What Is Kalani Hilliker From Dance Moms Doing Today?
When it comes to reality television, not all casts are made equal. There are the families that sign up to go through the process together, there are grown adults that know what they're in for, and then there's "Dance Moms." Started at the heyday of reality TV, some of the original cast members were only six when the show first aired. The world has watched these girls as they've grown up, which means people are just as obsessed with their stories after the last curtain closed as they were back when the show aired. Kalani Hilliker has transformed into a beautiful 21-year-old, and let's say she's been very busy since the show ended.
While most of the girls from "Dance Moms" now have their own YouTube channels and promote different brands, these girls were somehow able to transcend reality television and be seen as, well, normal. Hilliker was 12 years old when she joined the class, which made her the big sister of the group. The girls looked up to her throughout the years, and the same can be said of tons of other girls across the country.
If you're wondering what she's been up to since the show wrapped, you'll be surprised to see just how grown up she is.
Kalani is still dancing — for fun
You can take "Dance Moms" off the air, but you can't take the dance out of the cast. Despite years of being yelled at by Abby Lee Miller and hundreds of dance competitions, it seems like none of the cast members have given up dancing. While Kalani Hilliker doesn't hit the stage anymore, she still does like to bust out a move or two on social media. After all, it has been a passion for her entire life.
"What I love most about dancing is I can express my emotions through dancing," Hilliker said in a 2017 interview with Naluda Magazine. When you take that into consideration, it only makes sense that she would keep moving — even if only for fun.
The 21-year-old might be off stage, but that doesn't mean that her videos are any less entertaining. Whether it's busting it down to a TikTok dance or recreating a throwback, this girl isn't showing signs of stopping any time soon.
She's tried her hand at acting
Right after the show ended, Kalani Hilliker dove into the world of acting. While her "performance" on the reality television show was anything but scripted, she decided to try her hand at something a little more creative after "Dance Moms" ended.
She said in a 2016 interview that she was really focusing on building her acting career. "Acting is just newer to me. It's the same as dance — I didn't just wake up one day and become an amazing dancer, I had to work for it," Hilliker told Pop City Life. "So I'm doing the same with my acting; I'm starting from the beginning and I have to work really hard to get to where I want to be!"
According to Insider, Hilliker was in the movie "Swiped" in 2018 as well as the television show "Dirt." IMDb also credits her for appearing on the show "Bunheads" in 2013. While none of those movies started a breakout performance for her, it is nice to hear that she's not afraid to work hard for everything she has.
Kalani Hilliker is known for being a fashion enthusiast
Her acting career might not have taken off, but Kalani Hilliker's career in fashion sure did. From one look at her Instagram page, it's clear that this woman loves fashion. She's constantly showing off different outfits and experimenting with her style. The 21-year-old wears everything from feathered corsets to neon cutout mini dresses.
In fact, the "Dance Moms" star likes fashion so much that she's even dabbled in a few of her own clothing lines. As Insider pointed out, Hilliker has her own line of prom dresses with the brand Prom Girl. She's also had her own line of dance-wear with the brand Purple Pixies (via Pop City Life). Something tells us that this won't be the last time we see her name tied to a fashion line either.
"I'm such a girl and I love fashion and makeup and all that stuff," Hilliker has said in the Pop City Life interview, and her Instagram proves that to be true. Only time will tell what's in store for the young dancer's career.
The dancer has always stayed true to herself
If there's one thing that Kalani Hilliker has always been it's true to herself. A unique aspect of "Dance Moms" was that you were literally watching the girls grow up right in front of you. The girls are finding themselves in real time while also having to navigate the world of dance. Just because their time in that world has ended doesn't mean they're done navigating growing up.
As Us Weekly points out, Hilliker made waves during the 2020 election when she posted a Blue Lives Matter flag and announced that she would be voting for former President Trump. "No matter who you're voting for use your voice and vote," Hilliker tweeted. "It's your right."
She was the only member of the "Dance Moms" squad to endorse then-President Trump during the election, and she received some backlash for it on social media. Many of her cast members stayed by her side though. Former cast member Chloe Lukasiak, who openly endorsed now-President Biden, said in a Q & A Instagram video that while Trump supporters and she do not have the same values, she would still be friends with those who had differing opinions during the election.
She's still friends with the Dance Moms cast
Despite her and some of the cast members having differing opinions throughout their lives, it seems that Kalani Hilliker is still friends with many of the "Dance Moms" girls. She often posts photos of herself and Kendall Vertes on social media, and even goes as far as to call her a sister.
Let's be honest, it's hard for anyone to stay in touch with their childhood friends. Let alone a group of girls who are growing up, attending different colleges, all while navigating life as post-reality television stars. So it's nice to see even two of them getting together often. The cast members are split up all over the world, with some living in Arizona, back in Pennsylvania, and others in Los Angeles.
All of these girls sure have grown up since their time on "Dance Moms," and it's so exciting to see how they're navigating their lives after the camera has stopped rolling.