When Dance Moms made it’s way on to our television screens back in 2011, no one could predict what a cultural phenomenon it would become. Countless dancers have come and gone over the course of the series, however, when some took their final bows, they didn’t disappear under the dimming stage lights. Instead, they stepped onto the world stage to become stars in their own right. Perhaps most notably, Jojo Siwa and Maddie Ziegler became a household names, but they’re not the only ones star power.
Kalani Hilliker graced the hit reality show during Season four after initially appearing on dance instructor Abby Lee Miller’s, Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. With her natural talent and charisma, Hilliker quickly became a fan favorite. Hilliker was a familiar face on Dance Moms for two and a half seasons before taking her leave to pursue other dance opportunities; namely, the chance to travel the country with fellow Dance Moms alumni’s Kendall Vertes and Chloe Lukasiak as part of The Irreplaceables, a dance group headed up by Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke.
(@kalanihilliker)
Any teen icon tends to do very well on social media and digital platforms, and Hilliker is no different. The dancer has just over 6 million followers on Instagram and just over 780,000 subscribers on YouTube, where fans are kept in the loop on Hilliker’s life since the cameras have officially stopped rolling on it. However, the absence of a reality TV crew seems to be a welcome change of pace that allows her to be a normal teen girl.
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being in front of cameras, which gets stressful. I have to watch every little thing I do, but I also have to remember that I can’t make everybody happy”, she told Dance Spirit.
Kalani has established herself a fun sock line called “Pretty Feet by Kalani” which is sold at Claire’s, and a prom dress collection she helped design in partnership with PromGirl.
Her rise hasn’t stopped there though, the 19-year-old has lent her talents to the television series, Dirt, starring in 20 episodes as a character named Sabrina. The show appears on Brat TV, which is a YouTube-based digital network that got its start with short-form content across social media platforms.
Currently the teen juggernaut also hosts a new dating show from Studio71 on Facebook Watch, called Kiss, Date, Eliminate. It’s is an eight-episode social experiment, in which participants make their first impressions with a kiss. From there, they have to decide whether there’s a spark worth exploring on a follow-up date. If the first kiss is a dud, there’s no chance to make it up. The first episode featured YouTuber Lance Stewart to help kick things off. The series is produced by Studio71, a Red Arrow Studios company, with Andrew Strauser and Matt Schmidt serving as executive producers.
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