On MTV's MADE, one eager teenager sets off on a life-changing mission. Abby is a Girls Inc. camp counselor, an honors student, and a Harvard hopeful. She wanted to be MADE into a hip-hop dancer so she could make her school's hip-hop step team. Despite her parents' bafflement and her friends' accusations that she couldn't dance, Abby charged forward with determination. Check out our interview with Abby, a.k.a. Abby-licious!
Q: Why did you want to do this?
A: The dance team is just so energetic and everyone is so excited to have them perform. I thought it would be a lot of fun to perform and do something completely different than what I normally do. I've always been very academic and I fence internationally. Those are the sorts of things I've always done, so it was fun to do something else.
Q: Once you found out that MTV picked you, what happened?
A: Normally, I don't really scream and get that excited, but I had my mouth open as if I was screaming, and I was jumping around. They were like, "Are your parents there?" So while my dad was on the phone, I was jumping around like, "AHHH!!"
Soon after, a producer came up and went to church with me. Both my parents are ministers, which was another appealing aspect. You know, minister's daughter trying to do hip-hop.
Q: What happened next?
A: The MTV producer came up from New York and lived at a hotel here in Manchester, New Hampshire for five weeks. She worked all the time and was basically always over at my house.
Q: What does an MTV MADE producer do?
A: She did everything--shooting, planning, etc. She arranged for my coach, Cedric, to come during the Girls Inc. camp talent show. The counselors did an act to Aretha Franklin's "Respect." I was Aretha and was out front lip-synching! After the talent show, Cedric danced and the girls were so excited. They all loved him.
Q: Once you started working with Cedric, what were practices like?
A: It would vary. On MADE, they don't want you to just practice dancing. They try and change it so you do different things. I'm very introverted, and I guess it's hip-hop to be extroverted and off-the-wall. So Cedric took me to a park one day and said, "I want you to yell," and then he lets out this big wail. So then I yell and it's very little. That was pretty funny.
We also went shopping in Boston one day. Cedric picked out all the clothes for me and dressed me up. They didn't air it, but I got my ears pierced, too! We also went to his dance company and they helped me dance and work on all my stuff.
Abby the rap star? Read more of our interview!
