Candy Apple's Dance Center is the dance studio owned by Cathy Nesbitt-Stein in Canton, Ohio. Cathy used to compete a team of older girls against Abby Lee Dance Company after she leaves Abby's in Season 1, but started using a all boys team in Season 3 with boys from different studios. Cathy switched to a co-ed team mid Season 3.5 and kept it though Season 5. In Season 5 Episode 11, she switches back to an all-girl team.
Cathy has taken many measures to have her "apples" win. She used the same music as Chloe, same theme as Chloe, and usually has older girls into her routines with Vivi-Anne and Justice McCort to bring down the age.
Candy Apples before the exterior painting in The Apple of Her Eye.
Jill takes Kendall to this studio after she is tired of Kendall not getting the respect or attention she deserved from Abby.
Leslie Ackerman also takes her daughter Payton here after being fed up with Abby. Cathy is impressed with Payton, but when Payton says she wasn't sure about coming there, Cathy feels as though the two wasted her time.
Cathy is able to beat ALDC in Abbygeddon by one tenth of a point. However ALDC continues to defeat them. Kendall is pulled from CADC by her mother after Cathy loses interest in her.
By The Beginning of the End, Cathy loses all her remaining members of her competition team, most noticably Justice. Cathy talks to Vivi about forming a new all-boys competition team, which Vivi agrees to, even though she probably won't be in it.
Dancers in Dance Moms
Kerisa: Kerisa is one of the apples on the competition team. She has not had an on-screen solo. She auditioned for the Joffrey Ballet School like the rest of the group and was called out for her
Candy Apples Dance Center dancers
excessive make-up. Kerisa appeared regularly in Season 2 CADC group dances; and like Taylor, she appeared in the background during a couple scenes of the Season 3 episode The Apple of Her Eye.
Vivi-Anne: Vivi-Anne continues her training at her mother's dance studio. She is mainly used as a human prop to reduce the age for the group. She usually runs on and off the stage, but she performed a duet with Justice back in Season 1 Episode 10 which went against Nia and Mackenzie, but they did not win. Vivi-Anne is not apart of her mother's new comeptition routine but still goes with her mother to competitions.
Additionally, there have been more dancers shown in the group routines. In 'A Funeral' there was an older girl and another girl around Vivi's age who danced. In 'Asian Empire' there was another boy who played one of the Ming dynasty warriors with Justice.
Former Dancers
Kendall: Kendall joined the group in Season 2 Episode 8. She performed in three of the group numbers: "Ode to a Clown", "Almost Heaven", and "Asian Empire". Kendall also had three solos, "I Think I Like You", which she won first place for; "Queen of Hearts", which she won seventh; and "My Dear Friend," which did not place. In Worst Birthday Party Ever, Cathy revealed that Jill had decided to leave with Kendall.
Sarah: Sarah was one of the members on the competition team. She first appeared in Season One when Cathy was picking which three of her "apples" she was bringing to compete against Abby. She didn't have a solo on-screen. Sometime in summer 2012, she changed studios and dances now at Center Stage Dance Studio.
Justice: Justice was previously the only boy in Candy Apple's competition team. He performed the most on-screen solos for Candy Apple's, and had a duet with Vivi-Anne in Season One. In Brooke's Turning Point, he was in the line with Maddie and Chloe for the overall junior winners. He performed "Keep the Faith" at Company Dance and lost. At the competition in How Do You Like Them Apples?, Justice's solo "Shipwrecked" was not shown, but finished fifth ahead of Chloe and Paige; the same dance was later re-performed and shown on Revenge of the Candy Apples, finishing first and again beating Chloe. His final solo was "Never Surrender" in Nationals 90210, which finished third. Justice left Candy Apple's Dance Center in August 2012 and currently dances elsewhere.
Erika: Erika was one of Cathy's dancers. She performed with all the group routines, and competed with a solo against Brooke. However, she was disqualified because Cathy put her in the wrong age division. At the Myrtle Beach Starbound competition, Erika's "Palladio" solo finished first, although this was not shown on the corresponding episode. Erika left Candy Apples recently and dances elsewhere.
Taylor: Taylor was a dancer on the show's original team. She competed a solo in Season One with the same competition music as Chloe, but she did not place. In Season 2, she breaks her ankle onstage and was pulled from the rest of the season. She eventually returned in Episode 14, free from her injury. Taylor briefly appeared in the background during a couple scenes in the Season 3 episode The Apple of Her Eye. She appeared in rehearsals in On-Again, Off-Again Abby, and performed in the group dance "Phoenix Rising" at the competition; however, editing made no mention of her name. Taylor left Cathy's studio sometime in 2013, stating that they could not work out a schedule.
Guest Dancers/Apple Core Team
Cathy started bringing in guest dancers in season 2 when she brought in Drazen to dance with Justice. However in season 3, Cathy made guest boys her primary team but recently she changed the team up, adding more girls. The team remained co-ed in Season 3 all the way up to CADC's first appearance in Season 5. However in their second appearance in Episode 11, CADC is now an all girl team.
Haley is a former AUDC competitor who placed 9th in Season 2. Haley competed against the ALDC before in JoJo with a Bow Bow and is expected to join CADC in Episode 11 of Season 5.
