Abigail Armstrong

Abigail Armstrong
Information
Full Name	Abigail Elizabeth Armstrong
Nickname(s)	Abi
Gender	Female
Date of Birth	March, 1994
Eye Color	Brown
Hair Color	Brunette
Network
Family	Paige Armstrong (Sister) Anthea Armstrong (Mother)
Relationships	Sammy Lieberman (Ex-Boyfriend; deceased) Ethan Karamakov (Former Attraction, Kissed) Wes Cooper (Current Boyfriend))
Job	Dancer/Student
School(s)	National Academy of Dance
Affiliation(s)	National Academy of Dance
Production
First Episode	Learning to Fly, Part 1
Last Episode	Not for Nothing
Portrayed By	Dena Kaplan

“	Success is 90 percent hard work, 10 percent raw talent. I am not a cross. I am a tick. I don't deviate, I don't lose focus; this will happen for me. It has to.	”
—Abigail Armstrong, Check, ?, X

Abigail Elizabeth Armstrong is beautiful, charismatic, and talented... especially when it comes to manipulating the people around her. Abigail has always been the best student in her dance classes, and that's not a title she's going to give up easily. She's always willing to push her body to the limit. Ballet is the most important thing in Abigail's life. She'll do whatever it takes to stay ahead of the competition even if it means stepping on a few friends along the way, although sometimes her soft side shows through. She developed anorexia somewhere in Season One. She had an on/off antagonistic relationship with Tara until Sammy's death. Abigail is a talented and dedicated dancer, at least up until season three, but it is shown that her body type is not ideal for ballet and this causes her a lot of heartache.

Character History

Season 1

In Season 1, Abigail auditioned for the National Academy of Dance. Abigail is one of the best dancers in ballet, but in hip-hop, she is revealed to be the worst dancer in the class, with her supposedly unchangeable ballet-focussed mind. Abigail started out by sucking up to Tara, but then realized that Tara had so much hidden talent stored away that it scared Abigail. She tried to sabotage Tara's audition, but it failed because of Kat's supportiveness. Abigail was the favourite in the class, always at the front and getting all the praise. Then Abigail started to obsess about her body and wore a crossover to cover up her new found larger breasts. Miss Raine said that she had to take the crossover off, but Abigail said she was getting a cold and she needed to wear it. Miss Raine sent her to the Doctor, Dr Wicks, and she said she was healthy and a nice weight for her height and body shape. She then developed anorexia and fainted in her exam from low blood sugar. She wasn't to do ballet and went home from the academy. She saw a therapist and had to stop dancing for a while. Sammy was constantly calling her home and mobile. After she came back from the academy, she kissed Sammy, leading to a secret relationship. Sammy wanted them to go public, but Abigail thought that it would ruin her strict ballet reputation. Sammy makes them go public with their relationship when Sammy kisses her after the 'ballet boys' win their football match against the 'footy boys'. They decide to get intimate at the formal, but Sammy backs out. Abigial is embarrassed and heartbroken, and things go down-hill from there. Sammy breaks up with Abigail after he forgets about a date. She is later upset because her mum and dad broke up because of the distance between Brisbane and Sydney. Abigail blames herself and Sammy and Abigail kiss. Sammy is then confused with his feelings for Christian, so he jerks away, leaving Abigail confused. Abigail auditions for the role of Clara in the end of year performance. She wins the Snowflake Solo as well as understudying Clara. She shows enormous jealousy that Tara got the lead role and she cruely mimicks Tara when she is struggling in the rehearsals. Sebastion, the choreographer, thinks about having a swap with the two girls, Abigail and Tara. He eventually decides against it, leaving Abigail more sour than before. Out of jealousy, she tells a clueless store room employee to move Tara's costume into storage. Tara is absolutely devastasted when she found out her dress was missing. Abigail starts feeling guilty, so when she is given the offer of performing as Clara half-way through the show, she declines, making everyone shocked. Tara is touched by her kindness, and performs. Abigail is last seen saying to Sammy, "Shhh, I'm watching the dancing."

Season 2

In season two, Abigail has taken classes at the Happy Camp for controling her temper. After she is rejected by

Sammy in the first episode, she turned back to her old self. She made good friends with Grace, the new student. The first year students took her as their leader because of her dedication to ballet. Her new pas de deux is Christian and she seems to spend more time with the group. Ethan chose her for his new choreographer and they started to have feelings for each other in the rehearsals. He became her personal coreographer for the preliminaries of the Prix de Fonteyn. She started to be friends with Tara, and when she realised how Grace really was she tried to warn her. She also started to get along with Kat: training her to get back to the academy, defending her against the first years and caring about her relationship with Christian. She started working in a musical with Ethan missing a lot of classes and rehearsals. She started to think that maybe ballet wasn't the most important thing in the world. When her mother showed up in the academy, she decided that she doesn't want to compete in the Prix de Fonteyn because starring in the musical made her happy. She slowly moved closer to Sammy after the break-up with Ollie. On the night before the Prix Sammy kisses Abigail, causing her to be greatly effected by the tragic event. After Sammy's death she decided that she would help Tara to prepare for the final. At the end of the season she is seen taking a flight with Ethan to Barcelona.

