McKenzie Morales of Primavera’s dance team.

Kalani Hilliker’s Contemporary routine, “Savage,” dominated the senior solo category and even landed second place overall. Trailing behind her is her fellow ALDC dancer, Kendall Vertes, whose Contemporary performance for “Unmasked,” ranked second in the said category.

Nugent and Gibson confirmed on their Instagram that they would be back for the third consecutive time to help ALDC in the upcoming Sheer Talent competition on March 11. There is no word about Abby Miller being part of this Dance Moms Season 7 episode.

Despite leaving the show, however, the dance instructor still has information on production details. Miller indicated in a comment buried in one of her Instagram posts, as spotted by Dance Moms Reacts, that the final episode for Dance Moms Season 7 will be filmed two weeks before her second and final sentencing, which is set on May 8.

On this day, she will learn whether she will do prison time or get probation, which is what she is pursuing after pleading guilty on 20 counts of bankruptcy fraud and one count of a currency reporting violation.

Abby Lee Miller and the ALDC for Dance Moms Season 7 [Image by Lifetime]

With the sentencing getting closer, Abby Miller has recently been thinking about how the legal woes will turn out. They have been stressing out the Dance Moms star in the past few weeks, especially since she could be facing two and a half years of prison time.

While the extension of the hearing would allow her to be part of the rest of the Dance Moms Season 7, it appears that she chose not be there. However, Miller, still in the know about production schedules, suggests that the show is open to her returning.

It will be interesting to see how Lifetime will handle Abby’s exit. Having played an important part in the reality show from the start and with fans convinced that Dance Moms will not be Dance Moms without her, Miller is expected to at least be acknowledged for everything she did for the series before she bids adieu.

It is unknown how Dance Moms will fare on the air without Abby. The show has already suffered after Maddie and McKenzie Ziegler’s exits in Season 6 although Chloe Lukasiak’s return this season might help.

Dance Moms Season 7B sans Abby Miller is slated to air later this year on Lifetime.

[Featured Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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