How Dance Moms Trauma Bonded Its Stars

Originally appeared on E! Online

Nearly eight years after she stopped living on the dance floor, JoJo Siwa is simply living for the very active group chat she shares with her fellow Dance Moms alum Chloé Lukasiak, Kendall Vertes, Kalani Hilliker, Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland.

"I don't respond, but I die laughing about what they said," JoJo revealed, reflecting on the flurry of texting that went down before the group joined E! News in studio for an exclusive interview. "'Do you have a hairspray? Does anyone have a nail clipper?' I was like, 'You girls.'"

There was a fair amount of outfit coordination happening as well, after Chloé and Kendall showed up to film the May 1 reunion special (airing on Lifetime at 8 p.m. and available to stream the next day) in the same dress. "Different colors," acknowledged Kendall. "Yours was a little bit longer." But bottom line, insisted JoJo, "They looked cute."

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And while fans might assume it was the November taping, plus a night-before hang with Maddie Ziegler, Kenzie Ziegler and Nia Sioux that got the squad back together, they've pretty much always been in perfect rhythm.

"I don't think people know that we're friends," noted Kalani. "And there's so many different storylines on the show between our mothers that people just tend to think that we all hate each other, or that we picked sides with different people. But we're actually all super close."

As it turns out, being constantly reminded by dance teacher-slash-reality TV villain Abby Lee Miller just how replaceable you are will do that to a group of girls.

"It's a trauma bond," acknowledged Kalani.

Agreed JoJo, "It really is, whether that be a good trauma or a bad trauma. It doesn't necessarily mean it's a negative thing, but there's just such a familiarity."

And it's not just a Pavlovian response to hearing the word pyramid.

"It's a really strong foundation, and like I was saying yesterday, I could go 10 years without seeing any of them and I'd see them and be like, 'Nothing's changed,'" explained Chloé. "Because when you go through something like that you create such a strong relationship that you just completely understand each other."

Same goes for the stars who never took to the stage or, say, listened to Abby chide them that their legs are about as straight as Elton John. ("Didn't realize what that meant 'til I was older!" joked JoJo.)

Despite a series of downright vicious arguments, the actual dance moms, are "like high school girls," insisted Kendall. "They call each other with everything still. They're like, 'Oh my god, I just got a new car.' They're like, 'Oh my god! Let me see pictures!'"

Basically, everyone emerged a winner from their time on the eight-season series, you know, after the requisite healing and self-work.

"It's a family thing," explained Kalani. "We even talk to each other's mothers. People don't even realize how close we are. So I always think it's funny when people write so many negative things about us and our relationships with each other because we are all so close and everything that what other people say, it doesn't matter, because we've gone through so much together, our moms, us, everything."

Not to mention the dance dads who only received a shred of airtime.

"We have 10, 15 extra moms, extra sisters, even their dads," noted Chloé. "I'm like, 'You're basically like my second dad.' Their brothers are my brothers. It's just a really big, dysfunctional but amazing family."

Joked Kendall, "Emphasis on dysfunction."

And, as Abby once ordered, they've all been having fun since filming the reunion last fall.

Though both Paige and Chloé noted they were hesitant to relive the years of insults and unhealthy competition, "It was actually really therapeutic," said Chloé of rehashing the years she spent as No. 2 to Abby's star student Maddie. "It made me realize I should probably go to therapy."

And, no, they did not save their tears for the pillow.

"I mean, we cried, like, every segment," said Kendall. "There was a lot of tears. But also a lot of laughs."

As for those who chose not to attend, with OGs Maddie, Kenzie and Nia notably absent, "I think of course, we would love to have everybody there," said Kalani, "But everybody makes their own decision. And I'm happy that we chose ourselves that we wanted to be there. And there's nothing wrong either way."

Though they did miss out on one bonding exercise.

Hatching a plan to get matching tattoos while at the E! News studio, the sextet followed through hours later. "I mean, these are my closest friends," acknowledged Chloé. "We're sisters. It's like an extended family."

But while they'll always be a team, they've each been nailing their lives as soloists. Check out how each of the standouts from Abby's Junior Elite competition team have been living off the dance floor.

Maddie Ziegler

Kenzie Ziegler

Chloe Lukasiak

Nia Sioux

Brooke Hyland

Paige Hyland

Kendall Vertes

JoJo Siwa

Kalani Hilliker

Asia Monet Ray

Camryn Bridges

Brynn Rumfallo