There seems to be a trend of adults returning to old hobbies or even picking up entirely new ones in an attempt to heal their inner child. For some the decision is completely spontaneous, but for me it felt like a longing that rested deep in my gut. A longing that just needed that spark to be ignited.

Celebrity dancer Nia Sioux’s new book, Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Preserving, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life, did that for me. Her memoir was a moving, nostalgic read that solidified my decision to start ballet again in 2026. 

Nia Sioux featured on the hit reality TV series Dance Moms, a show that followed the lives of a team of girls and their mothers who took dance classes at the Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC). Nia was a member of the ALDC and featured alongside her mother Holly Frazier. Her teacher, Abby Lee Miller, was incredibly strict and had a pyramid system where she would rank the girls after their weekly competitions.