THEN: It’s so wild to think that Dance Moms first aired 13 years ago. Do either of you remember your first reaction to hearing Lifetime was going to make a TV show about the Abby Lee Dance Company?
Chloé: Well, actually, what was different about Dance Moms, was that we’ve known each other since we were, like, 2. I mean, there were different dancers in our community who weren’t cast on the show, so it did kind of change a little bit. But I’ve known Paige since, I think, our first dance class. And Brooke was her older sister. I saw her around. We weren’t close friends because she was part of an older group, but I knew her. We were friends, but not as close as Paige and I were. And I’ve known Nia a long time. And then Maddie came after. And so, I think that was what’s really interesting about that particular cast of Dance Moms — we actually have a really organic bond and a lot of history. And when we first found out [about the show], it was only supposed to be, like, six episodes. So, we were like, “Oh, this will be cool. Maybe it’ll be good on our résumé in a couple of years,” and then it became, like, a totally different experience.
I remember my mom filming auditions on her little flip camera. I was like, “Okay, yeah, sure, whatever.” And then, it was weird because I did not realize I was on a reality show until I was, like, 17. That sounds crazy to say, but I was like, “Oh, that was, like, a show that people watch.” To me, that was just my life.
Christi: For me, when they put up a casting call, I was one of the first people to start communicating with the casting director. The whole premise of the show changed as he got to know the studio. And he was like, “Oh, everything I’m looking for is in this one place.” He was actually looking for multiple moms across different places. And actually, it was Abby [Lee Miller], who called me in December — Chloé and Paige were having a sleepover at my house. You guys were dancing to “Santa Baby” in some weird outfits — but Abby was like, “Lifetime is interested in the show.” And then she’s like, “You’re gonna be hearing back,” and then they came in to film in January.
True story: She actually sent Kelly and me to New York to get out of the way. Just like Cinderella and her stepsisters! She sent us away so we couldn’t be taped. But I was talking to all of the producers who knew that we were being sent away, so they came the night before to do our auditions. But yeah, she tried to get rid of us, which tracks so far, right?
Then, it was February 28 — I have a weird thing with dates — that [Dance Moms executive producer] Bryan Stinson called me, and he said the show’s been picked up six episodes. I asked who was in the cast. And he said, “Well, it’s you, Kelly [Hyland]…” And I was like, “Hooray!” Then he said Melissa and Holly [Frazier], and I was like, “Holly?!” and I said, “Oh, they need someone normal. Got it.” Then he said, “And then another woman named Cathy [Nesbitt-Stein].” And I said, “Well, what’s she like?” And he goes, “Oh, you’ll find out.”
We started filming on April 5 — like, six weeks later — and again, it was only supposed to be six episodes; the first half ended up being seven episodes because there was so much drama that happened in the first week that they had to, like, split it. Before we were even on Episode 4, they came to us and said, “The network thinks that this is going to be a big show. And we’re going to film six more episodes this summer; pack your bags.” I was like, “I have a 1-year-old. What am I supposed to do with her?” And they said, “Bring her!” So it was weird, wild life. But to what Chloé said, we were still living in the same house. We were going to the same studio. We were hanging out with the same people. We were shopping in the same places. The only thing that was different is that they had a crew that they got to be friends with and that they liked.
Chloé: We were still going to school, too. I feel like a lot of young stars start homeschooling and move to LA, but nothing changed for us. So, I think that’s why a lot of us are still pretty normal and processing it all as normal as possible.