Abby Lee Miller and Cathy Nesbitt-Stein’s infamous “Dance Moms” rivalry is back.
The former co-stars have reunited for a new short-form reality competition series, “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8,” premiering Oct. 27 on ShortVydz.
“We’re very good, [we] play with each other and we’re iconic in the way that we act towards each other,” Nesbitt-Stein exclusively told Page Six in a joint sit-down interview with Miller.
“And it’s real,” Miller chimed in.
“When she says something hokey, I have to roll my eyes,” Miller, 61, explained, which prompted Nesbitt-Stein, 67, to fire back, “I never say anything hokey.”
“And I think that it’s not play and it’s not fake and it is not made up,” Miller continued. “It’s my natural reaction to things that she says or feelings that she has.”
Despite their playful jabs, the longtime dance instructors insist their relationship is built on years of shared history that began well before their time on the Lifetime reality series.
“Well, we’re colleagues. We always have been,” Miller explained when asked how she would describe their relationship today.
Nesbitt-Stein added that the two had even spent time together socially before filming “Dance Moms.”
“We had been to dinner well before the other show,” she recalled. “So we’re colleague-friends, colleague-frenemies, however you want to say that.”
The longtime rivals will now judge 128 dancers between the ages of 8 and 16 as they compete head-to-head for a $10,000 grand prize.
The competition follows a bracket-style format, with contestants facing off in a series of dance battles featured in bite-sized episodes running just two to four minutes.
Although the duo’s onscreen clashes became a defining part of “Dance Moms,” Miller insists their relationship was never as hostile as viewers may have believed.
When asked about the biggest misconception surrounding their relationship, Miller turned to Nesbitt-Stein and said, “That we didn’t know each other previous to the show and that when we started to compete or even when you brought your child that I just hated you.”
“I’m not a hateful person. Like, I don’t hate people. And [the idea] that I hated her, that wasn’t true.”
She explained that her frustration stemmed from Nesbitt-Stein being given her own competing dance team on the original show.
Meanwhile, Nesbitt-Stein admitted she regrets how their relationship deteriorated during filming, saying she “didn’t want that to happen.”
“There were many times when I was filming that I would feel this overwhelming emotion to go into her room and say, ‘Abby, please, let’s not be mad at each other another anymore,’ but I never did it.”
However, when asked what she would change about their past, Miller had a different answer.
“I just wish they wouldn’t have given her her own team,” she quipped.
“Oh my God, here I am, tearing my heart out to her — my love for her as a friend — and she’s worried about my team,” Nesbitt-Stein fired back.
Despite their complicated history, both women jumped at the opportunity to reunite after being approached by Michael Hammond, a former producer on “Dance Moms.”
Miller said she readily agreed to the project, even after learning that Nesbitt-Stein would also be involved. She also appreciated the chance to work together in a more professional environment.
“I just liked the idea that I was going into a set that was going to be professional, respectful — that we were welcome,” Miller said.
As for their new show, the women were particularly impressed by the caliber of young dancers competing for the cash prize.
“The talent was really amazing,” Nesbitt-Stein said.
“Just so consistent. I can’t believe how kids came out there three, four, five times and threw the same acrobatic trick perfectly every time,” Miller added.
The two also stressed that despite their reputation for delivering harsh critiques, the new competition was a positive experience for the contestants and their families.
“So if there’s anybody out there thinking that, ‘Oh, the kids are gonna get torn down or this is just an opportunity to bash dancers‘ — it wasn’t like that at all,” Nesbitt-Stein explained.
“We gave constructive criticism that was really good comments to them,” she added.
Miller agreed, noting that even the families whose children were eliminated appreciated the feedback.
“They were grateful and they appreciated all the constructive criticism — all the corrections the kids were given,” she said.
“Let’s hope we get Season 2, because I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was great,” she said.
“Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8” premieres Oct. 27 on the ShortVydz app and ShortVydz.com.
The post Abby Lee Miller and Cathy Nesbitt-Stein reignite ‘Dance Moms’ rivalry on new show ‘Hit the 8’ appeared first on Page Six.
