Dance Moms has seen a resurgence in popularity lately, thanks to TikTok and YouTube, with its stars amassing followers by the millions. Despite going off the air in 2019, the Lifetime reality series that launched the careers of dancers like Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa seems as popular as ever. So what better time to have a reunion? Several members of the ALDC competition team will come together (as well as their mothers, of course), but when they do, it will be without Abby Lee Miller. It turns out, the notorious dance teacher allegedly wasn’t even invited to Dance Moms: The Reunion, and an insider explained why.
It was 13 years ago when we were first introduced to the Abby Lee Dance Company’s young stars on Dance Moms, which can be streamed with either a Hulu subscription or Disney+ subscription. Abby Lee Miller had questionable teaching methods, and the moms were constantly at odds with her (and each other) over whose child was getting the best opportunities. There were tears, fights and even lawsuits over the Lifetime series’ eight seasons, and according to a source for People, some of the dancers weren’t willing to face their old teacher again, as the insider said:
At this point everyone has gone through different eras, had time to reflect and there’s been a lot that Abby put them through emotionally and physically and they just didn’t want to relive that.
The source alleges that some of the women — JoJo Siwa, Chloé Lukasiak, Brooke Hyland, Paige Hyland, Kendall Vertes and Kalani Hilliker are the returning members shown in the trailer — said they didn’t want to relive the trauma that Abby Lee Miller had caused them. Because the dancers were allegedly approached first and made their feelings known, Miller was apparently never even asked to join them. The source continued:
[There are] ones who say they know they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Dance Moms, [and others who say they want] nothing to do with any of it at all like Maddie. But some of those involved decided that they would only be a part of the reunion if Abby wasn’t. The girls were able to speak their minds more openly without her there.
Speaking of Maddie Ziegler — who was unquestionably the ALDC’s star dancer on the show — she was noticeably absent from the Dance Moms: The Reunion trailer, as were her sister Mackenzie Ziegler and OG team member Nia Sioux. JoJo Siwa and Kendall Vertes appeared to address their absence in the trailer, which you can see below:
It sounds like the So You Think You Can Dance judge isn’t happy with some of her former teammates’ decision, seemingly accusing them of trying to erase their pasts when Dance Moms is “why you are who you are.” We’ll have to see the full context of that conversation to determine how much shade is actually being thrown. While JoJo Siwa had her own horrific experience on the show, Abby Lee Miller has said she’s the only one who still keeps in touch with her. The comment in the trailer suggests Siwa credits her teacher for the career she has today.
It will be fun to see these girls (and moms) come together again, apparently for the first time in 10 years. Dance Moms: The Reunion will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 1, on Lifetime. Be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming up.
