Nia Sioux, former ‘Dance Moms’ star, opens up about pain and triumph in new memoir

Dance Moms' Nia Sioux On Growing Up On Reality TV and New Memoir 'Bottom of the Pyramid' | The Sit

Nia Sioux, best known from Dance Moms, opens up like never before about her new memoir Bottom of the Pyramid — a raw, powerful look at what it was really like growing up on reality TV, battling self-doubt, and learning to love herself beyond the spotlight.

LOS ANGELES - UCLA graduate and former "Dance Moms" star Nia Sioux is opening up about heartbreak and triumph in her book "Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir."

"I think bottom of the pyramid means strength to me now. There's so much behind it, and it really is my story," Sioux explained.

What we know:

In 2011, Lifetime's "Dance Moms" became an overnight sensation, and the lives of Sioux, along with the other members of her dance team and their mothers, became household names in the reality TV world. For years, fans watched as the child star was the frequent recipient of verbal jabs from her dance instructor, Abby Lee Miller, who owned and taught at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh.

In each episode, Miller ranked the girls with a pyramid model based on their performance from dance competitions and other factors. Despite all her hard work and desire to impress Miller, Sioux often found herself ranked at the bottom.

The show featuring its original cast ran from 2011 to 2017. However, the show also had a resurgence during the pandemic as many turned to binge-watching for comfort. 

After years of self-discovery and healing, Sioux is sharing her story about how she turned pain into triumph in her new memoir.

What they're saying:

Nia Sioux is all grown up. Longtime and new fans continue to follow the 24-year-old on social media—she has more than 6 million followers on Instagram and 9.6 million followers on TikTok.

Her challenging years didn't affect her love for dance in the end, and she still proudly calls herself a dancer. Now, she adds singer, actress, and author to the list.

"It just feels like a weight has lifted off my shoulders," Sioux said about writing her memoir. "Enough time has passed where I feel like I know what to say. I'm happy with where I'm at now, and I couldn't be more excited to share this part of my life now," she said. "Everyone's looking at the show now from an adult point of view."

She credits her mother, Dr. Holly Frazier, for being the glue that held her together while filming the show. She shared that during moments when self-doubt took the reins, she considered quitting dance. In addition to her family, her mentors also encouraged her to keep going.

"They reminded me that usually people regret quitting dance. They haven't really met anyone who's happy that they quit dance, and that's really what I needed to hear in that moment," Sioux recalled.

She also shared that revisiting those early years did reopen some old wounds. Sioux described re-watching those pyramid scenes as "weird," and she feels very maternal toward her younger self.

"All of the chapters were hard to write... I wanted to make sure I used the right words," she said. "The hardest part to write was my relationship with some of the girls, some of the cast members."

TV personalities/dancers Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hilliker, tv personality Abby Lee Miller, dancers Mackenzie Ziegler, Maddie Ziegler, Jojo Siwa and Nia Sioux Frazier from the show "Dance Moms" pose backstage at Nickelodeon's 28th Annual Kids' Choice A (Getty Images)

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However, she hopes they take away some positivity. "I hope, one, that they're proud of me for finally speaking my truth, and two, I hope they find comfort in it."

Sioux added that fans may be shocked by what she reveals. "They're going to be surprised about a lot of stuff, good and bad."

Nia Sioux On Her Healing Journey

During the show, even at a young age, Sioux was often a strong and silent force. "Just because you're strong doesn't mean things don't affect you," she said.

She said affirmations and self-care have been key in her healing journey. "She would say she's super proud of me and thinks I'm really cool," she said about how her younger self could view where she is now.

As far as what she would tell her younger self: "It's going to be crazy, but it's worth it."

Dig deeper:

Last year, there was a two-hour special, "Dance Moms: The Reunion." Sioux was notably absent. She shared on a podcast hosted by Kamie Crawford that she believed topics that were important for her to discuss, such as experiencing racism, wouldn't air.

RELATED: ‘Dance Moms’ Kalani Hilliker shocks cast by revealing mental health struggles

"I know it brought a lot of the other girls peace and closure, but I knew for me, it wasn't going to do the same," she said. "I knew in order for me to have closure, I needed to bring topics up. I needed to talk about my experience being the only Black girl on the show."

"They weren't going to cover that. There's no way they would," she said. "It would have been cut out... that's not good enough for me."

What's next:

"Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir" will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

"You can always overcome anything, and just because someone puts you at the bottom, or you think you're at the bottom doesn't mean you can't work your way to the top," she concluded.