Christi Lukasiak: Hello, welcome back to my channel. I am Christi
Lukasiak, also known as Dance Mom Christi, Chloe's mom, Christi from Dance Moms, all of the above,
the woman who wears sequins. Yeah, all of those things. Well, hello, happy July 2021. Today's
video has been 10 years in the making and I am so very excited to share with you that
today is, what? July 9th, I believe this video will go live. Okay, so Tuesday, that's July 13th,
it will be the 10-year anniversary of Dance Moms premiering in the US.
I believe it premiered in all of the millions of other places it premiered after, but we premiered
July 13th, 2011, in the United States. So in honor of the big anniversary of Dance Moms,
I thought it would be kind of fun first of all, to wear sequins. So this is my homage or my nod,
or my tribute to all of the sequin shirts I wore on national television for years.
Christi Lukasiak: And look, oh my God,
I even have a little bit of a cold shoulder. Cold shoulder sequins, it's like I am channeling all
of my inner Dance Mom Christi-ness. Yes. Although I will say, I feel like this is a little bit more
fabulous than anything I wore on TV, I'm just saying. But yeah, so in honor, of the 10-year
anniversary of Dance Moms, I thought it would be kind of fun to take a walk down memory lane
and answer a question that I am asked over and over, and over and over again.
And that is how did Dance Moms start? Get comfy, relax, because I am going to tell you the story,
from my perspective, I'm sure if other people told this story, it would be a little bit different.
But I'm going to tell you from my perspective, how Dance Moms came to be. It's like our birth story,
if you will. And if you are extra good, I have a few photos to share that I believe have never
been seen before. Christi Lukasiak:
So I'm going to do some digging. I have a few up my sleeve that I know have never been shown
anywhere before, so hopefully I will share those with you. And I have a little surprise at the end
for you so you have to make sure that you watch because you're going to be like, "Oh my God."
Yeah, so let's answer that question that I have been asked literally 25 billion times in my life.
And that is, how did we get picked for Dance Moms? But it gets a little bit more than just
we got picked for Dance Moms, because it wasn't like there was somebody out there going, "Oh,
dance is this thing and let's look for a studio." It was nothing like that. So let me go back and
kind of tell you... There is a big, really loud truck outside. Let me tell you kind of the story
of how it all came to be. Christi Lukasiak:
And John, if you happen to see this, if I get it wrong, just text me. I'm so sorry. But yeah,
so I'm going to tell the story and then you can kind of see how we all fell into place. But it
really was fate. I mean, if that's the right word, it was fate. Everything kind of fell in exactly
how it was supposed to be. Okay, so it all starts with a gentleman by the name of John and John grew
up as a competitive dancer. And he was amazing and he competed, he was Mr. Dance of America.
And he grew up in this dance world, and he knew the world from the inside.
And he lives in LA, he continued to teach young... I think he kind of specializes in teaching
younger kids dance. He's amazing, he's great, he's got such a great personality and temperament,
so he teaches little kids. And he knew, this is back in, I don't know exactly what year,
but obviously before 2011, because that's when Dance Moms premiered.
Christi Lukasiak: But he knew that people were obsessed
with Toddlers & Tiaras, and also So You Think You Can Dance. And he was like, "Everybody's watching
these adults dance," and he was like, "but these little kids are out here with this amazing amount
of talent that nobody really knows about." And people love Toddlers & Tiaras, so maybe there's
a world where this exists. I'm not quite sure how he was introduced to this person, but he was
introduced to a casting agent and they went out and had drinks. And John pitched this idea of this
world, or the show, revolving around younger kids' competitive dance. And so the casting
director was like, "Okay, cool. Let me look into it." So he went back to his office, or whatever,
and he put out a casting call across the United States, looking for moms and dancers.
Christi Lukasiak: I always say moms and daughters,
I'm sure if there was a son that was great, then they would have looked at that. But at the time,
they were really looking for moms and daughters, because Toddlers was all little girls.
