Bottom of the Pyramid

When you’ve been told over and over that you belong at the bottom, how do you come out on top? Dance Moms star and triple threat Nia Sioux shows the way via her story of resilience, triumph, and defining success for herself.

Young dancer Nia Sioux was only nine years old when she stepped into stardom as one of the original cast members of Lifetime’s reality TV show Dance Moms. Training under the notorious Abby Lee Miller, Nia learned new choreography week after week, competed against dancers from across the country as well as at her own studio, and suffered through Abby’s ranking of the girls against each other in her infamous pyramid—all in front of an audience of millions.

But there was much that viewers didn’t see. How the verbal and mental abuse she experienced in the studio went far beyond what made it into the show. How she was treated as the token Black dancer and ostracized for not fitting into an aesthetic that wasn’t designed for girls like her. How her friendships and her mental health crumbled under the strain of the show. How she lost control of her story and her sense of self.

In this captivating memoir, Nia reclaims both the spotlight and her narrative. In addition to going behind the scenes of the seven seasons of Dance Moms, she shows how she fought against the negative perceptions that dominated her tween and teen years and emerged as a confident young woman secure in her talents and her direction.

Anyone who has felt pigeonholed at the bottom of the pyramid will be inspired by Nia’s story of overcoming. “Despite barriers and constant naysayers, assumptions and criticisms, only you know who you are inside and out,” Nia says. “And you have the power to create your own narrative, your own level of success.”