'Lots of trauma.' What all the kids from Dance Moms have said since appearing on the show.

Dance Moms is the show that either made us glad we were never pushed to attend ballet lessons past the age of five or salty we didn’t stick with it.

There’s no doubt about it: the sheer intensity uncovered in Dance Moms of the US junior competitive dance scene made for an addictive watch.

Were we sometimes jealous of the talents of children a fraction of our age? Absolutely. But did we want to be subjected to the wrath of terrifying dance coach Abby Lee Miller if our pirouettes were slightly off? Hell no.

Take a walk down memory lane and watch the trailer for Dance Moms Season One here. Story continues after video. 

Since the program first premiered in 2011, some of the show's young dancers have been catapulted into the spotlight, while others have kicked off their dancing shoes to take on a different path.

Here’s what the kids from Dance Moms are doing now, and what they've said about the show since appearing on it.

Where is Kalani Hilliker in 2023?

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Kalani was part of Dance Moms for its fourth season when she was 12 years old and later was in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition in 2013. 

The 22-year-old now runs her own business, Kare By Kalani, where she sells lifestyle, wellness and personal care products. 

In a new interview, Kalani shared what it was like being part of the reality show. 

"We never were really allowed to vocalise how we felt," she recalled to E News. "And I definitely held a lot in of how I was feeling and what was going on just because I obviously wanted to be the best."

The dancer, who stepped away from reality TV in 2017, confessed she finally felt like she was "able to move out and be by myself."

"I realised a lot of things that happened to me in my childhood carried with me," she shared. 

Kalani admitted she feels "grateful" following the experience, despite developing anxiety following the show. 

"Obviously, it brought lots of trauma. And we all definitely went through some hard times. And I can't speak for any of them, because we all have our own experiences," she said. 

"But for me, it was really, really hard. And I obviously have anxiety and other things probably stemming from being on the show. But at the end of the day, I'm so grateful for it because I wouldn't be able to advocate for things like mental health or teach dance on the level that I do."

Where is Maddie Ziegler in 2023?

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By far the most recognisable name that came out of Dance Moms, the now 20-year-old Maddie Ziegler skyrocketed into Hollywood when Australian musician Sia cast her – complete with blunt bob wig – in her music videos for 'Chandelier' and 'Elastic Heart'. 

She then turned to acting and gained global recognition for her work in Pretty Little Liars, Austin And Ally and The Book of Henry. 

In 2021, she took on her biggest role yet, alongside Wednesday star Jenny Ortega in The Fallout. That same year, she also played Velma in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. 

Late last year, she became a property owner in Los Angeles after buying a 1950s cottage in the Nichols Canyon region of Hollywood Hills for a steep AUD$3.4 million.

Maddie has been dating Australian musician Eddie Benjamin since 2019. 

"We feed off of each other so much. I think it's so cool that we push each other every day," she told Entertainment Tonight in 2022. "It's cool that we can give each other advice. He's just been so supportive."

Earlier this year, Maddie sat down on High Low with EmRata, where she revealed her mother, Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni, apologised to her for her time on Dance Moms.

"Last year, I was having a really bad panic attack and I called my mum and things were coming up from the past, and she apologised to me," the dancer said.

"She was like, 'I'm so sorry I put you through that.' It's so sad because she would never want to hurt us, but none of us knew how crazy it would get," Ziegler added.

Where is Mackenzie Ziegler in 2023?

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At 18 years old, Maddie's younger sister has carved out her own niche in the entertainment industry as a successful singer. 

She has since released two albums and performed across several tours. Her latest single, 'Paper' came out in 2023 and has already been streamed over 600,000 times.

She hasn’t turned her back on dancing, though. Since leaving Dance Moms, she appeared on Dancing With The Stars: Juniors and made it to the finals. 

Mackenzie also released her own book in 2019 called Kenzie's Rules for Life: How to Be Happy, Healthy, and Dance to Your Own Beat. 

Since August 2020, she has been dating Tacoda Dubbs.

