Back to the Barre

By Christi Lukasiak & Kelly Hyland

OG Dance Moms Christi (@christilukasiak) & Kelly (@kellylhyland) take us back to the barre with this weekly podcast, recapping Dance Moms episodes and sharing never-before-heard behind the scenes ... more

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FAQs about Back to the Barre:

How many episodes does Back to the Barre have?

The podcast currently has 133 episodes available.

Back to the Barre episodes:

February 03, 2025Blown Away
"She says that it's good when kids lose. Obviously not all kids." observes Kelly since it seems Abby is determined not to let Maddie get outshined, even if she could be bested by her newest teammate. On "No Solo For You", the ALDC travels to Detroit for Masters of Dance Arts with a group routine centered around the fall of Detroit's automotive industry? It's certainly... a choice, but I guess it wouldn't be an ALDC dance without Abby's "unique" takes. Meanwhile Abby assigns solos to Maddie and Kendall. There was a notable lack of a solo for Kalani, which Kira immediately takes issue with. Abby insists Kira is overreacting, but everyone else knows that Abby can't let her star pupil lose. At the very least she could help Kendall... or she can be incredibly rude, same difference! The tole of Abby's behavior begins to weight on Kendall, who struggles to make it through her rehearsal that Abby admits to half-watching.

Holly publishes her first book and the ALDC attends a book signing party. Abby manages to belittle Holly's achievement in front of everyone, but Holly pushes back sternly. Sincerely, what is Abby's deal this week? The next thing you know she's going to try and goad Christi into punching her! But Christi is prepared for such an occurrence and won't resort to physical violence. Instead she'll go with the next best thing, blowing on her! Would you be shocked to hear that still made Abby very mad?

Quotes
“Do you remember the gifts Abby used to give the kids? Yes. Like thongs from Gabrielles." (19:23-19:029 | Christi & Kelly)
“She always wanted the kids to wear ALDC [shirts] in Pyramid, because she knew that they were going to film them from the chest up.” (21:06-21:12 | Christi)
“It's a big story to convey in a two minute dance. You know what else is a big story to convey in a two minute dance? Slavery." (42:07-42:14 | Christi & Kelly)
“That's where Count-stalkula was born." (57:31-57:33 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 25min
January 27, 2025Slap Talk with Annie
"We like affirmations Annie. We want you to make us feel good about ourselves. Ok, I'll keep that in mind," promises producer Annie, but that's a pretty tall order when you're recounting the slap heard around the world! That's right today we're welcoming back Producer Annie to answer all of your questions about what went down behind the scenes during Kelly's big moment.

Questions our lovely bitchettes asked include: Which of the moms knew about Kalani, and how planned out was Kalani's inclusion overall? Did Abby conspire with producers to oust Kelly? What were the productions concerns about the situation, who had a say in what happened next? Most importantly of course, how many "showmances" were happening on-set? Tune-in to discover the answer to these questions and much more!

Quotes
“Dance Moms fans are mean. I'm grateful or them but they are mean." (01:02-01:06 | Christi)
“Well, isn't everyone a little bit actively dying?” (04:35-04:37 | Annie)
“Well I didn't know what a [whore bath] was. Well now you do. the more you know! Back to the Barre, providing quality education here." (31:57-32:07 | Christi & Kelly)
“Did you guys want Kelly off? Did you plan to get her off the show? No. No. Just Abby did, and Abby always gets her way!" (35:30-35:39 | Christi, Kelly & Annie)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Follow Annie on IG: www.instagram.com/annebreiter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 6min
January 20, 2025C is for Cookie
"I dislike Abby but that is no news for anyone who is watching," remarks Christi as Abby continues to prod in the hopes she will be the next to leave on "Nothing's Fair in Abbyville". But unfortunately for both of them Christi still has a season left in her, so Abby settles on belittling Kendall this week.

Mackenzie and the Zieglers are in Los Angeles recording Mackenzie's first single. To fill the Maddie shaped hole int he group dance Abby holds a dance off between the girls that Kendall wins. And despite commenting what a great opportunity this position is for Kendall to prove her worth, Abby has no intention of letting Kendall actually take Maddie's place. In fact she desperately works to get Maddie back in time for competition, claiming she never actually promised Kendall the part... so what was the dance off for?

