THEN: It’s so wild to suppose that Dance Mothers first aired 13 years in the past. Do both of you keep in mind your first response to listening to Lifetime was going to make a TV present in regards to the Abby Lee Dance Firm?
Chloé: Nicely, truly, what was totally different about Dance Mothers, was that we have identified one another since we had been, like, 2. I imply, there have been totally different dancers in our group who weren’t solid on the present, so it did form of change a little bit bit. However I’ve identified Paige since, I believe, our first dance class. And Brooke was her older sister. I noticed her round. We weren’t shut associates as a result of she was a part of an older group, however I knew her. We had been associates, however not as shut as Paige and I had been. And I’ve identified Nia a very long time. After which Maddie got here after. And so, I believe that was what’s actually attention-grabbing about that individual solid of Dance Mothers — we even have a extremely natural bond and a whole lot of historical past. And once we first came upon [about the show], it was solely purported to be, like, six episodes. So, we had been like, “Oh, this can be cool. Perhaps it will be good on our résumé in a few years,” after which it turned, like, a very totally different expertise.
I keep in mind my mother filming auditions on her little flip digital camera. I used to be like, “Okay, yeah, certain, no matter.” After which, it was bizarre as a result of I didn’t understand I used to be on a actuality present till I used to be, like, 17. That sounds loopy to say, however I used to be like, “Oh, that was, like, a present that individuals watch.” To me, that was simply my life.
Christi: For me, once they put up a casting name, I used to be one of many first folks to begin speaking with the casting director. The entire premise of the present modified as he received to know the studio. And he was like, “Oh, all the things I am searching for is on this one place.” He was truly searching for a number of mothers throughout totally different locations. And really, it was Abby [Lee Miller], who known as me in December — Chloé and Paige had been having a sleepover at my home. You guys had been dancing to “Santa Child” in some bizarre outfits — however Abby was like, “Lifetime is within the present.” After which she’s like, “You are gonna be listening to again,” after which they got here in to movie in January.
True story: She truly despatched Kelly and me to New York to get out of the way in which. Identical to Cinderella and her stepsisters! She despatched us away so we could not be taped. However I used to be speaking to the entire producers who knew that we had been being despatched away, in order that they got here the evening earlier than to do our auditions. However yeah, she tried to eliminate us, which tracks up to now, proper?
Then, it was February 28 — I’ve a bizarre factor with dates — that [Dance Moms executive producer] Bryan Stinson known as me, and he mentioned the present’s been picked up six episodes. I requested who was within the solid. And he mentioned, “Nicely, it is you, Kelly [Hyland]…” And I used to be like, “Hooray!” Then he mentioned Melissa and Holly [Frazier], and I used to be like, “Holly?!” and I mentioned, “Oh, they want somebody regular. Bought it.” Then he mentioned, “After which one other girl named Cathy [Nesbitt-Stein].” And I mentioned, “Nicely, what’s she like?” And he goes, “Oh, you may discover out.”
We began filming on April 5 — like, six weeks later — and once more, it was solely purported to be six episodes; the primary half ended up being seven episodes as a result of there was a lot drama that occurred within the first week that they needed to, like, cut up it. Earlier than we had been even on Episode 4, they got here to us and mentioned, “The community thinks that that is going to be an enormous present. And we will movie six extra episodes this summer season; pack your baggage.” I used to be like, “I’ve a 1-year-old. What am I purported to do together with her?” And so they mentioned, “Carry her!” So it was bizarre, wild life. However to what Chloé mentioned, we had been nonetheless residing in the identical home. We had been going to the identical studio. We had been hanging out with the identical folks. We had been buying in the identical locations. The one factor that was totally different is that they’d a crew that they received to be associates with and that they appreciated.
Chloé: We had been nonetheless going to highschool, too. I really feel like a whole lot of younger stars begin homeschooling and transfer to LA, however nothing modified for us. So, I believe that is why a whole lot of us are nonetheless fairly regular and processing all of it as regular as attainable.