Take A Look At 17 Of The Girls From 'Dance Moms' Then And Now

Ever since Dance Mom's made its debut, we've been captivated by its steady supply of drama and conflict.

Stephanie
Take A Look At 17 Of The Girls From 'Dance Moms' Then And Now

Ever since Dance Mom's debuted in 2011, we've been captivated by its steady supply of drama and conflict. Abby Lee Miller became known for her matter-of-fact (and sometimes harsh) teaching methods, and, let's be honest, we were here for the tears and tantrums.

Sweet, doting mothers would often become vicious rivals as they went in to bat for their daughters, and honestly, it was fascinating to watch. We laughed, we cried, and we watched talented little girls blossom into young women right before our eyes.

Abby Lee Miller has been in the headlines for more than just her choreography in more recent years. The dance instructor was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in April 2018.

Abby went through six rounds of chemotherapy and emergency surgery on her spine. Sadly, she was left paraplegic and is now confined to an electric wheelchair.

But along the way, we've seen the birth of some stars. Maddie Ziegler shot to fame when she appeared in some of Sia's music videos, and JoJo Sawa has built an empire with her own range of bows, dolls, games, and even ice cream!

We love a good old-fashioned 'then and now' comparison, so we thought it would be fun to see what some of the girls are up to these days. Scroll down to take a look.

#1 Maddie Ziegler Then

#1 Maddie Ziegler ThenLifetime

Maddie Ziegler Now

After Dance Moms, Maddie starred in some of Sia's most popular music videos. She has also made appearances in several films and TV shows such as To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, West Side Story, Austin & Ally, Pretty Little Liars, and The Fallout.

She has her own Morphe eyeshadow palette, a Fabletics line, and a memoir called The Maddie Diaries.

#2 Mackenzie Ziegler Then

#2 Mackenzie Ziegler ThenLifetime

Mackenzie Ziegler Now

After leaving the Abby Lee Dance Company, Kenzie started acting and singing. She appeared in Brat TV's series Total Eclipse and competed on The Masked Dancer.

She has since released an album called Phases and teamed up with Sia for a song called Exhale. We think great things are in store for Kenzie!

#3 Chloé Lukasiak Then

#3 Chloé Lukasiak ThenLifetime

Chloé Lukasiak Now

When Chloé left the series, she continued dancing at Studio 19 Dance Complex. Since then, she has written a book, started a successful YouTube channel, and appeared in movies such as The Message and Loophole.

#4 Nia Sioux Frazier Then

#4 Nia Sioux Frazier ThenLifetime

Nia Sioux Frazier Now

Since leaving Dance Moms, Nia started her own series called Dance With Nia and has starred on Brat TV's Sunnyside Up. She hosts a podcast, makes YouTube videos, and even appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful.

#5 Brooke Hyland Then

#5 Brooke Hyland ThenLifetime

Brooke Hyland Now

Brooke left Dance Moms when she was 16 and returned to high school. She graduated from Ohio University in 2019 and now has a YouTube channel and Instagram blog.

#6 Paige Hyland Then

#6 Paige Hyland ThenLifetime

Paige Hyland Now

After Dance Moms, Paige stopped dancing. She is now a college student at West Virginia University.

#7 JoJo Siwa Then

#7 JoJo Siwa ThenLifetime

JoJo Siwa Now

JoJo's career skyrocketed after Dance Moms. She started acting, singing, and making YouTube videos, gaining a vast following.

Since then, she has built an empire with her own range of bows, dolls, games, and even ice cream. And in 2020, JoJo was named one of Time's Most Influential People.

#8 Kendall Vertes Then

#8 Kendall Vertes ThenLifetime

Kendall Vertes Now

Kendall changed direction after her time on Dance Moms and is now more focused on singing and acting. She has appeared in Santa in Training, Rapunzel: A Princess Frozen in Time, and a live-action remake of Anastasia.

She's released several singles and an album. Kendall also hosts The Kendall K. & Friends Show.

#9 Vivi-Anne Stein Then

#9 Vivi-Anne Stein Then

Vivi-Anne Stein Now

When Vivi left ALDC, she continued dancing at her mother's studio, Candy Apples Dance Center. She still dances there and has also started cheerleading.

#10 Kalani Hilliker Then

#10 Kalani Hilliker ThenLifetime

Kalani Hilliker Now

Kalani kept dancing after her time on the series. Since then, she has begun acting and modeling, appearing in the Brat TV show Dirt.

#11 Brynn Rumfallo Then

#11 Brynn Rumfallo ThenLifetime

Brynn Rumfallo Now

When she finished up on the show, Brynn continued to dance at Danceplex in Arizona. She has since appeared in the Brat TV series Boss Cheer, playing a cheerleader.

#12 Payton Ackerman Then

#12 Payton Ackerman ThenLifetime

Payton Ackerman Now

Payton continued to dance for ALDC after leaving the show. When she graduated high school, she moved to LA briefly to pursue dance and worked for the Facebook Watch series DanceOn Fitness.

#13 Asia Monet Ray Then

#13 Asia Monet Ray ThenLifetime

Asia Monet Ray Now

Asia appeared on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and then went on to star in her own reality series, Raising Asia. She has since released several albums and has appeared in American Crime Story, Sister Code, and Grey's Anatomy.

#14 Elliana Walmsley Then

#14 Elliana Walmsley ThenLifetime

Elliana Walmsley Now

After her time on Dance Moms, Elliana starred in the off-Broadway show Dance Divas Nutcracker. She also participated in Dancing With the Stars: Juniors, and she stars on the Brat TV series Chicken Girls.

#15 Lilliana Ketchman Then

#15 Lilliana Ketchman ThenLifetime

Lilliana Ketchman Now

Lilliana has been featured in music videos for artists like Bianca Ryan, Sia, and her former Dance Moms co-star, JoJo Siwa. She has also begun modeling and has a large following on YouTube.

#16 Camryn Bridges Then

#16 Camryn Bridges ThenLifetime

Camryn Bridges Now

Camryn says that she weathered a lot of bullying because of the show and had to go to therapy for treatment. She appeared in Mariah Carey's Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues on Apple TV+. 

#17 Maesi Caes Then

#17 Maesi Caes ThenLifetime

Maesi Caes Now

Maesi has appeared on Little Big Shots and World of Dance. She also began modeling and teaches dance classes occasionally.

So, there you have it. The girls sure have grown up!

It's so nice to see that Dance Moms has had a positive impact on most of them and their lives, especially because when it comes to reality television, that is rarely the case. We wish them all the very best and the brightest futures possible!

Stephanie