Starring In My Own Life, Dancing & Dreaming Forward – Nia Sioux
Starring In My Own Life, Dancing & Dreaming Forward – Nia Sioux
At 24, Nia Sioux Frazier is defining success for herself for the first time in her career. Turning the page on a dance career that saw so much stardom (and so much heartbreak) at such an early age as one of the original members of Lifetime’s pop-culture phenomenon Dance Moms, Sioux is gracing the spotlight and sharing her story totally unscripted this time. Her smile today reflects confidence, resilience, and the promise that her star is only beginning to shine its brightest.
Once framed only as the young dancer wondering just what it would take to rise to the top, Sioux is blossoming as an entrepreneur, influencer, content creator, speaker, and role model. A dancer, singer, and actor, she’s a triple threat. In November of 2025, she added author to her resume, releasing her memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid. Out of the process, she’s emerging into who she’s exactly meant to be.
“Growing up as a dancer, it just feels like a full circle moment,” Sioux told us in January of her newfound belief in herself and confidence in writing her story. “I feel like the time is right.” The title of the book is a reminder of Sioux’s time at the bottom of the Abby Lee Dance Company’s infamous pyramid, a tiered system in which her studio mates were ranked by their dance capabilities. It’s where Sioux lived much of her childhood.
Exciting at the onset, gut-wrenching in its toughest times, Dance Moms shaped who she is today, but it doesn’t define her. Always the underdog, it was Sioux’s joy for dance and her tenacity that kept her stepping into the studio season after season, show after show, and ultimately what made us root for her most.
The book is a letter to her younger self, but also the person she’s grown into. To that little girl who first stepped into the studio, determined to keep dancing no matter what, and to the girl who defined courage by performing when, it seemed, no one was in her corner.
Faced with growing up in front of the cameras and the millions of viewers each week, while navigating adolescence and racial overtones of being the only Black girl on the show for several seasons, Sioux goes in-depth about her experiences in the book, and most importantly, how she found her inner strength to rise above the challenges. She believes her story can be a beacon of hope for anyone looking to find or regain their voice on their own journey.
Recognizing that much of the dance world knew her as the little girl at the bottom of the pyramid, no matter how well she performed, Sioux is determined to turn the experience into a positive one by showing everyone just how resilient she is. It’s been inspiring to watch, and you can feel just how much having a new platform means to her.
“I know that my story has helped others, and that’s the whole point,” she said. “That’s the reason why I wanted to share my story in the first place was that, yes, I want my story to be told. For baby Nia, to give her her flowers, but there’s a lot of people who have gone through similar things. To at least be some guidance to people, that’s been amazing.”
From the first words written during her junior year at UCLA to the final edits, the book was a three-year process. Throughout that time, she experienced a true reconciliation of all she had been through in her young career, living her life so publicly. Telling her story, in her own words, was difficult. Doing it without cameras, producers, judges, or scripts, was freeing. What we thought was going on behind the scenes of the show was true, paired with so much more.
She highlights the challenges she faced as a young Black woman in dance, not because she thinks they’re special, but because she knows they aren’t. She wants to offer hope to anyone sharing that experience, that you can come out of it even stronger than before. “For a really long time, I was scared,” she said. “I was afraid that people would blame me or try to tear others down for the past. I finally realized that my story can be told just as much as anyone else’s. Everyone else has gotten to share their side of things, their perspective. Why can’t I do the same? For people to finally hear my side of things makes it full circle for me, and it’s also very healing.”
Whether she’s jetting off to New York Fashion Week or inside the ballet studio at home, Sioux is everywhere now, enjoying life, chasing her newest dreams and discovering who she is as a 20-year-old woman. One look at her social media and you’ll see just how much she’s been soaking up the moments.
THE OG
Well before Dance Moms, before the stardom, and before everything became its own script in her life onscreen and across social media, Sioux fell in love with the thrill of being on stage, and the pure magic of performance. Whether watching or performing, live performance is where her heart loves being the most. And she still feels that way today.
“I’ve always been just obsessed with the stage and live performances. My family would take me to go see Broadway shows since I was a baby,” she said. “We have family in New York, and every time we’d go, we’d go see a Broadway show. And, I think that was just part of it. It was storytelling through movement. On top of that, doing it live. I stand by this to this day. There’s nothing like seeing a live performance because the energy is different every time. You never know what you’re going to get. That’s the beautiful part about it—it’s just organized chaos, and I love it!”
The world first met Sioux as a 9-year-old dancer living life inside what looked like a typical dance studio, tucked away in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tight studios lined with mirrors, the sometimes peeling marley taped and retaped again, props and costumes stacked in crates along the walls, locker rooms filled with leotards, dance bags, shoes, and hair ties everywhere, and the occasional inspirational poster taped to the wall. It’s where every young dancer gets their start, and Sioux was no different.