It just kind of had that whatever to it. Again, 10 years ago, we weren't as woke, which PS,
I would never get away with the garbage I said on Dance Moms now, just so we know. Okay, so he
went out and put out a casting call and he started looking for moms and daughters across the country.
And the original concept of the show, first of all, it started off being a few different things.
They thought maybe a competition show for younger kids, which ultimately I think is kind of where
this spinoff, the AUDC show kind of came from. But they weren't looking for a studio.
What they were looking for were moms and daughters across the country because the original idea was
to be more like Toddlers & Tiaras where every week would be a different mom and daughter.
Christi Lukasiak: So like say Chloe and I were cast on it,
we would have been maybe Week 2, and Week 1 might've been Kelly and Paige, and Week 4 might've
been Holly and Nia. But it wouldn't been all of us together. They were looking for different moms
and daughters. And I think the original idea of it was that at Nationals, all these people that
you would watch through this season would come back and you would see them for a second time
to compete against each other at Nationals, right? Makes sense. You saw us twice. We were
really only like going to be on TV twice, if you were cast on the show. Put out this casting call
and people started answering it. There was like a flyer hanging in the studio about it because John
was friends with our dance teacher. I actually went to high school with someone that John dated.
But anyway, so this information was out there. So we all kind of started sending in videos.
Christi Lukasiak: And it was funny because this was far
before any kind of cell phone videos. And I had a flip video, a flip phone. No, it wasn't even
a flip phone, it was that flip camera. I got it for Christmas so I could videotape people,
so I was doing a million people's auditions at the studio because I had access to a camera that could
plug in, the USB could plug into my computer, and I could download it. So anyway, originally though,
I sent in five answers to questions and it said, "Send in a photo of you and your daughter." And
it took me, I am not even joking, three days to find a picture I liked of myself with Chloe
because it was before cell phones. And to actually have a picture, we had cell phones, but they
weren't like they are now, pictures were really grainy. To have a photo that I actually liked,
had to be taken on a camera and developed. Christi Lukasiak:
So we sent in our submissions and a couple of days later I was in TJ Maxx or Marshall's, one of them,
and I got a call from someone. And he's like, "Hi, I'm this casting director of blah, blah,
blah." Barnaby, can you stop eating that? You're so noisy. And he's like,
"I'm looking to talk to Christi Lukasiak about the submission." And I'm like, "Oh hi,
I'm shopping. Can you call me tomorrow?" That is literally how serious I thought this was.
And so he calls back and we talked, and he started to ask me more and more questions. He's like, "Can
you send in a video of your dance teacher teaching your daughter? Can you ask her these questions?
Do you have friends?" And I was like, "Yeah, I have Kelly." And I have video of Kelly sitting
over a beer talking about how Brooke was like the dancer and Paige was her younger kid that
she dragged along, no offense to Paige. But we all know how that gets with younger children.
Christi Lukasiak: And so then what happened is this casting director
realized that all of the moms that he liked were all from the same studio. And all of our tapes,
we weren't just talking about dance and our daughters, we were all talking (beep) on each
other. And he was like, "Hold on a minute here." He's like, "You have the Toddlers & Tiaras element
to it because the kids were dancing and talented, and the glitter, and the makeup, and the hair,
and all of that. But then you had these moms that had this really long history with each other,
which was kind of unusual," because most reality shows they cast people, and yeah,
maybe the Housewives know each other from a party and stuff, but we were women who had been
sitting next to each other for years. Christi Lukasiak:
And we had all of this history and this dirt on each other, that we were still willing to
bring up at a moment's notice, which is half the reason why we fought so much. Because it wasn't
that we were fighting about what you thought we were fighting about, is we were still mad about
something that had happened five years ago. He got these casting tapes and he quickly realized
that he liked moms from the studio. And they were like, "Oh, maybe there's something with a team."
So that was in September, my dogs and cats are fighting, September and October of 2010.
So then in December, we got a call that they were coming in January of 2011 to hold open auditions.
And the auditions were being held at our studio, but you didn't have to go there to audition. So
there were people from surrounding studios who came, that's how Cathy came and auditioned.
