Dance Moms is an iconic show that first aired in July 2011 that sparked my love for questionable reality TV ever since. The Dance Moms Instagram account recently revealed that a handful of original cast members will return to the big screen for a reunion special in 2024 premiering on Lifetime. After waiting a decade filled with all-new drama, a reunion is unexpected but exciting.
The post was a mirror selfie featuring cast members Kalani Hilliker, Paige Hyland, Brooke Hyland, Jojo Siwa, Kendall Vertes, and Chloé Lukasiak all glammed up. Some of the original cast members (like Nia Sioux, Maddie Ziegler, and Mackenzie “Kenzie” Ziegler) weren’t pictured, and many people were commenting about their absence.
In response, Siwa commented, “Grateful for this day! For everyone wondering about the few people missing, everyone was invited today, but only some wanted to be here.” While it’s unfortunate that not everyone in the original cast will be featured, there is so much nostalgia in seeing the people you grew up watching be all grown up themselves.
Thankfully, there isn’t any bad blood between the girls who weren’t featured. The group posted a picture with Maddie, Kenzie, and their moms! They have also posted many more moments together with all of the original cast reunited.
Being a part of a reality show at such a young age must have been difficult to juggle with everything else that being a young girl entails. This is why the Dance Moms girls probably bonded so much and are still friends to this day. It’s heartwarming to know that they all keep in touch and go as far as to refer to each other as “sisters” in their posts. Learning more about their lives now and looking back at the memories of when they were young is sure to make fans nostalgic.
The entire Dance Moms original cast has been extremely successful: they’ve started brands, made music, and overall become well-known online personalities. However, the journey to make it here was rocky. All of the drama between moms and their dance teachers might have had a negative impact on the girls.
Abby Lee Miller, dance teacher and owner of Abby Lee Dance Company, has not been featured in any posts. It seems she will not attend the reunion. I hope we get to hear a bit about this in the reunion now that the cast is grown and can see things from a different perspective.
what have the cast members been up to?
Maddie Ziegler starred in Sia’s music videos, as well as other movies and TV shows. She wrote a memoir and created a Morphe makeup line and a Fabletics clothing line. She was featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and launched an American Eagle collection with her sister.
Kenzie Ziegler released her debut album Phases in 2018 and collaborated with Sia on the song “Exhale.” She starred in the TV show Total Eclipse and competed in The Masked Dancer.
Chloé Lukasiak left Dance Moms after Season 4. Since then, she has started a YouTube channel, written a book, acted in movies, and attended Pepperdine College.
JoJo Siwa, a popular singer, actress, and vlogger, gained over 12 million subscribers on YouTube. She has a variety of products and has appeared on TV shows like The Masked Singer. In 2020, she was named one of Time’s Most Influential People. She debuted Siwa’s Dance Pop Revolution on Peacock and competed in Dancing with the Stars.
Nia Sioux has appeared on the TV shows Sunnyside Up and The Bold and the Beautiful. She also created her own Facebook watch series Dance with Nia and hosted the Adulting with Teala and Nia podcast. She currently attends UCLA.
Kendall Vertes has appeared in films like Rapunzel: A Princess Frozen in Time, Santa in Training, and Anastasia. She has also released several singles and currently attends James Madison University.
Kalani Hilliker, a renowned dancer, model, and actress, had a successful career on the dance team The Irreplaceables. She also had a prom dress line and recently founded a beauty and wellness company.
As we can see, the little dancer girls who we used to watch on screen have become wonderful, successful women. I can’t wait to see what the reunion has in store!
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