The Stunning Transformation Of Dance Moms' Brooke And Paige Hyland
Brooke and Paige Hyland were only 13 and 10 years old, respectively, when Dance Moms premiered. After four seasons of drama, they officially said goodbye to the show — and it's pretty easy to see why. Dance Moms is known for the cringeworthy way in which the mothers behave, but it's also kind of harsh, due to how teacher Abby Lee Miller treats her students. And while just about every young dancer on Dance Moms got their fair share of yelling and berating from Miller, Brooke and Paige seem to have gotten more than others.
Since then, though, both Brooke and Paige have gone on to live relatively normal lives, albeit ones with massive social media followings. Still, the Hyland sisters have truly grown and changed so much since their time on the show, and to see them go from little girls to young women is nothing short of remarkable. Here's a peek.
Brooke and Paige Hyland are proud of where they grew up
As any fan of Dance Moms knows, the show takes place primarily in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, except of course when they traveled to competitions, which took place all over the country. Even though you might assume that young stars in the making would want to live in New York City or Los Angeles, Pittsburgh still provided a lot of opportunities for the cast of Dance Moms, including Brooke and Paige Hyland.
In an interview with A-List Nation magazine, the oldest Hyland sister explained that she felt a sense of pride for her hometown. "I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and absolutely love that city and all of my friends and family in it," Hyland said. However, she added that she also enjoyed being able to "try new things and explore new places." Still, the Hyland girls are Pittsburgh proud and no matter where their careers and lives may take them, it will always be home.
Brooke and Paige Hyland started dancing when they were toddlers
If you haven't been lucky enough to watch an episode of the endearing trainwreck that is Dance Moms, you probably don't know just how talented those girls were and are. The dances that they performed were pretty unbelievable, especially considering the age of the dancer. Although Brooke and Paige Hyland were adolescents by the time they premiered on the series, they've been dancing practically since they could walk.
Dancing is part of the Hyland family legacy, it seems. In the premiere episode of Dance Moms, Kelly Hyland, Brooke and Paige's mom, explained that she has danced "with Abby [Miller] since I was two and a half; I have danced with her for 37 years." So when it came time to put her daughters in dance, there was nowhere else to go. "Brooke has been winning awards since she was six years old," the dance mom added. As for how long Brooke and Paige have been with Miller, they, too, have a long history. "We also dealt with ... Abby, our dance teacher, since we were two," Brooke explained in an interview, adding that Miller's temper seems to have gotten worse over time.
The fame from Dance Moms was kind of intense for Brooke and Paige Hyland
Thanks to Dance Moms, Brooke and Paige reached a certain level of fame. In fact, Dance Moms fans were kind of excessive while the show was airing, which left Brooke and Paige dealing l with the darker side of celebrity when they were still very young.
In an interview with Famous Birthdays, Brooke told a story about a time when she and Paige were approached by a fan. "We were getting into our car ... [and] all of a sudden, a fan, like a mother, just opens up the door ... and gets in the driver's seat," Brooke revealed. The woman then asked if she could take a picture with the girls. At that, Brooke responded, "Can we, uh, do it outside the car, like why are you in the car?" Brooke said that "were young" and "it was kind of a scary moment," but she can look back on it now as a funny, crazy moment.
Dance Moms was traumatic for Brooke and Paige Hyland
Although perhaps not the entire premise of Dance Moms, the series went a little something like this: Young girls work hard to achieve their goals while their mothers get into giant blowouts with their dance teacher. However, those fights weren't always between mom and teacher. There are certain scenes in which Abby Lee Miller was rough on her students.
Brooke and Paige Hyland can recall some pretty traumatic moments with Miller. In fact, after the Hyland girls left Dance Moms, Paige filed a lawsuit against Miller, which claimed that the dance teacher "is paid to be abusive and bulling to her students," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, the suit stated that Miller "insulted and abused Paige on an almost daily basis, including cruel name calling, insults about Paige's physical appearance and making offensive false and defamatory accusation [sic.] about Paige's family." The suit was eventually dismissed, but it's clear that Brooke and Paige didn't exactly enjoy much of their time with Miller, and as Kelly Hyland explained of their decision to eventually leave, "It just got to the point that it was an unhealthy situation for my family."