Drazen Wilmers was brought in as a secret weapon against Abby Lee Dance Company. He goes to Midwest Elite Dance Center and was only brought in so Justice could have another boy to dance with. He only appeared in the episode Revenge of the Candy Apples.
Bryant Culler is a dancer from Warren, Ohio.[1] He joined the group and participated in the group "Own It", however, he left after the episode Boys Are Cuties, Girls Have Cooties and was replaced by Brandon.
Samantha Gonzales was brought in to dance with Gino in a duet entitled "Latin Fire" in Watch Your Back, Mack. It is highly unlikely she will come back to the team.
Victoria Miller was a brought in as a contemporary dancer that Cathy auditioned with Anthony and Vivi. Victoria was from a well known studio, Studio Larkin. It's unknown but highly unlikely Victoria will come back to the team.
Brandon Talbott is a thirteen year old dancer from Northern VA. Brandon competed in the Youth America Grand Prix Torrington Semi-Finals and won the Hope Award in his division. He attended Manassas Ballet Academy, but it is unknown if he still dances there. Brandon hasn't appeared for a few episodes so it's assumed he left.
Gino Cosculluela is a young dancer who used to be on the Candy Apples team. Not much is known about him except he auditioned for America's Got Talent with his family at the Las Vegas Bootcamp. Gino was absent from the group due to bronchitis but returned one last time. Cathy later dismissed Gino and his father Mickey due to her distrust of Mickey. He was called in one last time to dance with CADC after his experience with ALDC
Jalen Testerman is an eleven year old breakdancer. Jalen taught himself how to breakdance at a young age and performed on several different shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Ellen. Jalen was a contestant on Live to Dance and made it to the semi-finals. He is currently a member of Super Cr3w, the winners of America's Best Dance Crew Season 2. Jalen's dad, Rick, was the most featured parent of the Apple Core team
Campbell joined the CADC with her mom Alli in An Apple a Day Keeps Abby Away. Campbell, however, was not able to join the group number as she was demoted to a understudy for the group. Campbell has not been seen for the past few episodes so it's assumed she left.
Brooke Shore was a new dancer to the team. She was recommended by Anthony and danced in the group and trio in Clash of the Dance Moms. She only appeared in that episode and hasn't appeared since.
Hadley Walts is a dancer from Indiana. Hadley competed in AUDC with Zack and ended up 6th after being in the bottom 2 two weeks in a row. Hadley first went against the AUDC under her studio in Out With the Old, In With the New. Hadley joined CADC with her mom, who still has a grudge aginst Abby. After Season 4, Episode 2, she may have left to return to THR!VE.
Mari Dudash joined CADC with her mom Gina D in An Apple a Day Keeps Abby Away. She was absent for the second day of rehearsal due to illness but was able to swiftly recover for the group and has been apart of the team since. However after Season 4, Episode 2, she along with Hadley and Nicaya haven't been with the team.
Nicaya joined CADC with her mom Kaya. She is a former ALDC member, leaving with her mom and then competing against them later but then getting disqualified for her mother's behavior. Nicaya joined the group for a competition and then later returned but after Season 4 Episode 2, she hasn't been seen with the Candy apples.
Keara Nichols is a young dancer who dances at Murrieta Dance Project. She appeared in Season 4 Episode 11. However, she may only stay for one episode, as in the next competition she is gone from the team and Nick returns.
Zackery Torres is a thirteen year old dancer who dances at Dance Connection. Zack started dancing at ten after asking to take a class with a friend. Zack competed in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and made it to the top 12 as the only boy dancer. Zack was eliminated in episode 4 after his hip-hop trio and placed 9th. Zack is seemingly the leader of the Apple Core team and has danced the most solos with the team. He hasn't been recently seen.
Nicholas Daniels is a teen dancer from New Jersey. He dances at Encore Performing Arts Center. He is a talented acro dancer. Nick was missing from the most recent episodes and supposedly he left due to issues with the producers. Nick re-joins the team as he is seen in the Candy Apples group dance "Wild Party." He hasn't been seen recently.
Lucas Triana is a dancer at Stars Dance Studio, and was a featured dancer on Dance Moms: Miami. He joined the group and was a regular member. In early 2015, Lucas announced he was leaving CADC and Dance Moms.
Gavin Morales is a dancer and brother to McKenzie Morales. His sister introduced him to dance and he dances at Dolce Dance. He joined Candy Apples in Season 4 with his sister.
Alyssa Chi is a dancer and new addition to the Candy Apples team. She is from Dance Attack along with Evan and Gino however she seems to have switched to Stars Dance Studio.
**CADC faculty, and sister-in-law to Cathy Nesbitt-Stein
Trivia
Places that aren't located near the Candy Apple's Dance Center
According to Cathy, there are no barns or livestock near the CADC studio.[4]Satellite Image.
Abby claims she pitched the idea of Dance Dads, a spin-off series out of her own studio in Pittsburgh; but the producers took the idea, and created Cathy's new team by gathering members from audition tapes for AUDC.[5]
Despite the fact that Candy Apples Dance Center has competed contemporary and lyrical dances, the studio does not offer technique classes in either of those genres of dance.
