I grew up being told I wasn’t good enough,” says Nia Sioux. Now, at 24, she’s a household name and has learned to transform her pain into power—but she still reflects on what once was. Notably cast as the underdog of the hit Lifetime series Dance Moms, she has emerged as not only a performer but a creator, singer, philanthropist and author who is reclaiming the narrative of her life. Her debut memoir, Bottom of the Pyramid, is both a reckoning and a love letter to the girl she used to be.
When Sioux first joined the reality show, at nine years old, she was bright and ambitious—and she simply loved to dance. “Baby Nia was so confident,” she says of that time. “She had this whole world ahead of her.”
Unfortunately, on screen, that shine was stripped away. The show’s infamous six-person pyramid, put together by teacher and main character Abby Lee Miller, was controversial.
For millions of viewers, that starting moment of each episode was the most entertaining part of the show. For Sioux, it was devastating and triggering midweek mayhem. “Growing up with that is hard,” she says. She recounts the numerous missed opportunities, the gigs taken away because of this running narrative—and how it still plays a role in her mental health today. Her new book takes the very words that once defined her and turns them into a statement of resilience. Its title now stands as a symbol of her survival. “I realized the only person who can define me is me,” she states. “Just because you start somewhere doesn’t mean that’s where you have to end.”
Sioux’s path from child star to young woman wasn’t an easy one. Behind the camera, she faced challenges that went far beyond choreography. As the only recurring Black girl on the show for seven years, she carried the significant weight of representation. “I didn’t have the luxury of just being a kid,” she reflects. “I felt like I had to prove a point—that we weren’t inferior, that we deserved to be there. That’s a lot of responsibility for a child.”
The pressures extended to her appearance, and issues that arose ranged from costume choices Sioux found culturally insensitive to scrutiny of her hairstyles (during season two, in episode 20, Miller criticized Sioux’s braids, saying, “Fix this hair, ’cause it’s horrible”). This was just one of many tough moments the young performer endured throughout the show’s run. “My mom always told me, ‘You have to be twice as good just to be in the room,’” Sioux says. “Even as a child, I understood that.”
Through it all, faith and family became her anchors. When the critiques were too much or the pyramid was too discouraging, Sioux leaned on prayer and the unwavering support of her close circle. However, true healing didn’t begin for her until the show ended. “When you’re in it, you’re in survival mode,” she says. “It wasn’t until after that I realized the impact it had on me, and I could do the work to heal.” Writing the memoir became part of this process. Sioux doesn’t shy away from revisiting painful experiences, including complicated relationships with castmates, the toll of public comparison and her own internalized doubt.
Rather than vilifying others, she offers perspective. “At the end of the day, we were kids,” she says. “We made mistakes, and were guided by adults who didn’t make the right choices.” That grace is a throughline in her journey. While some might expect a bitter blame game, Sioux maintains a steady determination to move forward. Her shine, once muted by editing and circumstance, is now even brighter. “Little Nia finally gets to have her story told,” says Sioux. “She finally gets to see me speak for her.”
Though Sioux has built a career that spans acting, music and digital creation, her memoir represents a turning point. For her, life is not about what she has done but who she has become. Without hesitation, Sioux says her younger self would be proud, as the girl once kept at the bottom has risen. Nia Sioux’s experience is a reminder to Black girls and women that where you begin does not define how high you will rise.