Season 3

Abigail has become more of a nice person than a competitive dancer. She is still struggling from the death of Sammy which leads her to no relationshionships and a stronger friendship to Ollie. In "Fake it until you make it" Abigail is revealed to have had a relationship with Ethan's house mate, Wes. Abigail didn't menition it to anyone because she was feeling guilty. When Wes came from Barcelona to choreogragh a dance for for the third year tour Abigail wanted him to go back. In the end of "Traveling light", Abigail and Wes got back into a relationship.

In the final episode, it is revealed that Abigail had gained a contract with a company.

Relationships

Tara Webster

Tara and Abigail were friends at the start of Season 1 because of Abigail's sucking up to her, and because they were roommates. She then became jealous of Tara because of her natural ability, and tried to sabotage her audition. Tara realized this and became friends with Kat after she covered for Tara when Tara went outside after curfew. Abigail continues into First Year to sabotage Tara and make her embarrassed. They both get a scholarship and have private lessons with each other. At the end of First Year, Abigail realizes that Tara is a better dancer than her, and no amount of sabotage and hate will change that. She gives Tara her Clara costume for the end of year production after she hides Tara's "lucky" Clara costume and says that Tara needs to go onstage because she isn't. 

In second year, Abigail has done work on herself by going to 'Happy Camp'. She overly friendly to everyone but that stops soon. They have an overall cold relationship untill Sammy's death, when they become allies. Abigail tells Tara to tell the Prix de Fonteyn judges that Grace injured one of the contestants so that she would get in, so she did, but it turned out that Grace was lying. Abigail is Tara's coach for the Prix. Abigail and Tara don't have much interaction until Sammy's death, where they are hugging, and become better friends after they sort out their differences.

The beginning of season 3 shows Tara throwing a surprise birthday party for Abigail. The rest of the season shows them as friends, but not very close.

Sammy Lieberman

In season 1, Sammy didn't like Abigail because of her hate of Tara for no reason. In the trust exercise Sammy accidently read they had to be tied together for 24 hours when it turned out to be 2-4 hours. After a while when Sammy and Abigail are becoming better friends. Whilst in the bush on an excursion they kiss. This leads to

Abigail and Sammy publicising their relationship.

Abigail and Sammy starting to see each other in secret, hiding in storage cupboards and kissing. Sammy wanting to go public, asked Abigail, and she told him no, because it would ruin her reputation. At the end of the football vs. ballet dancer football game (which the ballet dancers won) in Sammy's excitement he kissed Abigail in public, this started their public relationship. After a while they decided to take it to the next level and thought about having sex. Abigail was against it at first but decided to do it to confirm their relationship. Sammy backed out leaving Abigail heartbroken and after that they began having trouble and they broke up. Abigail tried to get them back together but Sammy had started to have feelings for Christian. When she found out he liked someone else (but didnt know who) she was heartbroken. And fairly confused since they obviously still had feelings for each other too. In season 2, Sammy and Abigail were not really friends, she had started to hate him again after he rejected her in the first episode when she asked if they could try again, but she found out he got many of the first years sick with a stomach virus. After Sammy came out and told all his friends that he might be gay (or at least bi), she wasn't happy being told because they had gone out and she felt like he didn't actually like her but was just faking it because he thought he was gay. They started to spend more time together, she went to him when she needed help learning about fish for a date the next day, and Sammy asked her to pretend to be his fake girlfriend becasue his Dad wouldn't be impressed that he had a boyfriend. Sammy stormed out of the cafe during the lunch he had with his dad and Abi. She followed him out and ended up pushing Sammy in a fountain. The next day whilst iceskating she made a bucket list and showed him (confirming their friendship). They were seen iceskating together and with Kat (after Kat had broken up with Christian). The next episode when Sammy asked his friends to be there dancing with him for the Prix de Fonteyn she refused saying it was against the rules and he didn't need them. He asked her to come to the Opera House to watch him have his tech rehearsal. She agreed to go with him. He had changed his piece and had a slideshow of videos of all his friends dancing (and sometimes himself) and had an overvoice saying how his friends were his courage and helped him dance as well as he does. Abigail was very impressed with this dance and when they were walking home they were still talking about it. Sammy tried to kiss her, and was rejected, then moments after she kissed him, and they both walked away