Meanwhile Kira and Kalani continue to settle into the team dynamic. Kira worries that Abby is going to set her daughter up to compete with Maddie, but the moms point out that Kalani is so good that Abby would never dare pit her against Maddie. Any situation where Maddie might lose is strictly off limits. Kalani might be the ALDC's best dancer, but Abby didn't train her so she can't flex her too much.

Kelly calls in to organize a lunch with Christi, whom production forces to invite the rest of the moms including Kalani. What will prove to be Kelly's final appearance on-screen is rather quaint as she's still happy to be off the team, despite how much the production wanted the situation to start drama (why else would you invite Kalani). Melissa is visibly uneasy though, wonder why!

Quotes
“I was gonna say what are you drinking? I'm not drinking anything except for like NyQuil." (09:11-09:15 | Christi)
"There's nothing that brings energy and fun to the room quite like Abby Lee Miller, so have at ti." (14:50-14:56 | Christi)
“Jill is not only wearing fur, she might be wearing what, in my mind, could be the most iconic piece of fur on Dance Moms. " (17:57-18:06 | Christi)
“Mole again, mole gone. Mole here, mole there, mole everywhere. Mole gone" (29:45-29:51 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 10min
January 14, 2025And Then There Was One...
"It felt like the show as we knew it was over, and it was!" Christi's prognosis certainly proved to be right, but on "Wingman Down" the rest of the ALDC acts like it's business as usual. Though there is a Kelly, Paige and Brooke shaped hole in the team you'd be hard pressed to tell anyone was upset over the matter. Kelly points out again that Melissa had some blame to take but Jill and Holly insist on trying to keep the peace.

Abby welcomes Kira and Kalani onto the team as Kelly's replacement, stating that Kelly has been arrested (she wasn't) and is no longer welcome. Melissa tries to get the group started on the right foot and invites everyone over to he house for cheese and wine. The only absentee? Christi obviously! The show begins to present Christi as distant from the team, which is both partially true because she didn't want to pretend nothing had happened, and also heightened by the show's editing to imply it was worse than it really was.

Meanwhile Holly is dedicated to making Nia's rare instance of having solo count, but Abby still won't give Nia the time of day. Instead Abby is out helping Mackenzie get set up to be Mac Z, singer and performer extraordinaire! When she does make time for Nia it's to tell her she's not being enough like Maddie. The problem boils over when Nia suffers a costuming mishap with her hat on stage, which not only bodes unwell for Nia but somehow Christi gets in trouble? It really is over!

Quotes
“I reached up to ger a cookie and all of a sudden I saw all this smoke. And I'm like what the fuck is on fire? It was you! It was me!" (09:32-09:39 | Christi & Kelly)
"If Melissa had do it to Jill or Holly they wouldn't be feeling this way. They would be feeling exactly the way that we do." (28:38-28:46 | Christi)
“This costume is beautiful. It's gorgeous... it's from a catalogue! Holly stop trying to be so nice!" (43:44-43:50 | Christi)
“I met this sports psychologist this week. She's really sweet. She's a dance mom but also a sports psychologist and she told me that she literally uses Dance Moms clips as teaching tools of how to not to coach children." (53:55-54:11 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 7min
January 06, 2025Return of The Slap
"You're doing your job. Your job is literally to fight!"

The Slap Heard Around the World was so loud you can still hear it echo to this very day. So naturally Christi and Kelly have a lot more to discuss about the subject! This week our Bitches are digging deeper into "Big Trouble in the Big Apple", pulling back the curtain on the behind the scenes aftermath and answering some bitchette submitted questions.

Topics include: What really went down with Kelly's arrest? Was that really her mug shot featured on the show? What was everyone's immediate reaction to the slap, how did the kids react? What went down at the trial and much, much more!