Brooke Hyland tried her hand at singing
As Dance Moms started to take off and become more and more popular, all the girls on the show started to get offered more opportunities to advance their careers. For Brooke Hyland, that meant launching her singing career. Lifetime even featured some of Brooke's music on the show.
In an interview with Fox 5 Las Vegas, Brooke explained that she hadn't had any real vocal training, but she sings because, for one, "my sister likes hearing me." Mom Kelly Hyland added that "her sister is her biggest fan." During her singing career, Brooke released several songs and music videos, the most notable being "I Hurt," which seemed to be about her experience on the popular dance show. Though Brooke's music career didn't exactly land her at the Grammys, it was still sweet to watch the young girl go for what she's passionate about.
After leaving Dance Moms, Brooke and Paige Hyland made dance less of a priority
After all the drama, tears, and screaming matches between Kelly Hyland and Abby Lee Miller, no one was really shocked when Brooke and Paige Hyland left Dance Moms in 2015. They had been on the show for a while, but it was clear they needed a break. And after they left the show, fans wondered where they were dancing, but it seems as though they both made dance less of a priority after leaving Dance Moms. And really, who could blame them?
In an interview with International Business Times in early 2015, Paige said that she was taking a less serious approach to dance after leaving Miller's studio. "I dance, but I'm not in a studio right now," she explained. "I'm just taking different classes at different places. Different teachers teach different ways, so it's nice." Additionally, Paige confirmed to OK! magazine in November 2015 that neither she nor Brooke were "committed" to any particular studio post-Dance Moms. "We're just happy to be moving on and moving forward with happy things," Kelly added.
Brooke and Paige Hyland enjoyed life after Dance Moms
Once Brooke and Paige Hyland left Dance Moms, it didn't take long for them to adapt to a semi-normal life again. When they were on the show, they were obviously feeling the pressure to perform for Abby Lee Miller and have cameras follow them around constantly. But after they said goodbye to the Lifetime series, the Hyland sisters were free to be regular teenagers.
Their mom, Kelly Hyland, explained that both Brooke and Paige were happy to finally be able to do the things they had always wanted to do, the things that most kids take for granted. "That was one of my problems being on the show," she told OK! magazine. "Having my kids do normal activities that kids their age do. They wanted to go to school dances and do that kind of stuff and they were never allowed."
Paige Hyland took up modeling after leaving Dance Moms
After Paige Hyland said goodbye to Dance Moms, the world was her oyster. Without having to train so often for competitions or appear on the show and adhere to a strict filming schedule, Paige had more time to pursue her own passions, which included entering into the modeling world. Although she ended up being a natural, she was nervous when she first started.
In a 2015 video for her YouTube channel, Paige interviewed several Sherri Hill models and asked for advice for newbies like herself. Since then, according to E!, Paige went on to model for Sherri Hill and other brands while she was still in high school. Additionally, Paige has shared numerous Instagram photos seemingly showing off her modeling skills for Sherri Hill. Paige also attended New York Fashion Week in 2016 to see the brand's show. One day, we may just see her donning the NYFW runway.
Paige Hyland graduated high school in 2019 and enrolled in college
Paige Hyland may no longer star on a reality television show, but the young blonde has still accomplished a lot. She's not done yet, of course. It appears she wants to go far in life and get a good education. Yes, like many teenagers, Hyland set her eye on the future and as she's gotten older, that's also included chasing a college degree.
In 2019, Hyland graduated from her high school in Pennsylvania and celebrated it with an adorable Instagram post. "Oh yeah I just graduated high school!" Hyland wrote alongside a series of photos of her in a graduation gown hugging her mom and posing with friends. According to her Twitter bio, Hyland plans to graduate from West Virginia University in 2023, although it's unclear what her area of focus is. Whatever the case, it's clear that Hyland has already enjoyed her time in college, as she has posted photos of herself at sporting events, living the dorm life, and just enjoying college parties.
Brooke Hyland is a college grad
As the older Hyland sister, Brooke has set a great example for younger sister Paige. Over the years, Brooke Hyland has obviously grown into a stunning young woman, but she's also got a good head on her shoulders.