Abigail is devastated when Sammy dies.

slightly giddy but very happy. When Abigail finds out about Sammy dying, Tara and Kat go find her since they know she still has feelings for him, they found her under the running shower, fully clothed and crying her eyes out. Her makeup was running down her face and Kat and Tara pulled her out of the shower and she was so heartbroken that she nearly collapses but steadys herself by hugging Kat fiercly and crying even harder, Tara gets a towel for her and they are seen, all three, hugging each other and crying. She seemed to have accepted after few days, but had a meltdown in an audition.

Kat Karamakov

Kat and Abigail have a strange love-hate friendship.

In First Year, Kat didn't like Abigail because Kat had recently dumped Abi as a friend and Abigail kept doing bad things to her in revenge. At the end of First year when Kat finds out that Ethan is moving away, she bakes alot of cupcakes (her way of expressing sadness). Abigail talks to her and tells her that she needs to find something for

Abigail and Kat

Ethan that is worth staying for. She gives her a hint by pulling out a leotard and saying, "Tara. Always sneaking her stuff in my basket. Can that girl seriously not afford her own washing powder?" To which Kat smiles and walks away.

In second year Kat moves in with Abigail after Abigail shows a slight sign of friendship by patting her on the arm and standing up for her in front of the first years. Kat asks if they are becoming friends and Abigail replies, "I really hope not." When Sammy died Abigail clung to Kat, crying her eyes out and heartbroken. They are now friends.

In early Season 3, as Abigail realises she probably won't end up with the Company at the end of the year ("Your legs. Mr Jeffrey wants them longer."), Kat helps her designing a showreel to send of to other dance companies in the world. Kat even goes as far as calling Abigail her "dance-peration", leaving Abigail to wonder whether Kat meant "dance+desperation" or "dance+inspiration". At least, their former friendship is reestablished.

Christian Reed

In first year Abigail and Christian barely interact, but Abigail came to his Court Hearing to wish him luck. Christian also walked in on Abigail and Sammy kissing in a closet (even though their relationship is not yet public), and it is implied that he does not tell anyone.

In second year Christian is Abigail's Pas de Duex partner. One time, Christian is waiting in Kat's room for her. Abigail is there painting her nails. Kat walks in and Christian says "Come with me" and walks out with her. Abigail calls out saying "You left your jacket." Christian comes back in and grabs for his jacket, but Abigail pulls away. She says, "If you break Kat's heart like you broke Tara's, I will hurt you." then she gives Christian back his jacket and blows her nails.

In early Season 3, as Miss Raine allowed her to skip classes for to weeks to get her ideas straight and Christian has just come back with the news that his scolarship has been redistribuited, the two of them join as "partners in crime", going to a cabaret and making one of Ollie's rap videos public. Christian states that hanging out with Abigail never seemed as so much fun to him before.

Ethan Karamakov

In the first season, it is clear that Ethan doesn't like Abigail. When Abigail is doing a cruel impression of Tara in the Common Room, which Tara sees, Ethan calls her empty.

In the second season, Ethan asks Abigail to be his dancer for his showcase performance. During this period, he begins having feelings for Abigail, who turns him down initially. Later on, he asks her to be a judge for a low-budget play and eventually he asks the director, Finn, to make her the lead actress. At first she refuses, but eventually she begins to enjoy acting in the musical more than she does ballet. While helping Abigail with her

Ethan and Abigail work on a piece together

solos, they began developing feelings for each other. For the preliminaries of Prix de Fonteyn, she kissed him in a surprise attack before going on stage to make sure that the relationship wasn't "strictly professional". Ethan repeatedly tries to get her attention by following her in the hallways and asking her on dates to which she denies, trying to prove that she can resist him. While celebrating the acceptance of Ethan's new job, he asked her out but she said no because she likes "ambitious people". After this he took the job in Spain and left, in which his absence she begins to realize that she needs him when the pressure of ballet begins to get to her. If ever When Ethan arrives at the memorial, Abigail looks away shiftily. At the end of Season 2, Abigail goes to Barcelona with Ethan.