Quotes
“Somebody said what's your word? Like what's your inspiration word? I was gonna say asshole." (07:26-07:31 | Christi & Kelly)
“I went to Macy's in New York and was shopping for outfits for those kids to meet Lucy Hale while you were in jail. Well thanks!" (28:39-28:47 | Christi & Kelly)
“[Abby] had a cop walk her to the bathroom, cause she knew we were in the building, stand guard so we couldn't pee when she was in the bathroom. Maybe she was afraid we were going to gang up and kick her?" (40:16-40:31 | Christi & Kelly)
“...and now the episodes get really dark. Fun fun!" (1:00:08-1:00:10 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 2min
December 23, 2024A "Lifetime Supply" of Christmas Cheer
Subscribe to Pillow Talk and join Christi, Kelly, Mellissa and Jill as they watch the new Dance Moms together! This exclusive package gives you access to all 10 episodes in both audio and video format, plus bonus content you won’t want to miss. Join us for the full experience—click here to unlock it all!
https://www.patreon.com/DanceMomsPillowTalk

"I bought them all gifts this Christmas, I was thoughtful, I was courteous, I was giving and kind! Hey! Psst... you're supposed to let other people give you compliments. Yeah and psst, she didn't pay for any of that shit!" It wouldn't be Christmas with the ALDC without a little coal in your stocking from good ol' Abby! this week to celebrate Christmas our Holly Jolly Btiches are stepping back a week from the slap heard around the world to cover Season 4's Christmas Special "Twas the Fight Before Christmas".

Abby is prepared to give gifts to all the moms and girls, but wouldn't you know it, just like in any normal week of the show Abby has a funny way of showcasing that some people are her favorites. Is it really fair if one kid gets a vanity box, one kid gets a puppy, and one somehow gets $5,000? Make it make sense! Though to add insult to injury almost no one seemed to receive their gifts in the long run, but even worse was the blatant misrepresentation about what some of the gifts actually were. Abby might eb in the giving mood, but there's only so much to give when you have a negative desire to offer anything!

Quotes
“It was a vanity. It was probably $100 and Maddie has a $5000 gift certificate! She didn't even have make-up in her vanity!" (20:42-20:50 | Christi)
“All I can say is Holly is married with those feet and you are not." (37:29-37:34 | Kelly)
“Oh god don't sing." (42:04-42:06 | Kelly)
“Ok everyone needs to realize that she said she got a lifetime of books. You guys we were on Lifetime, it was a Lifetime gift certificate for $50 dollars." (1:12:10-1:12:20 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 21min
December 16, 2024The Slap Heard Around the World
Subscribe to Pillow Talk and join Christi, Kelly, Mellissa and Jill as they watch the new Dance Moms together! This exclusive package gives you access to all 10 episodes in both audio and video format, plus bonus content you won’t want to miss. Join us for the full experience—click here to unlock it all!
https://www.patreon.com/DanceMomsPillowTalk

"This is the duet that broke Dance Moms," and Christi is not being hyperbolic. For all intense and purposes Dance Moms changed with this episode for the worse. The ratings were never as high and the episodes weren't nearly as funny, because this is Kelly's last episodes as part of the ALDC. It's the episode you've all been waiting for and it's one of our longest recaps yet for a reason because there is A LOT to unpack and plenty of tea to be spilt about what really went down in that room.

Abby is unhappy how the team performed in the previous competition even though they came in 1st in the group competition, and states she will form a new team, keeping only Maddie, to compete against her own team. The ALDC is heading to New York for Sheer Talent and Abby will host the final round of ALDC auditions with the intent of coming back with both a win and a new team. Unbeknownst to everyone, except for Melissa and Maddie, Abby also intends to undermine Chloe and Paige's performance with a surprise guest.

Quotes
“I've never seen this episode. I never did either. I don't think I watched it when it came out, I really don't. Cause I have real f***ing trauma from this day." (00:57-01:06 | Christi & Kelly)
“It's sad that she wants the girls that she taught to lose and the girls she didn't teach to win. Yeah it's so dumb cause she doesn't get that that makes her look stupid." (14:21-14:30 | Christi & Kelly)
“Paige and Maddie were very close. And the fact that she could look at her and lie? I just don't know how you can allow your kid to do that? To raise them to think that that is ok." (1:07:49-1:08:06 | Kelly)
“She has a bracelet on that says 'tough' and she's crying because somebody pulled her hair. Meanwhile it wasn't even her hair it was freaking extensions." (1:44:26-1:44:36 | Christi & Kelly)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
2h 9min
December 09, 2024Dead Woman Walking
Subscribe to Pillow Talk and join Christi, Kelly, Mellissa and Jill as they watch the new Dance Moms together! This exclusive package gives you access to all 10 episodes in both audio and video format, plus bonus content you won’t want to miss. Join us for the full experience—click here to unlock it all!
https://www.patreon.com/DanceMomsPillowTalk

"Pray for me for next week," begs Kelly as we've hit her penultimate episode of Dance Moms. However, this week she's awfully comfortable as Abby instead is seemignly hell bent on replacing Christi and Chloe. Abby welcomes Chloe Nguyen and her mom Kim who have come from Nevada for a trial run with the ALDC. But this team isn't big enough for two Chloes' and Abby assigns each of them a solo to compete with one another.

