Interview: Nia Sioux Is Tossing Out the Pyramid and Partying Like It’s 11 to Midnight

In 2016, a 15-year-old Nia Sioux, still in her Dance Moms era, made her New York stage debut in Trip of Love, a psychedelic ’60s dance revue. Since then, the young artist-cum-reality star has filmed a collection of movies, met a tragic fate on The Bold and the Beautiful, earned a bachelor’s degree in American Literature from UCLA, and published a memoir exposing the psychological and emotional toll of the famously problematic TV show that started her off.

“It’s so crazy that it’s taken me 10 years to get back here,” Sioux says now, cuddled up on the onstage love seat at the Orpheum Theatre, home of TikTok duo Cost n’ Mayor’s New Year’s-themed dance show, 11 to Midnight. “But,” she laughs, “I had some stuff to do in between.”

Not only is this Sioux’s first time back on the New York stage in a decade, but her run (May 15-31) also marks her professional return to dance. “It’s a full-circle moment, and I think it’s gonna make people really happy to see me dancing again,” she says. “Dance Moms—always grateful for it—but it’s one of those things where it’s like, ‘You’re alive? And you’re still dancing?’ I think it shows a lot of resilience … and I guess my love for dance.”

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Welcome back to New York! It’s been 10 years since your off-Broadway debut. How old were you then?
I’d just turned 15. It was like my summer job. And it’s so funny. Ever since that experience, I’ve always told people that was my favorite job I’ve ever done. I love being onstage, I love New York, I love Broadway, I love theater. Now I’m back and I couldn’t be happier. Dream come true, really.

How did you and 11 to Midnight find each other?
I was just finishing my book tour, and my team contacted me and was like, “11 to Midnight reached out with Cost n’ Mayor, and they’re asking if you’d be interested in being a part of it.” I was like, “Absolutely!” At the beginning of the year, I made this one video talking about how I was getting back into dancing, I was taking voice lessons, I was acting, and I started auditioning again. That’s why they reached out, because they saw that video. I’m really happy they told me that because it was just a reminder not to block your blessings. You have to share your dreams and not be scared that it’s embarrassing or that you won’t get it because everything happens for a reason. That was a really great lesson for me.

Did you come into this knowing Cost n’ Mayor and their dance videos?
I’m a huge fan of Cost n’ Mayor—Austin and Marideth [Telenko]. I have been following them for literally years. Me and my best friend Jake would do their TikTok dances all the time and tag them and be like, “Hopefully they’ll see it!” So on the phone call with them I was like, “This is surreal for me because I love you guys.”

Now that you’ve seen the show and you’re living inside of the 11 to Midnight choreography, what are your impressions?
It’s such a fun show. It’s super accessible and easy for people to digest even if they’re not dancers. It makes them want to dance. And I think what’s so fun about the show is that the dancers are so good. You can feel it from the audience how much they’re storytellers and how much they’re artists and how much they really love their craft.

Tell me a little about the character you’re playing.
I’m “Her Former Roommate.” Her New Year’s resolution is to stop being “three steps behind” everyone. And I think a lot of people can relate to that. Feeling like they’re behind. I’ve felt like that in my life too. For her, her best friend’s getting married, people are finding their confidence, and she’s just wishing that she could have that too. I think that’s gonna be really interesting to find those pockets where I can emote that.

That character also gets a beautiful lyrical solo. Is that exciting for you?
Yeah, I’m really excited about that. It reminds me of my competition dance days doing that slow, emo, lyricial contemp number. That’s my favorite style. I love a sad dance. [laughs]

How does it feel coming back to the stage as an adult? Do you feel like a different person than you were at 15?
Absolutely. I’m at such a different place in my life. I think when I was 15, I was still gaining a lot of confidence. It’s taken me a long time and there’s been ups and downs. I was actually still on Dance Moms, so I was in a very different season of my life. It’s really beautiful to see the journey that my life has taken. So it definitely feels different this time. I feel like an adult. But also there’s a little bit of nostalgia as well. I walked into the dressing room the other day and I could smell the hairspray. There’s something about live theater that I truly just miss.

You recently finished up a book tour for your memoir Bottom of the Pyramid that dives into all the things you experienced in your Dance Moms days. Since doing that, do you feel like people have had an easier time leaving behind your young self and learning who you are now?
For sure. People have been very receptive to my book and my story, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I will say people have interacted with me differently—there’s just a better sense of understanding everything that I went through. It’s really beautiful that people were able to see themselves in me or resonate with me so that they know they’re not alone. I have a lot of support, and I feel it. So I think a lot of people have been waiting for this moment too—for me to get back onstage. That is fueling a lot of me as well.

In the spirit of 11 to Midnight, any resolutions for this next chapter of life?
To stay present in all the moments so life doesn’t pass me by. I’m not three steps behind. I’m exactly where I need to be.