Christi Lukasiak: So ultimately I believe, in January, there ended
up being around 30-ish families who auditioned. And they ended up, which actually what's kind
of funny about that is the weekend that they were coming to audition everyone, Kelly and I got sent
to New York by our dance teacher. She wanted us to take our kids to compete there that weekend
just so we wouldn't happen to be there. It was kind of like when Cinderella's stepmother wouldn't
let her go to the ball, you know? But I had been talking to the casting director so he knew we
were leaving, so they came the night before to do our auditions. And so I remember sitting in
the store and having them close the door because I didn't want anyone to hear what I was saying about
each other. It's so weird to think about. Christi Lukasiak:
Okay, all auditioned in January. They left, got the footage they needed. Come,
it was right at the end of March, I think it... No, no, no, no, no. It was March 2nd because it
was the day before my birthday, I got a call and it was the casting director. And he was like, "The
show has been picked up," and I was like, "Oh." He's like, "There are five moms in it and you're
one of them." And I was like, "Oh my God." I was like, "Well, who else?" And he said, "Kelly,"
and I was like, "Oh great, naturally." And then he goes, "Melissa," and I'm like, "Of course."
"Holly," and I was like, "Holly?" And I was like, "Oh, okay, wait, they need normal." And then he
was like, "And there is another mom, you don't know her. Her name is Cathy and she's from Ohio."
And I was like, "Oh, is she nice?" And he's like, "You'll see." And I was like, "Well, tell me about
her." He's like, "You'll meet her on camera." Christi Lukasiak:
And I was like, "Okay, well what is this?" And it was all very like
weird and crazy. And he was like, "Okay, this show has been picked up for six episodes.
You are going to be on TV for six weeks." And I was like, "Oh my God." So it was a six week
docu-series about dance and competitive dance. And I was like, "Great." And I like, "Okay." And he's
like, "We'll be there in April. We're going to film starting," I think our first day of filming
was April 5th. And I was like, "Oh my God." And he's like, "Get ready and blah, blah, blah." So
got already, bought ugly clothes I'm sure, got my eyelashes done, all the things I did. Started
filming in April, very first competition we went to was where Chloe's headband fell down.
Christi Lukasiak: Good turn! Good job.
Chloe's headband is falling in front of her face. Oh my God, I'm going to lose it.
Chloe's doing her trio and her headpiece is falling off. Oh my God,
she can't even see right now. Christi Lukasiak:
And it just started going and once we started filming at the studio, they
quickly realized that there was another person in the studio who made for amazing television.
And then that's kind of how the show evolved into a dance teacher and the team, and then the moms.
By the time we got to, I think it was maybe the sixth episode or so, I don't quite remember,
whatever the episode was that the agent from New York came to the dance recital, that we
did the awful mom dance, the producer came to us and they were like, "Listen, the network wants
more episodes." And we were like, "Wait, it was supposed to be six." And they're like, "Yeah, no,
they think this is going to be a great show." And we're like, "It's not even aired yet." And
they're like, "It doesn't matter, they think it's great. They want more episodes so we're
going on the road this summer." And I was like, "I can't go." And he was like, "What do you mean you
can't go?" And I said, "I have a one-year-old." I had Clara. And I said, "I can't leave Clara."
Christi Lukasiak: And he said, "Oh no, no, no, no." He's like,
"We will hire you a nanny to come with us." He was like, "Pack your bags, we're going on the road."
So we did. We had a couple of weeks break after we found out that we were going to film
more episodes, came back in June, literally packed 155 suitcases. That's what it felt like
because we were going on the road for six weeks. Drove to the studio parking lot, got on a bus,
and started at our cross-country trek. And what's funny is that we were filming the show
as it premiered. So the show actually premiered the week that we did the Vegas episode
in season one. So if you remember the iconic scene where the moms go to the ice bar.
Christi Lukasiak: It's an igloo, it's made out of ice. It's cool,
literally. Speaker 2:
[inaudible 00:14:26]. Christi Lukasiak:
That was actually filmed about an hour before the show premiered in the United States. Actually,
I think the show was airing on the East Coast, but we were West Coast, so we didn't see it at
that point. I remember very specifically being in that ice bar and yeah, we were like, "Oh,
it's Melissa's boobs and shotskis," and all of that. But I remember us all talking like,
"Oh my God, do you think people are going to watch the show? Is this going to be a thing?"