On the short end of that stick is Nia who despite claiming Top of the Pyramid is only given a duo with Kendall. Holly and Jill enjoy their daughter's work, but are annoyed that Abby dedicates a mere 17 minutes to their rehearsal and spends most of it on her phone. But all the moms are equally annoyed by Kim who like many a guest mom acts like she knows better how to approach Abby than they do.

Quotes
“Holly is wearing fur. There's a lot of fur happening in this episode. Jill shows up to play." (26:45-26:52 | Christi)
“We did get dirty [on Pillow Talk] some times. Uh, a lot! I'm shocked at some of the things we say. I told you intern Matt had to walk away because he's embarrassed!" (31:54-32:09 | Christi & Kelly)
“Who leaves Vegas to come to Pittsburgh? The same people who leave LA and New York to come to Pittsburgh." (36:13-36:21 | Christi & Kelly)
“Abby says it's going to be Awards. Put a smile on that face and nobody better sit on that stage and slouch. The next shot of our kids is them slouching on the stage." (1:09:42-1:09:51 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 14min
December 02, 2024Sassy Melissa
Subscribe to Pillow Talk and join Christi, Kelly, Mellissa and Jill as they watch the new Dance Moms together! This exclusive package gives you access to all 10 episodes in both audio and video format, plus bonus content you won’t want to miss. The first six episodes are ready to binge now, with the final four dropping on December 5. Join us for the full experience—click here to unlock it all!
https://www.patreon.com/DanceMomsPillowTalk

"And we have Bitch #3 and #4, Jill and Melissa! Who is 3? Can I be 3, cause I'm on top? She always has to win you know." Yes in honor of Pillow Talk we are joined this week by Jill and Melissa to discuss the controversial Season 4 episode "No One is Safe". Controversial because Abby decides to give Nia the lead in a group solo about slavery called Free At Last, which was changed to be about the Civil Rights Movement and retitled At Last for broadcast. Holly isn't crazy about the subject matter, but is determined to let Nia make the most out of her rare moment in the spotlight.

Meanwhile Abby continues to audition girls to replace members of the ALDC, and a couple of auditioners don't take too well to Abby's rejections. Melissa also finds herself defending her choice to home school her kids from the other moms as Abby starts lambasting everyone else for not following in her footsteps.

Quotes
“[Abby] ordered, I think it was beef and broccoli, and she pulled a can of Campbell's tomato soup out of her purse. It was cold! Opened it up and dumped it over the beef and broccoli. " (46:31-46:46 | Kelly)
“Melissa is contradicting herself. Welp I better drink!" (55:48-55:51 | Kelly & Melissa)
“Melissa is doing the lords work. She's sabotaging everyone to keep her job and ours." (1:08:15-1:08:20 | Christi)
“Jill wants you to know there's nothing inside [of her poof] except secrets." (1:09:56-1:09:59 | Christi)

Links
Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50aSBAYXH_9yU2YkKyXZ0w

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/backtothebarre

Thank you to Ashley Jana for allowing us to use Electricity!! Follow her on IG HERE: https://instagram.com/ashleyjanamusic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Download Electricity HERE: https://music.apple.com/us/album/electricity/1497482509?i=1497482510

Follow Christi on IG: www.instagram.com/christilukasiak

Follow Kelly on IG: www.instagram.com/kellylhyland

Follow Melissa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/melissagisoni

Follow Jill on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jillvertes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 36min
November 28, 2024 Pillow Talk EP 1 - A New Era
Loving this episode and want more? This exclusive package gives you access to all 10 episodes in both audio and video format, plus bonus content you won’t want to miss. The first six episodes are ready to binge now, with the final four dropping on December 5. Join us for the full experience—click here to unlock it all!

https://www.patreon.com/DanceMomsPillowTalk?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
1h 24min

FAQs about Back to the Barre:

How many episodes does Back to the Barre have?

The podcast currently has 133 episodes available.