Chloe Lukasiak: The surprising reason I ‘envy’ JoJo Siwa’s ‘Dance Moms’ experience

Chloe Lukasiak wishes she had a “game plan” going into “Dance Moms” for illustration JoJo Siwa. 

Ahead of Wednesday night’s reunion typical connected Lifetime, nan title dancer-turned-reality prima tells Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast that Siwa had a limb up connected nan original formed because she was capable to watch nan unscripted deed arsenic a instrumentality earlier entering nan fray herself. 

“I benignant of envy nan group who watched it, created a crippled scheme and past went connected knowing precisely what they wanted to do,” says Lukasiak, who made her TV debut astatine 9 alongside mother Christi Lukasiak.

“Because, for illustration I said, cameras came to america and past it was like, each of a sudden, nan play needed to beryllium heightened.”

Chloe’s “Dance Moms” communicative was often centered astir her rivalry pinch co-star Maddie Ziegler, which she feels was “manufactured” by creation coach Abby Lee Miller who often bludgeoned nan erstwhile into reasoning she was 2nd best. 

“At 9, I person nary thought who I am. So if personification other is telling me, ‘This is who you are, you’re second,’ past I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I must beryllium second.’ It was for illustration a slow progression of nan negativity I felt that was coming towards me,” recalls nan Pepperdine University graduate, now 22. 

“I deliberation if I had travel astatine it from a different perspective and … been acold distant from it and past attack it, I deliberation I decidedly would’ve put immoderate intelligence walls up. But I didn’t put immoderate [up],” she elaborates. “I was wholly susceptible astatine each times.” 

Notably, Siwa, now 20, joined “Dance Moms” successful 2015’s Season 5, 4 years aft it premiered.

The “Karma” singer precocious revealed connected Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she knew precisely what she wanted retired of nan show from nan infinitesimal she was formed — which was fame — moreover if it meant dealing pinch unrelenting disapproval from Miller, now 58.

“I saw what she was for illustration connected TV and I somehow, arsenic a kid, could ever spot nan bigger picture,” she explained, noting that she was often placed astatine nan bottommost of Miller’s infamous “pyramid” ranking. 

“My mom would show maine stories astir really I was a kid and I would beryllium astatine nan bottommost of nan pyramid and my mom would beryllium pissed,” nan erstwhile Nickelodeon character said of her mother, Jessalyn Siwa. “She’d beryllium truthful huffy and she’d pinch each time connected group astir it and past we’d get successful nan car and she’d be, like, really huffy astir it.”

But JoJo was grateful for immoderate type of attraction — antagonistic aliases different — arsenic she knew it would construe into much screentime.

“The personification astatine nan apical of nan pyramid gets congratulations. The personification astatine nan bottom, though, gets nan full storyline of nan TV show,” she remembered telling her mom. “And she was like, ‘How nan f—k do you cognize that?’” 

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Miller precocious admitted that she has regrets complete being a spot tough connected her students astatine times.

“No matter really harsh I was connected nan kid, they weren’t gonna get it,” nan Abby Lee Dance Company laminitis said while filming an upcoming section of ABC News’ “IMPACT x Nightline.” “They conscionable didn’t person nan talent.”

After 2 consecutive seasons arsenic a full-time formed personnel connected “Dance Moms,” JoJo signed a woody pinch Nickelodeon, for which she performed successful various shows, released a discography and acted successful her ain characteristic movie titled “The J Team” for nan network.

Meanwhile, she developed an endless action of merchandise for children — from bows and bedspreads to crystal pick and crayons. 

JoJo, for illustration nan remainder of her “Dance Moms” counterparts — including reunion participants Chloe, Kalani Hilliker, Kendall Vertes and sisters Brooke and Paige Hyland — has transitioned into adulthood arsenic champion she can, moreover rebranding herself arsenic a pioneer of “gay pop” aft coming retired arsenic queer successful 2021. 

Chloe, for her part, studied imaginative penning astatine Pepperdine University and is successful nan early stages of penning her debut novel, which she tells Page Six has “nothing to do” pinch nan creation world.

While she’s presently focused connected flourishing arsenic an author, nan Elevé Dance Competition co-founder says a return to reality TV isn’t wholly disconnected nan table. 

“Going backmost into reality TV,” she says, “honestly sometimes I consciousness for illustration I could termination it.” 

“Dance Moms: The Reunion” airs Wednesday astatine 8 p.m. ET connected Lifetime.