And we were nervous and excited. We were like, "Oh my God, we're going to be on TV in an hour."
And, "Oh, are you nervous?" And I remember feeling so just, it was so overwhelming to think about.
But when I go back and watch that scene, that is one of my very favorite scenes from
all the Dance Moms because that was the last time that we were just Christi Holly, Jill,
Melissa, just moms from Pittsburgh because the very next day, we became the Dance Moms.
Christi Lukasiak: We saw people at the competition, and they're
like, "Hey, wait, those are those Dance Moms." And then it just kept going. And
it was interesting because as the summer went on, and we wrapped filming and we went home, and
the show was airing like continuously, so the finale actually aired in October. And I remember,
first of all, I remember Chloe being in school the spring before, when we started filming in April,
and her friends were always like,"Where are you going?" And she's like, "Oh, I have to film a
TV show." And they're like, "Yeah, right. You're not on TV." And she's like, "Well, yeah, I am."
And then she went back to school the next year and they're like, "Oh, you're on TV."
And it was just so funny because by the time the finale came, which was an October,
I remember getting a call from Lifetime and they were like, "Hey, we need you to be in New York
tomorrow." And I was like, "Why?" And they're like, "Because you're going to be on The Today
Show the next morning." Christi Lukasiak:
And I think it was at that moment that I was like, "Oh my God, people are watching this."
And it was Melissa, me and Abby, plus Maddie and Chlo, who were on The Today Show. And I remember
the girls standing there in their costumes and me just being like, "What is happening?"
And then I watched the finale when Chloe booked the music video. Hi, little mom brag. I remember
watching the finale at Kelly's house, and on the way home, I got a call from the executive
producer and he was like, "Christi." And this is, again, the beginnings of social media. You
guys have to remember, we were on the back of the bus just making Instagram accounts. It wasn't like
we were trying to be influencers or have these big followings, it was just something we did.
And I remember him calling me and he was like, "Yay Chloe is trending #2
on Twitter." And I was like, "Okay." And he was like, "No Christi, your Chloe." And I was like,
"No," and I was like, isn't it like Khloe Kardashian?" And then he's like, "No Christi,
your Chloe is trending #2 on Twitter. Christi Lukasiak:
And I was like, "Oh." And it was just small little pieces like that, that I started realizing, or we
all started realizing, people were watching the show, and it was wild and crazy. And it was just,
we were still living the same lives we had always lived. We lived in our homes and we
went to the same studio, and the kids were with the same people, but the world was watching.
And every time something small like that would happen, I would be like, "Oh my God."
And I can just remember little things where it would start to hit me, I was like, "Holy crap,
I can't believe people are watching this." But I don't know. A part of me always kind of knew,
I think, that it was going to be a success, I just don't know I knew it was going to be
such a big success. I didn't know that 10 years later I'd still be sitting here talking about
Dance Moms and anyone would care because there's a million reality shows out there.
They come and go, people forget them. Christi Lukasiak:
And there's just something about this show that lives on. And while I think that I'm like,
"Oh, I've moved on," I personally will always, always be grateful for all of the opportunities
Dance Moms has given me and my family. And it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
And you know what? It took every last person to make that show a success.
If it hadn't been for all of us, then I think it would have been a very different experience.
I personally will forever be grateful for Dance Moms. I know that it's entertained you for years.
Sometimes I look back on it and I'm like, "Oh." But
look, I mean, how many of us can sit back on our porches when we're old grandmas and be like,
"When I was young, I was on an international hit television show and your mom's headband fell down,
and blocked her eyes and she still did an aerial." So who would've ever thought.
Christi Lukasiak: Thank you for all of the love over the years,
I will always be grateful for all of your love and support. Thank you for all of your love
over the years to me and my family, and here's to what's next. Thanks for watching. Bye.