Where is the Dance Moms cast now? JoJo Siwa and Maddie Ziegler got famous in Dancing with the Stars and Sia’s ‘Chandelier’, while Brooke Hyland got engaged and a Lifetime reunion special just aired

Jun 1 , 2024

Where is the cast of Dance Moms now? A look at the most popular members, from Maddie Ziegler to Jojo Siwa. Photo: @dancemomstv/Instagram

Five years after Dance Moms ended, fans got a nostalgic treat with Dance Moms: The Reunion on May 1. This two-hour special on Lifetime revisited the drama and memories of the popular reality series that aired from 2011 to 2019.

A promotional shot from a season of Dance Moms. Photo: @dancemomstv/Instagram

The show followed the competitive dance world through the Abby Lee Dance Company, showcasing talents such as Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler, Nia Sioux, Chloé Lukasiak and Brooke Hyland as they competed across the US as kids under the guidance of choreographer and dance instructor, Abby Lee Miller. The series also put a spotlight on the relationships between Miller, the young dancers and their mums – hence the name.

So where are the pirouettes and high kicks of the Dance Moms alumni now? From film roles to university degrees and business ventures, this is what the show’s cast is up to today.

1. Maddie Ziegler, 21

Maddie Ziegler rose to fame as a dancer in many of Sia’s videos, including “Chandelier”. Photo: SCMP Archives

Ziegler, who was only eight years old when Dance Moms began, had her big break in 2014 when pop sensation Sia chose her for the iconic “Chandelier” music video. This collaboration kicked off a long-term partnership, leading Ziegler to later star in Sia’s 2021 film Music.

Maddie Ziegler wearing Thom Browne. Photo: @maddieziegler/Instagram

Beyond dance, Ziegler also pursued acting, notably playing Velma in the 2021 West Side Story remake, per her IMDB page. She also judged on So You Think You Can Dance? in 2016 and wrote the memoir The Maddie Diaries, published in 2017. She even launched a beauty line with Morphe in 2020 followed by a second collection in 2022.

2. Mackenzie (Kenzie) Ziegler, 19

Mackenzie Ziegler posted this throwback photo of her and her sister, Maddie. Photo: @kenzie/Instagram

Maddie’s younger sister joined Dance Moms from 2011 to 2016, starting at the young age of six. Afterwards, she rebranded as “Kenzie” and released her debut album Phases in 2018. Like her sister, she collaborated with Sia on the 2020 track “Exhale”. She released the single “Paper” in 2023.

Kenzie wearing American Eagle; she has a massive social media following. Photo: @kenzie/Instagram

Kenzie is active on YouTube and TikTok, where she has 3.8 million and 23.5 million followers respectively, at the time of writing. She’s also ventured into acting, starring in the Total Eclipse web series and voicing the lead in the 2019 animated film Ice Princess Lily, per her IMDB page.

3. Chloé Lukasiak, 23

Chloé Lukasiak, who began on Dance Moms at age nine, shifted to acting after leaving the show in its fourth season. She appeared in films like Center Stage: On Pointe (2016) and Loophole (2019), per J-14.

Chloé Lukasiak is also a published author who released her memoir in 2018. Photo: @chloelukasiak/Instagram

In 2018, she published Girl on Pointe: Chloe’s Guide to Taking on the World and runs a successful YouTube channel with over 2 million subscribers at the time of writing. According to People, Lukasiak graduated from Pepperdine University in 2023, reportedly majoring in creative writing and marketing.

4. Nia Sioux, 22

Nia Sioux wished Maddie Ziegler a happy birthday, saying “growing up with you has been such a fun ride”. Photo: @niasioux/Instagram

Nia Sioux, who starred on Dance Moms from age 10, has carved out a successful career in entertainment while studying American literature at UCLA. She appeared in The Bold and the Beautiful in 2018 and released singles like “Low Key Love” and “Imma Catch”.

Nia Sioux also hosts the podcast Adulting with Teala and Nia. Photo: @niasioux/Instagram

Her busy schedule also includes vlogging for over a million subscribers on YouTube, and co-hosting the podcast Adulting With Teala and Nia. Recently, Sioux made a cameo in the 2024 Mean Girls movie – but she skipped out on appearing in the reunion special. “I just didn’t want to do it,” she said, per E! Online. “That’s a good enough answer, and that’s a good enough reason.”

5. Brooke Hyland, 26

Brooke Hyland left the show and graduated with a degree from Ohio University. Photo: @brookehyland/Instagram

Brooke Hyland, who started on the show at 13, shifted from dance to academics, graduating from Ohio University in 2019 with degrees in marketing, management information systems and business analytics, per The List.

She found success in social media, with almost 700,000 subscribers on YouTube and 4 million Instagram followers. She appears to stay connected with former Dance Moms co-stars like Sioux.

Kelly Hyland with her daughters, Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland. Photo: @kellylhyland/Instagram

On May 6, the 26-year-old announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend Brian Thalman with a carousel of photos on Instagram.

Unfortunately, Brooke’s mother, Kelly Hyland, announced on May 30 on Instagram that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. But Brooke’s engagement to Thalman has offered Kelly a joyful respite despite the news about her health. “Planning the wedding is going to be a great distraction,” Kelly said to E! News.

Paige and Brooke Hyland supporting their mum, Kelly Hyland, at the hospital amid her cancer diagnosis. Photo: @brookehyland/Instagram

Since the diagnosis, Brooke has showed love and support for her mum with an Instagram post of herself and her younger sister, Paige (another Dance Moms alum) kissing their mum on the cheeks. The sweet photos were captioned, “Confident that cancer has no idea who it’s messing with. I love you, mum.”

6. JoJo Siwa, 21

JoJo Siwa recently released a new single – though not without controversy. Photo: @itsjojosiwa/Instagram

JoJo Siwa gained attention on Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition at nine before joining Dance Moms in its fifth season. She quickly amassed a massive following on YouTube and TikTok, with over 12 million and 45 million followers, respectively.

JoJo Siwa’s accessories were recalled from Claire’s after it tested for asbestos. Photo: @itsjojosiwa/Instagram

Siwa ventured into acting, singing and business with an accessories line at Claire’s and a partnership with Nickelodeon. Despite the FDA recall of her accessories line due to asbestos, she was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2020.

She finished second on Dancing with the Stars, making history as part of the first same-sex pairing. Embracing her queer identity, Siwa unveiled a revamped look and sound, releasing her single “Karma” in April, which received mixed reviews from fans.

7. Kalani Hilliker, 23

Kalani Hilliker with JoJo Siwa. Photo: @kalanihilliker/Instagram

Kalani Hilliker rose to fame through Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition and later joined Dance Moms at 13. Now, she shares her dance expertise by teaching, per Teen Vogue. She also showcases her skills on social media, with nearly 8 million Instagram followers and almost 800,000 YouTube subscribers.

Kalani Hilliker, now a social media star, also has a beauty line named Kare by Kalani. Photo: @kalanihilliker/Instagram

She’s ventured into entrepreneurship with a formal dress line with Prom Girl and has acted in Swiped (2018) and the Brat TV show Dirt. In 2023, Hilliker launched Kare by Kalani, a beauty line promoting inclusive self-care and wellness inspired by her experiences with anxiety.

Additional reporting from Los Angeles Times

Fame and celebrity

The 2-hour reunion came 5 years after the reality show – about child talents at the Abby Lee Dance Company – ended; its cast have since grown up and starred in shows like The Bold and the Beautiful
Others that the series catapulted into fame include Mackenzie Ziegler, Nia Sioux, Chloé Lukasiak, and Brooke and Paige Hyland – many now have massive followings on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram