Nia Sioux is sharing her side of the story! Like most of the original dancing moms cast reunited for the Lifetime special about the dance studio run by Abby Lee Millera familiar face was missing.
Nia chose not to attend the Dance Moms: The Reunion special that featured his fellow dancers JoJo SiwaBrooke and Paige Hyland, Chloe Lukasiak, Kalani Hilliker and Kendall Vertes.
In a new TikTok, the 22-year-old dancer and college student shared her reason for not participating in the special.
“The reason is quite simple. I just didn’t want to do it,” Nia shared. “Some people think it was because I had sorority stuff, no I didn’t. Some people think it’s because I’m in school. I’m in school, but it wouldn’t have been a problem. I just didn’t do it. I want to do it, and That’s a good enough answer and a good enough reason.”
She added that she doesn’t feel animosity toward her friends and fellow dancers, noting, “I love the girls and I’m really happy for them. And I’m really happy that they can share how they felt and their experiences. But that’s just something that I decided I didn’t want to do it and that’s okay!”
Nia also made it clear that her decision to not participate had nothing to do with her feelings about her time on the show.
“I always say I’m grateful for that,” she said of dancing moms. “It’s where I came from. It’s how I started. It’s the reason I have such an amazing life now, really.”
Nia’s mom, Dr. Holly Frazier, who also appeared on the show, commented on her video, writing, “Proud mom!!!
Pal Brooke Hyland, who chose to participate in the special, also commented: “I love you 💘”
In addition to Nia, dancers Maddie Ziegler and Mackenzie Ziegler also chose not to participate in the special reunion, and their absence was widely discussed.
During the special, Siwa spoke out against the dancers who chose not to come, saying, “Them not being here is like, ‘Let me erase my past, pretend it never happened, throw it down the drain,’ when it’s like, this is why you are who you are. “
However, when the cast spoke with ET’s Rachel Smith after filming the special, they gained a better understanding of their former fellow dancers’ decisions.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with us,” Paige Hyland told ET. “I think they love us and we have our own relationship and that’s why we had a birthday party and had fun. But I think it’s a lot of revisiting those feelings and it’s not something everyone is ready for.”
Dance Moms: The Reunion airs Wednesday, May 1 at 8pm ET on Lifetime.
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