this is "nightline." >> tonight, diva disaster. mariah carey ringing but not singing in the new year. ♪ we didn't have a soundtrack for this new year's baby it's okay guys ♪ >> damage control after a major music malfunction on live tv. >> we're missing something but it is what it is. >> emotions running high before the ball dropped. who dropped the ball? what she's saying tonight. >> i want a holiday too, can i not have one? competitive pole dancing? the sensuous art has gone from strip to sport. hundreds of athletes training year round to do tricks that will make your head spin. and an arms race for the championship. and a little taste of a

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good evening. thanks for join is. mariah carey's team doing major damage control following a show-stopping, jaw-dropping new year's eve debacle which unfolded on live television. the pop legend had been brought in to headline abc's "new year's rocking eve" and finish the year on a high note. instead she sang few notes at all. now the latest version what was went wrong. ♪ that skin-tight outfit. the big hair. all on point. but it's what the pop diva didn't sing that's grabbing all the headlines this new year. ♪ get these monitors on >> reporter: for six whole minutes, an eternity on live tv, a sparkling mariah carey stumbled through a three-song set, including some of her most famous multi-okay tar songs. as a recording hit the high notes for her. legions of fans come out in droves to hear her live, like

this fan posting her performance in the sumner paris. ♪ but during this "new year's rocking eve with ryan seacrest," she wasn't feeling those emotions. mariah said she couldn't hear her tracks because of a faulty earpiece. ♪ we're missing something but it is what it is ♪ >> reporter: roger love, coach to selena gomez and others, say loud noises from the audience block the performance. >> artists have backing tracks. they have in-ear monitors, like mini headsets. she not only could not hear herself, she couldn't hear the music. >> reporter: he points to the songstress repeatedly trying to communicate with engineers. >> she already is bringing her hand to her ear signaling that she is having some issue. >> reporter: carey, who was supposed to be the headliner of the night, instead became headline fodder.

some even calling her performance a train wreck. >> i think she could have sung more. i think she could have tried to stick with it more. but once it went wrong, she diva'd it up and it was funny. she was the queen. something went wrong. she even used the royal we. "we can't hear." "we're havinging some trouble with the monitors." >> i'm trying to be a good sport here. >> reporter: for a brief moment carey appeared to be back on track. ♪ >> you hear her start to sing a little bit. ♪ oh, oh yeah it's not because she can finally hear the music. but the drums are really so loud, being pumped into the audience, that she's feeling the beat. >> reporter: he says there was little the star could have done to help the situation. >> so many other performers would have just run off the stage. or would have stopped and say, fix it.

she was actually very calm, knowing that she was singing for millions, potentially billions of people. >> reporter: but things got even more cringe-worthy when she started singing "we belong together." >> it was like watching a queen fall on her face. >> reporter: the shaken songstress ending her six-minute performance leaving the stage quickly. >> it just don't get any better. >> reporter: hours after the performance she responded on twitter saying with a shrug, in a sense, stuff happens. and here's to making more headlines in 2017. >> it's certainly more memorable this way. if mariah had come out and delivered a flawless performance and then the ball had dropped, i don't think we would all remember this. >> reporter: tonight the finger-pointing continues. mariah's manager accusing show producers of hanging her out to dry, telling billboard in part, they acknowledged that they knew her inner ears were not working, they did not cut to a commercial, they left her out there to get ratings.

dick clark productions saying an initial investigation has indicated dcp had no involvement in the challenges associated with ms. carey's new year's eve performance. the special aired on abc television which had no comment on the matter. it did seem as though mariah had trouble hearing earlier in the evening. >> it's hard for me to hear you. >> she didn't handle this gracefully, she handled this mariah-ly. you have to understand, she is mariah carey, the rules don't apply. she lives on a different planet, it is a diva-powered planet. ♪ more that than you could ever ♪ >> reporter: this isn't mariah's first stumble onstage. the queen of christmas herself bungled the high notes on her holiday anthem "all i want for christmas is you" while performing in rockefeller center. ♪ >> reporter: the cracks and squeaks even more apparent on a video clip linked online where carey's vocal track is isolated.

♪ for christmas is >> reporter: and on youtube there are fan compilations like this one of her singing snafus. ♪ absolutely nothing in the right ear ♪ >> reporter: the performances reminiscent of her 2008 appearance on "good morning america" where the track starts playing before mariah starts singing. ♪ i know that you've been waiting for me ♪ >> reporter: mega stars lip synching big-time performances is not anything out of the ordinary. ♪ if you're on a mission >> reporter: many have been caught, from britney's infamous 2007 vma performance -- ♪ i'm waiting >> reporter: to ashlee simpson on "snl." ♪

>> reporter: queen bey caught lip synching at president obama's second inauguration. ♪ >> reporter: but there's no question mariah can sing. in 2015, she showed michael strahan how she hits that heavenly note. ♪ when he visited her in las vegas to see her show. >> you hit the high notes. the note that i try to hit -- >> wake up in the morning and do our exercises. >> that's ar exercise? >> start from -- >> teach me an exercise. >> go -- ♪ >> reporter: capping a big year for mariah carey, her european summer tour became the subject of her new e! reality series "mariah's world" where we see mimi as a working single mom. >> it's really a very demanding schedule. but no matter what i need to spend time with my kids. >> reporter: there was the drama of her split from billionaire fiance james packer.

but this spring she's scheduled to go on tour with lionel richie and despite her new year's eve debacle our experts suggest the pop diva doesn't have much to worry about. >> she's going to keep going. she's been through worse. and many she's going to launch a tour. and she's going to laugh this off. and meanwhile it's going to be diva time. >> all fallout will lead to her singing live on her next performance and killing it. and everybody realizing that her voice is just as good now as it was 20 years ago. ♪ up next, the athletes who are putting a new spin on pole dancing. and later, the hot youtube trend that will help you keep that new year's diet resolution. l after a dvt blood clot, i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again?