Grace Whitney

As the second season starts off, Abigail and Grace don't seem to have a lot in common: Abigail is serious about dancing, Grace finds it boring. In fact, Abigail must envy her for her extreme natural talent. A group of first years as shown complete dedication to Abigail, so she decides to use them to retrieve essential information about Grace's time at the Royal Ballet School. However, they fall in Grace's trap. Later in the season, Abigail and Grace become friends, as Abigail comes to see her as an equally skilled dancer. But Abigail has grown fonder of Tara than she expected, so she gets mad at Grace for trying to hurt Tara. Grace takes revenge by breaking several pairs of pointe shoes and blaming indirectly Abigail for it, her being the only one whose pointe shoes are still intact. Their friendship seems to break up and Grace turns to Tara, whereas Abigail tries at first to warn Tara about Grace's mischievous personality.Grace loses favour with the entire group and in season 3 tries to become friends with them again, which she eventually succeeds in doing and her and Abigail become friends again (albeit not as close as before).

Ben Tickle

Abigail and Ben have a friendly relationship as they are all in one big group. They don't interact much, but when they do it is clear that they are good friends. Abigail joins Ben's hip hop crew in Season 3 as a favour to him. 

Anthea Armstrong

Abigail has an interesting relationship with her mother. She has always wanted Abigail to be a principal dancer, and will do anything for her happiness. In the first season, her mom is splitting up with Abigail's father, but due to her training, she decided to drop off her younger sister, Paige to sort things out. Then, in season two, she visits while Abigail is on her way to resheral for a musical and is angry because she wants her to be focused on ballet. When Abigail is practicing her solo for the Nationals of the Prix de Fonteyn, her mother changes it to a blad Helen Keller routine, decides to become a temporary teacher at the academy. Then, after having a meltdown in an audition after Sammys death, Abigail runs to her hugging her.

Miss Raine

Abigail has always wanted to impress Miss Raine. She has been absolutely focused, and let nothing stop at her ballet. Miss Raine has always had Abigail as a favourite, though that stopped after she realized what Abigail had done to Tara. Abigail still respects Miss Raine, with the teacher encouraging her and supporting her commitment.

In season 3, Abigail finds out her body type isn't fit for the company. She's angry at Miss Raine for leading her on for 2 years, convincing her that she's perfect for the company. Abigail is distraught about the company, and wants to quit dancing, but Miss Raine doesn't let her quit. Abigail still is a bit turned off about dancing, but if it weren't for Miss Raine, she would've quit completely.

Paige Armstrong

Paige is Abigail's younger, 11 year old sister. In the first season in episode 11, Paige comes to visit Abigail over the weekend, but when she sees Kat, she pays very little attention to Abigail the entire time by changing plans, and hanging out with Kat and Sammy. Paige and Abigail get into a fight, causing Paige to run off. Once Abigail finds Paige, Paige gives her a homemade card, and hugs her. Then she visits right before audtions for the Nutcracker. Paige says that their parents are splitting up. At first, Abgail doesn't believe her, but then she realizes that she is serious. Then, Paige claims that Abigail only cares about ballet and that she is the reason that their parents are breaking up. Paige is only mentioned on season 2, when Abigails mom, Anthea comes to visit. She is said to want to live with Abigail's father while he is selling Abigail's moms home, leaving her homeless.

Ollie Lloyd

In Season 2 they do not interact much as Ollie is often with Sammy whom Abigail tries to avoid.

In Season 3, he has become Abigail's pas de deux partner, probably because Christian has not come back in time. At the surprise birthday party, they both toast that they will be looking for "other options" to the Company, such as a carreer as a comercial dancer for example.

When Abigail leaks a rap video of Ollie, he takes her to an advanced Hip-Hop class to pay her back. Of course, Abigail cannot resist a dancing off challenge and gets humiliated as a "pretty ballerina". Ollie is the one to tell her that, if she does not change course, will end up as a "up-tight icequeen posing as a slacker".

Later on, they show the two as very close friends, because of their similar personalities. They become almost best friends and give each other advice and look for other options together, which includes singing together for Jessica Mauboy. In terms of all Abigail's other relationships her and Ollie become one of the closest. Teaming up for sarcastic remarks, and laughing at others together, they make a good team.

