Dance Moms: Life Without Maddie Ziegler?

While we’d love to say this is a “spoiler” is it really?  Rumors have been floating around but it’s official.  Maddie Ziegler is going to be leaving Dance Moms.  But she’s certainly not leaving the dance industry. The 13-year-old dancer will be back on TV soon enough as a judge on the upcoming kids’ edition of So You Think You Can Dance!

According to People Ziegler says: “I am leaving, but it’ll be a good thing because we’re moving on to cool things,” Ziegler told reporters Saturday at the Nickelodeon 2016 Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles. “[So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation] is going to be so amazing. I’m looking forward to it because I feel like kids are so good these days.” As for whether she’s nervous about being on the other side of the stage, Ziegler admitted, “It’ll be amazing but also kind of nerve-racking because I’m the only kid and I have to be on my best game at all time.”

It’s not as though Ziegler is going to have a tough time here.  She’s been alongside dance instructor Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms since 2011 when she was just a little kid.   As for the upcoming episode Inquisitr reports:

Melissa was holding back on saying much about the rumors of Maddie’s ALDC departure, and Abby was talking to the teen about how important it was for her to keep dancing. Jill and the other moms were feeling somewhat annoyed by Melissa’s lack of clarity on the topic, as the rest of them wanted to know what comes next for the team as a whole.

During this next episode, Dance Moms spoilers tease that not only will everybody be buzzing about Maddie and the awards show, but they will be irked by Abby’s companion for the event. Viewers will see the minis dance team back in the mix this week and one family causes some significant drama leading up to the competition.

So while it’s nothing new that Ziegler is leaving the show, we still haven’t seen the stress of the decision.  We don’t know how the other dancers or adults are going to react.  Suffice it to say it should be interesting to watch.   Ziegler is moving on as expected and we expect her to be a smashing success for now and years to come.  Here’s a preview of tonight’s episode of Dance Moms.