The Bitter, Drama-Filled Lives of the Dance Moms Alums: Revelations as They Reunite
It’s been over a decade since Dance Moms, one of the most controversial reality shows, aired on Lifetime. The series from 2011 to 2019 was the stepping stone for Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa to be discovered and expand their careers.
The show follows the Pennsylvania-based Abby Lee Dance Company’s Junior Elite Team, where the girls aged 6 to 16 prepared, trained, and competed in dance across the country.
Aside from the girls, the other highlights of the reality show were Abby Lee, the lead teacher, her relationships with her students, and the dancers’ often bickering and more competitive feisty mothers.
Although the show had its final curtain call years ago, some of the girls remained friends and in touch, while others felt like it was time to move on and separate from the show. Surprisingly, most of the original cast members and the show’s official social media account earlier this month announced that they would be back on TV for a special reunion.
The news was shared and reposted by many, using one photo of the girls—now women—on a glamorous mirror selfie that includes original dancers Chloe Lukasiak, Kendall Vertes, sisters Brooke and Paige Hyland, and Kalani Hilliker, who joined in the later seasons of the show.
The announcement came after the girls with their mothers shared a picture of them celebrating Paige’s 23rd birthday. Fans of the show immediately noticed that the Ziegler sisters, Maddie and McKenzie, were not included. Maddie, who was particularly Abby’s favorite, and her sister, the youngest of the girls, left in Season 6 to pursue and further their careers.
The popularity of Dance Moms has been clouded with controversies that include Abby’s sometimes racy choreography, explosive catfights, body shaming, and the ultimate highlight, Abby’s weekly pyramid system ranking the girls.
Abby also went through personal struggles—the dance teacher pleaded guilty to felony bankruptcy fraud and was sentenced to 1.5 years in federal prison, although she was released early. In 2018, she was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma and, after a year, was declared cancer-free.
The recent posts of the Dance Mom girls depict a strong and friendly bond, but that was not always the case. During the show, the moms were often bickering and nasty to one another if their girls were not on top of the pyramid or given solos. The girls were also often pitted against each other, causing them to be hesitant to form genuine friendships.
The girls also admitted that they struggled with the show while filming but have since moved on and pursued their education and other creative pursuits. Some left the show on bad terms with Abby and with the rest of the moms, while others remained friendly and would often spend time catching up.
The reunion is scheduled for 2024. The most successful among the girls are Maddie and JoJo Siwa, and many have created an impressive network on their social media accounts. Most are now in the university and involved in other projects outside of dance.
