Nia Sioux Says She and the Cast Took ‘Time to Heal’ Post ‘Dance Moms’
If you’ve ever watched Dance Moms, you likely know who Nia Sioux Frazier is. The talented performer and her mother (Holly Hatcher-Frazier) were the only members of the original cast who stayed until the end of the show’s original run. And while the show gave the mother-daughter duo celebrity status, it wasn’t an easy ride for the pair.
Nia Sioux was a part of the ‘Dance Moms’ cast for seven seasons
From the very beginning of Dance Moms, Nia was portrayed as the underdog. Her teacher, Abby Lee Miller, constantly critiqued the dancer’s technique. Nia was often thrown in the back of group dances and not given as many opportunities as other dancers. When she was given a solo, it sometimes featured problematic themes. And despite her hard work, Nia was almost always near the bottom half of the pyramid.
Of course, Nia’s tenure on Dance Moms was made even more complex due to her race. The former soap opera star has shared that being one of the only Black girls in the cast was sometimes a challenge for her. For example, fans of the reality TV show may recall Miller criticizing Nia’s hair, which was in braids at the time. “Fix this hair, ‘casue it’s horrible,” the dance teacher stated.
The UCLA student talks about healing after ‘Dance Moms’ ended
Throughout the show, Nia proved that she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. However, she’s gotten even more vocal about her experience since Dance Moms ended. Recently, the “Star in Your Own Life” singer spoke to Insider about why she and her former castmates feel able to speak out about their experiences now.
“When we ended the show, I think we all had to take time to heal for lots of different reasons,” Nia explained “But I feel like now that we’re adults, we’re opening up about it on social media. And it’s coming from a place of being grateful for the show but also feeling like we’re able to say what we want because we’re now old enough to properly realize things, and it’s easier to articulate our points now than when we were all, like, 12.”
Where does Nia stand with her former dance teacher Abby Lee Miller?
One point that Nia clearly articulated via a popular TikTok video is that Miller’s harsh teaching style was unacceptable. The actor no longer has any ties with her former dance teacher and dubbed her “the biggest bully in America.” Much like her former Dance Moms castmate Maddie Ziegler, Nia has no plans to ever speak to Miller again. However, she does seem to wish the choreographer well. “I stand by what I said, but I also don’t wish anything bad on anyone.”