In 2019, Brooke graduated from Ohio University and shared a heartfelt Instagram post about her time in college. "Three years, two degrees, and INFINITE memories," Brooke began. "Thank you Athens for the best chapter yet; giving me not only the BEST of times, but the BEST of friends. Doing life on these bricks is something I don't want to ever stop doing, but cheers to us and to what's next." According to Brooke's LinkedIn page, she received her Bachelor's degree in marketing, management information systems, and business analytics. Her profile also states that she was involved in several organizations during her time at school, including a sorority.
Brooke Hyland isn't exactly close with her former Dance Moms coach
Even though Brooke and Paige Hyland left Dance Moms a while ago, that doesn't mean they are immune to any drama surrounding former cast members. In fact, in May 2020, Brooke Hyland found herself at the center of a Dance Moms scandal when she posted a pretty shady TikTok about Abby Lee Miller.
In the since-deleted video, Brooke can be heard saying, "Facebook telling me I have a new friend suggestion," while the camera shows Miller's name. Brooke then turns the camera around on herself and shakes her head, making what can only be described as a total cringe face. The video was sassy, but certainly innocent enough. However, not everyone agreed. Another former Dance Moms star, Jojo Siwa, said, " It's one thing to just not add her back. It's another to post it." Brooke obviously doesn't have a great relationship with Miller post-Dance Moms and this likely also made waves between her and Siwa.
Brooke Hyland moved across the country after finishing college
As Brooke Hyland has gotten older, the former member of the Abby Lee Dance Company has really and truly changed her life. Not only has she gotten a college education, made new friends, and traveled all over the world, but she also expanded her horizons and moved somewhere new after she graduated college.
In an interview with A-List Nation, Hyland revealed that after she graduated early, she thought she would "be bored if I moved back home and all of my friends were still in school, so I started researching potential areas to live." In the end, Hyland settled on Los Angeles, California because, as she said, "I have spent a lot of time there prior and made a lot of friends. Also, I could not pass up the weather and the endless amounts of opportunities ... ."
Making the move from Pennsylvania all the way west to La La Land couldn't have been easy, but Hyland said her family made a road trip out of it and she loves where she's chosen to live.
Brooke Hyland is passionate about her career
Having starred on a reality television show and possessing a huge social media following might make some people less inclined to chase after their own careers. But for Brooke Hyland, her future is something she's passionate about and it requires her to work hard.
Brooke told A-List Nation in January 2020 that although she also wants to grow as an influencer, she also has "a full time job in the fashion/e-commerce industry." Even though Brooke's life may look like pure sunshine and rainbows on social media, she has to put in a lot of work behind the scenes. Hyland also revealed that she wants to move up the ladder at her job sooner rather than later. "I do influencer relations and PR. It is my first job after college and my goal is to exceed my higher ups' expectations and hopefully be promoted in the near future," she said.
Brooke and Paige Hyland have gotten closer as they've gotten older
You might expect that Brooke and Paige Hyland would drift apart as the years have gone by. After all, they spent a lot of time together as kids in dance, so it's only natural that they would need their space as they became adults. But, as it turns out, they've only gotten closer as they've grown up.
In an interview with Prom Girl, Brooke explained that she and Paige really bonded as they got older. "I feel like when we were younger we were always fighting over clothes and everything," she explained. "But since I went off to college, we've become a lot closer. We talk all the time and I feel like that's very new to me." She continued, saying, "So some of my favorite memories are those heart-to-hearts we have where we catch up on life, talk about boys, and stuff like that."
As Brooke and Paige have gone through life together — including surviving Abby Lee Miller — they've learned to lean on each other when need be, as evidenced by their numerous (and adorable) social media posts together.
Is dance in Brooke and Paige Hyland's future?
Brooke and Paige Hyland's Dance Moms days are far behind them, but the sisters haven't let their dramatic exit from the show completely ruin their love of dance, have they? Even though they may not dance professionally or competitively anymore, the Hyland girls may see dance in their future — in some way at least.
"Our [family's] goal is to have a dance environment that is not only elite training but is a very positive, nurturing environment," Paige said of one day opening a dance studio when speaking to International Business Times . "Everyone always asks me how I do all my tricks. I hope to teach everyone all of my secrets," Brooke said. "My family have all danced our whole lives so it only seems natural to continue with dance." Only time will tell if the young women do go on to open a studio, but we'd be into knowing those secrets.