Meet Gianna Martello, the Unsung Hero of 'Dance Moms'

From Woman's Day

Dance Moms has returned for an eighth season, and although none of the original dancer cast is returning for the show's resurrection, there is another familiar face besides Abby Lee Miller’s. Gianna "Gia" Martello has been Abby’s right-hand woman long before the dance studio soared into stardom. As a former student of Miller and the Abby Lee Dance Company, Gianna has quite literally grown up in the studio, going from competitive dancer to choreographer and teacher to Abby’s most trusted and loyal employee.

A Pittsburgh native, Gianna came from a family of dancers and started studying the craft at an early age. But it wasn’t until she visited Abby Lee’s studio at the age of 6 that she really fell in love. "We saw her teach an acrobatics class," Gianna, now 29, told Parade in 2017. "And within the first five minutes my mom, who is also a dancer said, 'she knows what she’s doing. This is where you have to go.'" Fast forward 23 years, and you’ll still find Gianna at the Pennsylvania studio, though now she’s a seasoned choreographer and coveted dance teacher. She’s also a guest instructor at various studios and a judge for several competitions around the country, using her passion for dance to coach young hopefuls, including this season’s new cast.

Gianna remained committed to Dance Moms until the end of season 7A, before the original Elite team members broke off to form the Irreplaceables. She relocated to Los Angeles, but is back to her roots this season, and she's grateful to again be working alongside Abby.

Abby sees Gianna like a member of her family, having no children of her own. During a Lifetime TV special leading up the season eight premiere that detailed Abby’s health crisis, it was revealed that Abby wanted to make sure the studio was left to Gianna should anything happen to her. In one social media post, Abby even calls Gianna her ‘legacy’ proving how deep their bond runs.

Gianna tweeted during the Dance Moms special that it was “hard to watch” her longtime friend and mentor go through the battle for her life.

This season, Abby needs Gianna more than ever. Having lost her mobility due to a cancerous tumor found in her spine, Abby is teaching the kids dance through technical vocabulary, even testing them in their auditions for the show on the terms used for certain moves. And Gianna is there right alongside Abby. She helped her handpick the new team, and executed the choreography that lead them to their first win of the season. With Dance Moms: Resurrection just getting started, we're sure to be seeing much more of Gia in the coming weeks.

Meet the new cast of Dance Moms and watch season 8 on Tuesdays on Lifetime or catch up on the old seasons on Hulu.

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