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so delicious, it should have another name. you know when you think of sports, i bet you probably don't think of pole dancing. but that's exactly what it's become and the competition is fierce. here's abc's sunny hostin with another look. >> i just want to put on an amazing show. >> reporter: for these athletes, thousands of hours of training have boiled down to this night. >> are you nervous? >> reporter: as they prepare to step into one of the brightest spotlights in their sport, the wild world of competitive pole dancing. ♪ much of ashley fox's year centers around prepping for the pole classic in las vegas. she even dropped out of school to pursue her passion for pole

dancing. how intense is the competition? >> it's very intense. so there's a lot of pressure to do well. ♪ >> the next 24 -- even the next three hours are action-packed. >> reporter: ms. mundy organizes pole expo each year, drawing competitors from all over the world, vying for recognition and a $1,000 prize. a renowned instructor, fawnia's list of famous students includes britney spears, who pulled out a few moves during her "slave for you" routine at last year's billboard music awards. ♪ slave for you >> climbing the pole with britney, we did the basic climb. we made a nice little routine about 20 individual pole tricks. >> reporter: for the elite pole dancers taking the stage here tomorrow, their intricate routines come price hundreds of complex moves.

>> i can imagine the athletes are going through their music in their mind, picturing themselves winning. >> reporter: ashley doesn't need to imagine winning. she remembers it, two years ago she scored first overall. we met at her studio in new york city. >> i very often get asked if i'm a gymnast, if i'm a dancer. i'm always like, something like that. because you don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. >> there's a lot of misconception about pole dancing, isn't that right? people think you're a stripper if you're a pole dancer? >> oftentimes. not to say there aren't poehlers who do strip. i'm completely artistic, athletic, and focus on fitness and the artistry. >> reporter: ashley offered to give me a lesson. >> you want to support yourself. you're going to kind of swivel on your foot. hook the legs. weave and try to land. >> i can't do that. >> oh, you're going to do this. >> reporter: and believe me when i say, she makes it look much easier than it is.

>> you're going to pull down and forward. yep. yes. good, that wasn't so bad. i absolutely think it could, should, and will be an olympic sport. it's extreme sport, in my opinion. >> reporter: extreme, she says, because one small mistake can spell disaster. the day of the competition, she's rehearsing every move. ♪ stakes are perhaps even higher for newcomer chris saez. he traveled here from his home country, chile. >> i just want to do a good job on the stage, you know? i think that if i win, that is going to be amazing. ♪ reach out and touch me >> reporter: his commitment is clear. >> pole is a way of moving, travel around the world, competing. >> reporter: minutes before showtime, fawnia scrambles to get all the dancers in order. >> it's just freaking out time. >> reporter: the backstage drama heats up. >> everyone wants their space.

it's really not a time for making new friends. >> i'm feeling super ready now that i have my makeup starting to come together and once i put my outfit on i'll be even more ready. >> welcome to the fifth annual pole expo. >> reporter: it's ladies first. ♪ ♪ the women break out in an impressive array of aerial demonstrations. their inspiration ranging from sultry to classical. ♪ >> ready. >> reporter: ashley packs a punch with her superhero routine. her performance, a clear fan favorite. >> i felt excited. i felt amazing. >> reporter: now it's time for

the guys to take the stage. some play the audience for laughs. but chris is more modern dancer than magic mike. ♪ graceful and refined. >> they were screaming a lot. it was amazing. >> reporter: for chris his dedication pays off in his first appearance at pole classic. >> and in second place we've got -- christopher saez! >> reporter: he scores second in men's. and ashley? >> ashley fox! >> reporter: also taking second in her division. still, she says, she'll train even harder for the next round. >> my main goal is to get first and first and first. that's still my goal and it motivates me. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm sunny hostin in new york. ♪

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finally tonight, they say the secret to weight loss is portion control. but this might be going a tad extreme. we take another look at this very viral trend. the next big thing in gastronomy might actually be small. really small. this is tiny kitchen. a wildly popular online taste made cooking show where chefs recreate culinary classics in portions small enough to fit on a fingertip. mini mac and cheese. petite pancakes. even itsy bitsy bananas foster. >> here's our pots and pans. every tiny cooking thing. >> reporter: jay holeser, head of production, says the idea for dainty dishes came from colleagues in japan where the

concept of kawaii, roughly translated to "cute tiny thing," has turned similar segments into smash hits. >> they had shown these videos of people making tiny food, tiny clay things that looked like food. we were fascinated. one day one of those guys sent us a package that contained a tiny pot, pan, tiny knives, forks. at the end of a shoot we decided to break it out. somebody made a tiny hamburger. now the series has been viewed a couple hundred million times. >> reporter: the show shoots on a dollhouse-sized set. >> three cameras huddle around this little stage, filming our food stylist. >> reporter: the stove heated by tealight. >> mini cheese grater, all the cups, pots and pans, everything is a working piece of propping. >> reporter: keeping that authenticity, one of the biggest challenges that comes with cooking tiny. >> a lot of it comes down to sourcing ingredients. if wear using a pepper it needs

to look like a tiny pepper. we'll peel onions back to the right size to fit in the scale of the world. >> reporter: jay says the mesmerizing product is worth the tediousness. >> there's fascination with seeing a recipe made in such ridiculous fashion. >> reporter: the next step, thinking outside the kitchen. one of their latest episodes features a meal cooked on a miniature grill. for all the toonny tiny foodies out there. thanks for watching abc news. as always we are online at abcnews.com and our "nightline" facebook page. thanks for the likes, america. good night.

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