Quotes

• (first line of series): "I see you met Kat."
• "I'm not a bitch, I'm ambitious. There's a difference."
• "Sometimes, I have glimpses that I don't want to be only about dancing."
• "I changed my mind. I think we're ready."
• "I'm not! This is natural."
• "On a rare ocassion, I get nervous. I always picture myself on stage."
• "I was literally doing cart-wheels when I heard they let you in!"
• "Mum, I topped every class, except hip-hop, but like it counts."
• "Carbs after 3:00? I'd rather eat a deep fried vending machine,"
• "Gloria isn't it? These muffins are labeled 97% fat free, but were you there when they were made? Do you personally know that if any saturated fats slipped in?"
• "She was out of line. I had no idea she would react like that."
• "Well, If you're not leaving, I'll be making an official complaint. I don't see why my training needs to be compromised by some country hick, who smells like a sheep and thinks she can-"
• "Did you remember at any point of today that you were supposed to be with me?"
• "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm not going to change rooms because you want me too?"
• "Tara, you probably shouldn't use that. Seeing as you felt comfortable enough to use my toiletries, I didn't think you'd mind if I used that [tooth]brush to clean my toenails. They came up really well."
• "Are your hands always this clammy?"
• "It said 2 to 4 hours! 2 dash 4! Not 24!"
• "Do you want to know why I'm so mean to Tara? Because the three of you are a bunch of idiots!"
• "I don't do sand. I don't do salt. And I don't do sun."
• "It's closed for fumigation. Find another one! Why do boy's toilets stink so much?" (Sammy: "Why do you have to be so nasty?")
• "Less thinking and more doing before we both die of asphyxiation!"
• "There are two types of girls at the academy: girls who are serious about ballet and girls who have boyfriends."
• "You're like an annoying little insect, buzzing around."
• "What? Like holding hands and swapping gum under the monkey bars public? (Sammy: "No, that's not what I mean.") Or matching public tattoos- 'Sammy and Abbi foreva'; even better, in Chinese characters so its more cultural."
• " Wake up Liberman it's who you always been!!!"
• "Okay, the pathetic boy talk stops now."
• "Just shut up and egg his face!"
• "Must you lurk in the shadows?"
• "OK, the self-loathing stops now. I don't need people, but you obviously do."
• "To feel superior to the animals?"
• "No, you're stronger than that. That's not the reason."
• "If you cry, then it's real. And if it's real...he's gone."
• "Why would you partner me with someone so good? I'm not prepared for that. I mean, how could I be when I learned the pas de deux basics with a crap partner. Everyone wants to talk about how amazing he was, but he wasn't! He was indescribably terrible. As a pas de deux partner. As a boyfriend. And then he got his own boyfriend. And then he kissed me! And then he died. I mean, what sort of a person does that?"
• "It's me isn't it. You keep dating my roommates to get closer to me"
• "Everybody cares about being the best."
• "Typical Lieberman. You're a walking safety hazard!"
• "This is just this, it doesn't make us, us!"
• "You enjoy that?" (Sammy: "Yep. Are we going public now?") "Nope." (After Petra kissed Sammy goodbye)
• "Grace plays with voodoo dolls and you still sleep with a teddy bear. I wouldn't be swapping friendship bracelets."
• "Meet Grace. She's damaged by her dad never having any time for her." (about Grace to her mother)
• "Grace: you're wack." (to Grace)
• Grace: "Where's my apology?" - "She'll work you out." (about Tara)
• "I knew she was good, but I never thought she was good enough to scare even you." (about Tara to Saskia)
• "Ha, all semester you've been entertainingly vocal about how crap she is with the solo. I know why you hate her so much. You're jealous of her." (about Tara to Saskia)
• "So I like routine. I like pushing myself. I like the plan I made  with mum when I was seven. To be the best. But there is nothing worse than being ordinary. I don't like change. There is nothing worse than deviating from the track. But I like this feeling."

Trivia

• Abigail's initials are A.E.A.
• She had a perfect attendence record until Kat and Tara locked her in her room.
• She has a little sister named Paige Armstrong.
• She was jealous of Petra Hoffman because she was a better dancer than her and because she thought she was going to steal Sammy from her.
• Abigail has been vomited on twice, the first time by Sammy and the second time by Petra.
• She was the only main character who barely interacted with Christian until season 2.
• She wears an eye mask when she sleeps.
• She had an eating disorder.
• She hears bees buzzing when she gets nervous.
• Abigail had to go to therapy.
• Abigail and Kat used to be best friends until Kat stopped because she thought Abigail was a "Betty Bun Head"
• She sent two things about Tara to the whole school.
• Tara slapped Abigail with a pointe shoe after hearing what Abigail really thought about her.
• Abigail does not reveal that her real name is Abigail Elizabeth Armstrong.
• Her dance partner in season 1 was Sammy.
• Her dance partner in season 2 is Christian.
• Her father lives in Brisbane and her mum lives in Sydney.
• She had a "thing" with Ethan.
• Abigail fainted during her exam in season one due to low blood sugar.
• She was framed by Grace after she chose Ethan over Grace.
• She's used to dancing with bad dancers, which is revealed in "Prix de Fonteyn".
• Abigail has kissed every boy (excepting Christian) as well as Grace as of "Fake It Until You Make It".
• She got a contract from the ballet company.

Gallery

Abigail's Gallery