Whilst Mackenzie hasn't said much about her relationship, her sister Maddie told the Pretty Basic with Alisha Marie and Remi Cruz podcast in 2021 that they date "a little differently".

"We both have boyfriends," she said. "Me and Kenzie are a little different when it comes to dating. Kenzie’s had so many boyfriends… For me, I’d rather be in a relationship than just dating around. It’s really scary… It’s really hard."

Where is JoJo Siwa in 2023?

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JoJo Siwa, 20, appeared on two seasons of Dance Moms, and is now enjoying a successful music career in the US.

Singles like 'Boomerang' and 'Kid In A Candy Store' have launched her into the kids' entertainment scene, and made her YouTube channel a hit with more than 12 million subscribers. 

Boasting an exclusive licencing deal with Nickelodeon, JoJo has an endless range of merchandise items, including clothing, shoes, accessories, dolls, books, and even ice cream.

As a result, the dancer and singer reportedly has a net worth of around $20 million.

In early 2021, JoJo came out as queer, and later added she prefers the term pansexual.

"I never wanted [my coming out] to be a big deal. I’ve known since I was little," she explained to People in April 2021. 

"Technically, I would say that I am pansexual because that’s how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human."

Where is Chloe Lukasiak in 2023?

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Chloe Lukasiak left Dance Moms in 2014 after her mum had an argument with Abby Lee Miller.

Since then, the 22-year-old has become a social media influencer, boasting more than seven million Instagram followers and a popular YouTube channel.

She has also released her own book, Girl on Pointe: Chloe's Guide to Taking On The World, and she has a budding acting career, scoring a role in the TV movie, Center Stage: On Pointe. In 2018, she also had a role in the popular kid's film, F.R.E.D.I.

The 22-year-old is currently studying marketing and creative writing at Pepperdine University.

In 2022, Chloe went public with her relationship with professional skateboarder and model Brooklinn Khoury. 

"It feels so good for people to just sort of know," she told People. "All of my family and friends have known for quite a while, but to take away that last layer hiding was so freeing."

In November 2020, Brooklinn was involved in a life-altering incident where a family member's dog attacked her. As a result, her "whole top lip and edges of my nose are completely ripped off," she shared in an Instagram post at the time.

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Brooklinn now posts about her recovery journey on social media.

Where is Nia Sioux in 2023?

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Nia, 22, was on Dance Moms until the show went on hiatus in 2016.

Since 2018, the 22-year-old has kept herself busy by starring on The Bold and the Beautiful. The budding actress is also working on a few film roles.

She's released her first children's book, Today I Dance, as well as two singles. 

Now she studies American Literature at UCLA and also shares her life online to her 5.7 million followers.

Nia shared in 2022 that while she keeps herself busy, she's intent on expressing herself online the way she intends to.

"Everything comes with time, and I'm not in a rush to get loads of things done at once," she said, according to Insider.

"I enjoy being confident in my own skin. It took me a really long time to get here, and I'm not gonna let a few comments tear me down, because I'm out here doing what I've always dreamed of doing."

Where is Brooke Hyland in 2023?

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Brooke Hyland, 25, was the 'older' original member of Dance Moms, but left in 2014 following a major fight between her mum and Abby Lee Miller. 

Now, she’s seemingly sashayed away from dance altogether.

The 25-year-old attended Ohio University, where she collected degrees in marketing, management information systems and business analytics.

Since graduating, the former reality TV star travelled the world before relocating to California, where she now works as a social media influencer.

Brooke also runs a popular food blog, which she maintains alongside her personal Instagram account.

Where is Paige Hyland in 2023?

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Brooke Hyland's 22-year-old sister Paige doesn’t seem to be dancing anymore, either.

While on Dance Moms, Abby Lee Miller threw a chair at Paige. The 22-year-old later sued her former dance teacher for emotional distress. However, the lawsuit was dismissed.

Since leaving the show, she has turned her career sights to Instagram modelling.

Now working as an influencer, Paige is studying at West Virginia University. 

Feature Image: Lifetime.

This post was originally published on June 5, 2019, and was updated on January 30, 2023 and July 25, 2023.