Abby Lee Miller’s former dancers went in very different directions after Dance Moms. The best-known alumni have built careers in acting and film, music, books, television, social media, and higher education. This guide summarizes each dancer’s documented path, the seasons they appeared in, and whether they took part in the reunion special. Most of the later milestones come from a December 8, 2025 feature in Parade, so read them as reported as of that date rather than a live account of 2026 work.
Who this guide covers
The dancers covered here are the most prominent alumni: Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler, Chloé Lukasiak, JoJo Siwa, Nia Sioux, Kalani Hilliker, Kendall Vertes, and Brooke and Paige Hyland. Lifetime’s cast guide also lists Ava Michelle, who is covered briefly at the end. Season ranges below come from Lifetime’s cast guide. Later career details come from Lifetime’s cast guide where noted and from Parade’s December 2025 update.
At a glance
| Dancer | Seasons on the show | Documented post-show work (as reported) | Reunion special | Latest dated source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maddie Ziegler | Seasons 1–6 | Acting and film, author of The Maddie Diaries and the Dance Your Heart Out trilogy, fashion modeling | Not named among the reunion interviewees in the production description | Lifetime cast guide; Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| Mackenzie Ziegler | Seasons 1–6 | Music and performance, television and web roles | Not named in the production description | Lifetime cast guide |
| Chloé Lukasiak | Seasons 1–4; returned in season 7 with the Irreplaceables | Acting, book Girl on Pointe, Pepperdine degree (late 2023), mainly social-media work | Named | Lifetime cast guide; Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| JoJo Siwa | Seasons 4–6; returned in season 8 | Nickelodeon television, professional performing | Named | Lifetime cast guide; Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| Nia Sioux | Seasons 1–7 | Music, off-Broadway Trip of Love, recurring role on The Bold and the Beautiful, hosting, memoir Bottom of the Pyramid (2025) | Not named in the production description | Lifetime cast guide; Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| Kalani Hilliker | Seasons 4–7 | Earlier television work, dancewear design, judging and choreography | Named | Lifetime cast guide; A+E Factual Studios project description |
| Kendall Vertes | Seasons 2–7 | Music and acting; host of the Not So Little podcast; James Madison University political science graduate | Named | Lifetime cast guide; Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| Brooke Hyland | Left during season 4 with her mother, Kelly | Ohio University graduate; social-media influencer | Named | Parade, December 8, 2025 |
| Paige Hyland | Left during season 4 with her mother, Kelly | Content creator; pursuing marketing studies at West Virginia University | Named | Parade, December 8, 2025 |
Dancer-by-dancer updates
Maddie Ziegler
Maddie appeared in seasons 1 through 6 and started on the show at age eight, according to Lifetime’s cast guide. Lifetime says she landed a starring role in Sia’s “Chandelier” video by 2014, which was the point where her profile moved well beyond the show. Her listed credits include the 2017 book The Maddie Diaries, the Dance Your Heart Out trilogy, the role of Velma in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, television work, and film roles. Parade’s December 2025 update adds later films and fashion modeling. The most accurate short description is an actor and author who first became widely known as a young dancer on the series.
Mackenzie Ziegler
Mackenzie also appeared in seasons 1 through 6 and left the show with Maddie in May 2016. Lifetime’s cast guide records her early music and performance work, including the single “It’s a Girl Party” and the 2019 single “Hot,” along with television and web roles. Neither Lifetime’s guide nor the December 2025 Parade update establishes a current full-time occupation, so her post-show history is best read as the documented work listed above.
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#1 Best Overall
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Chloé Lukasiak
Chloé appeared in seasons 1 through 4, left, and returned in season 7 as a member of the Irreplaceables. Lifetime’s cast guide lists acting work and her book Girl on Pointe: Chloe’s Guide to Taking on the World. Parade reports that she graduated from Pepperdine University in late 2023 after studying creative writing and marketing, and it describes her later work as mainly social-media influencing.
JoJo Siwa
JoJo appeared in seasons 4, 5, and 6 and returned during season 8. Lifetime’s cast guide describes her Nickelodeon television run, including the series Lip-Sync Battle Shorties. Parade’s December 2025 profile says she was still performing professionally at that time. That is the latest documented status available here, so it should not be read as a complete account of her current projects.
Rank #2
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Nia Sioux
Nia appeared in seasons 1 through 7. Lifetime’s cast guide documents her singles and music videos, the off-Broadway production Trip of Love, a recurring role on The Bold and the Beautiful, and other screen and hosting work. Parade reports that she published the memoir Bottom of the Pyramid in 2025 and describes her as an author and actress.
Kalani Hilliker
Kalani appeared in seasons 4 through 7 and moved to the Irreplaceables in season 7. Lifetime’s cast guide records her earlier television work, her dancewear design, and her judging and choreography work. The A+E Factual Studios description of the reunion names her among the interviewed dancers. Neither source establishes a complete current occupation or where she lives now.
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Rank #3
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Kendall Vertes
Kendall appeared in seasons 2 through 7. Lifetime’s cast guide records her music and acting credits. Parade’s December 2025 update reports that she graduated from James Madison University with a political science degree and that she hosts the Not So Little podcast. A+E Factual Studios also lists her among the reunion interviewees.
Brooke and Paige Hyland
Brooke and Paige left the show during season 4, along with their mother, Kelly. Parade’s December 2025 update describes Brooke as an Ohio University graduate and social-media influencer, and Paige as a content creator who is pursuing marketing studies at West Virginia University. Both sisters are named in the reunion production description. Education details are dated to the December 2025 report and may have changed since then.
Rank #4
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Ava Michelle
Lifetime’s cast guide lists Ava Michelle for seasons 3 through 5 and records later modeling, television, and music work. No substantial current update is available from the sources used here, so her entry is limited to the network’s listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The reunion special
Dance Moms: The Reunion is a two-hour special, described by A+E Factual Studios, that revisits the cast’s time on the show and their lives since. The production description names JoJo Siwa, Chloé Lukasiak, Brooke and Paige Hyland, Kendall Vertes, and Kalani Hilliker, along with their mothers. It does not say that the whole original cast returned, so treat the special as a reunion of a named group rather than of every alumnus.
Best Value
- Dance Moms (Season 6 - Collection 3) - 3-DVD Set ( Dance Moms - Season Six - Collection Three (12 Ep
- Dance Moms (Season 6 - Collection 3) - 3-DVD Set
- Dance Moms - Season Six - Collection Three (12 Episodes)
How to check whether a career detail is current
- Check the date on each source. Lifetime’s cast guide is a network bio that reflects the period when it was written. Parade’s update is dated December 8, 2025.
- Separate the documented work from the present tense. A book, a degree, or a recurring role is a past milestone. Confirm any current job, show, or location against a newer, dated source before repeating it as present fact.
- Do not treat a hometown as a residence. Where a dancer is “originally from” a place is not the same as where they live today, and the sources here do not establish current residences.
- Do not measure success by visibility. A large social-media presence does not stand in for a full account of someone’s career, and this guide does not rank the dancers against one another.
Related reading
For Maddie Ziegler’s own account of her early years, The Maddie Diaries (2017) is the title listed in Lifetime’s cast guide. Confirm that a current edition is available before buying.
Quick Recap
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