"I break down": Dance Moms alum Kalani Hilliker opens up about being on the show
On Monday, Kalani Hilliker shared her experience filming Lifetime's Dance Moms and many insights about the show. According to Kalani, during an interview with E! News, the cast members of the show, Dance Moms, didn't get to share their feelings during the filming of the seasons.
Kalani did not share her real feelings publicly, as she wanted to showcase the best version of herself on the show.
During the interview, Kalani Hilliker explained:
"We never were really allowed to vocalize how we felt. And I definitely held a lot in of how I was feeling and what was going on just because I obviously wanted to be the best. I had so many eyes on me that I was just wanting to be the best I could. I feel like when I finally was able to move out and be by myself, I realized a lot of things that happened to me in my childhood carried with me.”
The show, Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition season 4 featured Kalani Hilliker, who finished the show in fourth place. At the time, she was just twelve years old. In 2014, joined the Dance Moms for a period of three years. The judges and audience were thrilled by a number of her performances while she was on Dance Moms.
Kalani Hilliker shared:
"I'm a very hardworking person, like, I love to be go, go, go, go. But when I'm go, go, go, go all the time, my energy runs out. And then I can't even do the things that I want to do anymore. And I break down. I definitely broke down.”
Kalani Hilliker is grateful for the experience she gained on Lifetime's Dance Moms
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Kalani Hilliker is a 22-year-old dancer and actress. She was born to Kira Girard and Matthew Hilliker. During the interview, Kalani expressed her gratitude for the experience she had on the show, Dance Moms, and the lessons she learned.
As well, Kalani Hilliker explained that she has zero regrets about participating in Lifetime's Dance Moms. She also explained how she wouldn't have been able to establish the career that she currently has if she hadn't appeared on the show as a dancer.
According to Kalani:
"Everything happens for a reason. And I'm so grateful for the show. And I'm so grateful for Abby. If she didn't bring me on to the show, I wouldn't have the career that I have. Obviously, it brought lots of trauma. And we all definitely went through some hard times. And I can't speak for any of them, because we all have our own experiences.”
In addition, the Dance Moms alum said:
“But for me, it was really, really hard. And I obviously have anxiety and other things probably stemming from being on the show. But at the end of the day, I'm so grateful for it because I wouldn't be able to advocate for things like mental health or teach dance on the level that I do."
As of now, Kalani is focusing on her brand, 'Pretty Feet', which sells socks.
Lifetime currently airs all episodes of Dance Moms season 8, but no announcements have been made about the season 9 of the show.
Quick Links
Divya Kumar