Fresh off the May 2024 special reunion episode Dance Moms mania has captivated the world yet again, perhaps helped along by the booming popularity of its breakout star, Jojo Siwa.
While Siwa — who appeared on Dance Moms for three seasons — has turned people’s attention to the iconic reality show, she is only partly responsible for its enduring success. Of course, there’s Abby Lee Miller, the infamous dance instructor who has generated enough memes that she should be earning royalties.
Then there’s Maddie Ziegler, who went on to star in Sia’s “Chandelier” music video and more recently appeared in the HBO Max movie The Fallout alongside Jenna Ortega. Each core castmate has contributed to Dance Moms’ longevity, including the contemporary and lyrical dancer Kalani Hilliker.
The daughter of Kira Girard, Kalani was a staple member of the Dance Moms cast before its 2018 reboot and her time on the show was marked by some pretty memorable moments. Here’s exactly when Kalani Hilliker joined Dance Moms.
When does Kalani join Dance Moms?
Kalani’s Dance Moms journey began on its Lifetime spinoff show Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, which she joined in its second and final season in 2013. After placing fourth in that reality dance competition, Kalani was invited by Miller to join the Abby Lee Dance Company, and she first appeared as a guest dancer on Dance Moms during its fourth season in 2014.
Kalani’s debut appearance on Dance Moms was during the season four episode “Big Trouble in the Big Apple”, and she continued to appear sporadically throughout that season’s earlier episodes. After several weeks as a guest dancer, Kalani was brought onto Dance Moms as a permanent member of the team and cast at the beginning of season five. Kalani was enlisted as a replacement for Chloe Lukasiak, whose mother Christi had a notoriously tumultuous relationship with Abby.
Kalani and her mother were a part of the core cast from season five until midway through season seven, when they left to form the so-called “Irreplacables” dance team alongside Lukasiak, Nia Sioux, Kendall Vertes and Camryn Bridges. Kalani and Kira left Dance Moms altogether following the season seven finale.
More recently, Kalani was one of multiple former castmates to return to the Dance Moms universe as part of a special reunion episode, which aired on May 4, 2024. She was joined at the reunion by Siwa, Lukasiak, Vertes and Brooke, and Paige Hyland, alongside their respective mothers.