Update | Reality star Abby Lee Miller is reportedly slated to return to Dance Moms for Season 8 despite her ongoing battle with Burkitt lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that causes cancer to formulate within one's B-cells.
Miller is looking to discover "serious competitive dancers and their moms," according to a post on dancemomscasting.com. "The most infamous dance instructor in the world is going back to her roots and only interested in parents who are ready to take their kids to the next level," the casting post reads. "Abby Lee Miller is currently holding auditions for her new ALDC elite competition team. Dancers must be MINIS 7-9 or JUNIORS 10-12. All must be serious about competing and winning on a national level."
Since arriving on Lifetime in 2011, Dance Moms quickly became a staple for the network. It birthed the careers of Maddie Ziegler, Chloe Lukasiak and Nia Sioux, among others, as the young dancers managed to become household names alongside Miller. The reality series explored the ups-and-downs of the competitive dance world from Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) in Pittsburgh, but it ended with a two-episode series finale in October 2017.
Miller wasn't apart of its final run, announcing her plans to exit the show ahead of Season 7.
"I will no longer take part in Dance Moms," Miller wrote March 2017 via Instagram. "I don't have a problem working with any kid, I love children and have dedicated my life to making other people's children successful! I just have a problem with being manipulated, disrespected and used—day in and day out by men who never took a dance lesson in their lives and treat women like dirt."
Miller was replaced with Dancing with the Stars alum Cheryl Burke, who told People in September 2017 that "the girls told me they were traumatized by Abby. I'm strict, but I don't yell."
Despite retracting her departure from the series, her return primarily comes as a surprise due to her cancer battle. The news follows the announcement of her second surgery.
"After the 2nd surgery, my back is finally on the mend," Miller, 51, wrote June 30 via Instagram. "I just wish the top section & bottom would hurry along too! I had 52 staples perfectly aligned and now a bunch of crazy stitches are holding my neck & lumbar region together!"
Children who believe they're an "Abby Dancer" and are interested in joining the ALDC team must be available to audition in front of Miller during the weekend of September 8 to 9. A spokesperson for Lifetime confirmed to Newsweek "production is currently casting but no determination has been made yet for a new season on Lifetime."
Representatives for Miller did not immediately return Newsweek's request for comment.
This story was updated to include comment from Lifetime.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dory Jackson is a New York-based entertainment journalist from Maryland. She graduated from Randolph-Macon College—in May 2016—with a focus in Communication ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
