Abby Lee Miller and Cathy Nesbitt-Stein, the dance-studio rivals who fueled early seasons of “Dance Moms,” return to television together Tuesday as co-judges of a short-form competition series, “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8.” The show arrives nearly a decade after the two last shared a screen. It opens with 128 dancers aged eight to 16, who face off across seven single-elimination rounds. Episodes run two to four minutes and are built for phones. No host moderates, so the judges must settle every matchup themselves. Disagreement is guaranteed.
Both women say it arrived on schedule. Nesbitt-Stein recalled quarreling over a blond male dancer: “Abby happened to like one kid that put me to sleep.” Miller defended the pick, saying he looked like a California surfer who would suit dance’s public image. Nesbitt-Stein, 67, said the friction felt natural this time instead of staged.
Miller, 61, took the same view of the original series. She told The Hollywood Reporter that production drove the animosity on “Dance Moms,” and Nesbitt-Stein said she repeatedly wanted to leave. The two knew each other before cameras arrived. They worked as colleagues through dance organizations in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Nesbitt-Stein also said the pair had shared dinner well before the earlier show.
The feud itself has a documented start. Nesbitt-Stein joined Miller’s team in the first season with her daughter, Vivi-Anne, then left the company and began competing against it with her own Candy Apples squad. Miller has said her frustration grew from Nesbitt-Stein getting a rival team.
Banter survives. “When she says something hokey, I have to roll my eyes,” Miller said, drawing an immediate denial from Nesbitt-Stein. Nesbitt-Stein also admitted she regrets how their relationship soured while filming the old series. The new production aims for a different tone. Miller said the focus falls on improving the dancers, not making children cry or humiliating them. She called the contest a gift to young performers and said both hope for a second season. Nesbitt-Stein said it gives children a concrete goal: audition and earn a place. Viewers who remember the earlier show will decide whether the gentler approach keeps the old spark.