From the tender age of 3 to well into her teenage years, Sioux was a member of the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC). Early on, dance was fun. And she was good at it. As a recreational student, she learned tap, ballet, and acro, and loved all of it. By the time she turned 6, she was ready for more and joined the competition team, adding technique, combination, jazz, musical theater, and lyrical classes to her schedule. And a lot more hours.
What began as a few classes for a couple of hours a week quickly shifted into life in the studio, all culminating in January 2011, when she spotted a flyer in the studio announcing that a production company was coming in to interview the dancers and their moms for a documentary. What she didn’t know then was just how much of a narrative had already been created behind the scenes before the first episode ever aired.
Originally titled “Just Dance”, the concept focused on highlighting dance moms and their daughters, as well as the drama behind the scenes in the studio. Sioux got the call she had been cast on the show—her signature on an initial six-week contract changing the trajectory of her life forever. She starred on the show for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017, alongside her mom, Holly Frazier. Her castmates in the first season included sisters Maddie Ziegler and Mackenzie Ziegler, Chloe Lukasiak, sisters Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland, and their mothers.
It was exciting at first, with Sioux writing about moments such as the first time the group saw themselves on the big screen at their Las Vegas premiere party, winning the Kids’ Choice Award, and appearing on shows including The View. “Each time felt refreshing and different, and we were grateful for our incredible fandom, which has, overall, proven to be supportive and loving,” she wrote. She also notes that the OGs, the core group, knew how to dance as a team.
As additional dancers who were signed to be part of the show but not part of the studio became regulars on the series, the core‘s dynamic was tested, creating the perfect made-for-reality-television storm.
America’s Pyramid
As Dance Moms, as it was now called, grew in popularity, themes began to emerge, and Sioux found her joy and passion for dance thoroughly tested. “It was all fun and games at first, but there was a major culture shift as the seasons progressed,” she wrote. “The ALDC was no longer a fun place where we could express ourselves through our cute outfits or makeup. It became very serious and, with every season, more grueling.”
Sioux experienced growing stardom with the typical challenges of adolescence. Navigating the racial overtones in her solos, while facing comments about everything from her skin tone to her hair to her feet to her body type not having the right aesthetic for dance, while seeking approval from her peers throughout elementary and middle school, was tough enough. Doing it all in front of the cameras was at an entirely different level that no one had prepared her for.
“I don’t think I realized that people didn’t see me as a real person until after the show. On the show, we were exposed to a lot, but also we weren’t. We were very sheltered,” she said. “We were working all the time. We would wake up, go to school, go to dance to film, go to dance after filming, and do the same thing every single day, and then go to a dance competition. That was my life for seven years. In my mind, it didn’t feel like we were putting on a show because it was just our lives. People saw us as characters, and because we’re on a TV show, it didn’t matter if it was reality.”
Her teacher used everything she could to consistently place Sioux at the bottom of the pyramid—no matter how well she did—and slowly Sioux became the part, rather than the person. “Somehow Abby’s pyramid turned into America’s pyramid, but at the end of the day, I know those rankings were hers alone,” she wrote. “….I discovered that being at the bottom means you have so much more room to grow.”
The longer she stayed on the show—making the move to LA and sacrificing family time—the more Sioux was tested. She saw friendships fall apart and opportunities taken away from her by her teacher. As the door continued to revolve on her castmates, Sioux stayed and pressed on, gradually pursuing her own interests, including music and acting, which she loved. In front of the camera, she put on her game face, believing the intense criticism was all part of what she had to endure.
“When I was younger and on the show, I would excuse things,” she said. “People would say, ‘Oh, that’s crazy.’ And I’d say, ‘Well, they’re just doing it because they love us. It’s just tough love.’ As I got older, I realized it’s not just tough love. It was masked as tough love. It was masked as just a reality TV show, but it was my life. Being able to talk about it now is freeing because I can talk about the show and not be afraid because I’m speaking from my heart.”
Turning The Page
Sioux’s superpower is overcoming the challenges she faced and turning them into positive experiences. It’s helped her flourish and inspired a younger generation of dancers to use their own voices. Not fitting the part, it turns out, was the best thing that could have happened to Sioux.
“I know fans wonder why I stayed on the show for so long,” she wrote. “The short of it is, I would not concede to anyone’s opinion of me. The fact that I knew I wasn’t wanted on the team only made me push harder. I needed to prove I was – am – good enough.
That I would stick to my commitments and come out stronger, no matter what. Watch me, I’d think. I’m not going anywhere.”
