• Chloe Lukasiak decided to stop dancing and walk away from her dance career just before starting her freshman year at Pepperdine University.
• Chloe Lukasiak experienced toxicity in the dance world, similar to other dancers, which led her to create a national dance competition called Elevé with a focus on uplifting each other.
• Chloe Lukasiak reflects on her difficult experience on Dance Moms but believes that it shaped who she is today, and she hopes to create a more positive atmosphere in the dance industry.
Here is what happened:
Chloé Lukasiak, former cast member of Dance Moms, recently revealed in an exclusive interview with E! News her decision to step away from the world of dance. After four seasons on the show and a second exit in 2017, Lukasiak made the decision to take her last dance class in fall 2019. She realized that she needed space and independence from something that had consumed her entire life. Lukasiak admitted that while she loved the sport, it was often infected by toxicity.
Lukasiak acknowledged that her experience under Abby Lee Miller’s tutelage was worse than what appeared on screen. However, she stated that she wouldn’t change a thing about it because everything she went through shaped who she is as a person. She acknowledged that many dancers have had similar negative experiences in the dance world.
Lukasiak recently launched a national dance competition called Elevé with her mom and another mother-daughter duo. The competition has a focus on uplifting each other and creating a more positive environment in the dance industry. Lukasiak hopes that each dancer participating in Elevé will feel inspired and have a great experience.
As for her future in dance, Lukasiak expressed interest in potentially returning to the stage in the future. She recently took an intro to ballet class and felt that being surrounded by dancers and seeing them cheer each other on may foster her passion again. However, she is not pushing herself and will wait and see what happens.
Other Dance Moms alumni, like Maddie Ziegler and Kenzie Ziegler, have also pursued various ventures outside of dance. Maddie has become a successful actress, author, and judge on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. Kenzie has transitioned to a singing career and released personal songs about her relationship with her father.
Overall, Lukasiak’s decision to step away from the dance world and focus on creating a more positive environment through her dance competition shows her determination to use her experiences for a greater purpose.