With opportunities in music, fashion, education, and, eventually, the amazing experience of using her voice for advocacy in the political arena on the horizon, by season 7, Sioux realized she no longer needed Dance Moms. And the door was suddenly wide open.
As she stepped out of the ALDC, a new Nia Sioux emerged. She went to school, started dancing again, and looked forward to all of the opportunities that glittered ahead. Her creative life was no longer a linear path to a pyramid or the next competition; it’s whatever she wants it to be. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Dance remains close to her heart, and she knows how much of a role model she’s become. It’s a position she enjoys, while acknowledging she’s not perfect and still learning about herself. “I don’t take being a role model lightly,” she said. “It’s an honor to be even looked at, viewed as a role model. I try my best. I’m not perfect. I’m only human. So I still make mistakes. I’m still figuring things out for myself. But, I really am honored that people do see me as a role model.”
Sioux landed at UCLA, where she joined a student-led dance club called Icarus Contemporary. She loved it because they performed, but didn’t compete, and offered her the opportunity to share her love of dance with the troupe without the pressure of being judged. She adored being onstage again, and called the experience one more step in her journey to healing. “It’s so fun, so healing, because we didn’t have to compete. I got a chance to start choreographing, and that was amazing, and I loved it,” she said.
During school, she worked with Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher program, furthering her passion for voting advocacy through I Am a Voter and I Will Vote, and working with the Democratic National Convention. She also had the incredible opportunity to interview Kamala Harris, and become part of a roundtable event with Harris, where she discussed reproduction rights, women’s rights and human rights. It’s something she remains passionate about and is excited to continue.
Finding support in her family first, especially her mom, Sioux has found so much strength in their journey. The circle of women surrounding her throughout her career, which includes her Dance Moms co-star Chloe Lukasiak, whom she reconnected with after several years and stayed close, as well as industry stars and legends including Debbie Allen, Chloe and Maud Arnold, and Kristin McQuaid, has also meant everything to her. “Chloe and Maude. When I was first coming out to LA, they really took me under their wing and have been incredible mentors for me,” she said. “I can ask them about anything. It doesn’t have to just be dance or career-related. They will take me under their wing for everything, whether it’s dating, whether it’s friendships, they are there for me. They are there for me. Those are my sisters.”
Chatting about the list of dancers, actors, and role models she’s reconnected with as her story was brought to life in the book, Sioux has felt so much love. “Being able to say that Misty Copeland, Alicia Graf Mack, Cheryl Burke, and Gabrielle Union endorsed my book has been amazing. Chloe Lukasiak wrote the foreword, and I don’t take that lightly. To have a former cast member be so supportive of this, it’s a difficult story. Having her support through this really means a lot. I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t need the validation. But it’s so nice to see people who you look up to believe in you.”
Top Of Her Game
Navigating her way through life as a woman in her 20s, Sioux acknowledges that stepping back into the dance studio has been, at times, nerve-racking, but so joyful. She’s found a renewed sense of herself and the recognition that the little girl who fell in love with the stage is still right there rooting for her.
“It feels really good. I will say there’s better days than others. Dancers, we’re so harsh and critical of ourselves. I recently just started taking ballet classes again, which has been so therapeutic!” she said.
Ballet has always been one her favorite styles, and whether she’s dancing, learning something new or choreographing now, she’s learned to give herself grace. “It’s so beautiful, and ballerinas make it look so effortless, even though it’s so hard. I try to get into the studio when I can, because it’s just going back to my roots. Any time I take a little time off, or I haven’t been in the studio for a while, it’s always so scary to go back in. But then it’s like riding a bike. You start and you can say, ‘I’m good. I got this!’”
Though her time with the ALDC was often exceptionally tough, Sioux believes that without it, she would have never found the platform she has and the path she chose. Her goal is to continue storytelling in any way she can to honor others’ voices as much as she’s honored her own. Out of it all, she’s emerged in a much bolder spotlight—a confident young woman who is just as open about her newfound success as she is about taking every day to recognize that not only does she not have everything figured out, she doesn’t have to.
“I’m in this place where I have a ton of goals. I want to act. I want to continue dancing. I want to continue social media,” she said. “I took a lot of time off because of school, and then I was writing the book. I’m in this era where I’m finally able to get back into all of that. I’m getting back into the scene to audition again. I’m just really excited to see where leads.”
The overwhelming support she found for telling her story is something that she cherishes. Inside the dance studio or out, for all of the tough days, it’s all been worth it. And to that little girl who grew up wide-eyed, dancing and dreaming, the curtain is only beginning to rise.
Photography by: Bukunmi Grace
