Book Review: Bottom of the Pyramid by Nia Sioux

INTRO

                  Reality television is what I would consider to be a cultural abomination. Unfortunately, I grew up watching Dance Moms much to the dismay of my parents. I told them I was interested in the dancing and the costumes (which is true to some extent), but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t captivated by the competition dance world I never experienced. Dance Moms was an indulgence for ten-year-old Lorraine. With that, I too fell into believing the producer’s narrative that the only black dancer on the show, Nia, was the weak link. After reading Bottom of the Pyramid, this could not be farther from the truth.

OVERVIEW

                  Nia Sioux Frasier was only nine years old when she was cast on the hit reality show, Dance Moms. As the only black dancer on the competition team, she was often given routines that reflected stereotypes of her race, faced discrimination just because of her hair, and was edited to appear as the weakest dancer on the team compared to her white teammates. In her book, Bottom of the Pyramid, she breaks her silence and tells-all about her experience (and the setbacks) of being written off as the weakest dancer.

THOUGHTS

                  Sioux’s book is very much a traditional celebrity-memoir; however, she has a boldness I’ve seen lacking in other stories.

                  One of the most admirable aspects of Sioux’s book is how she directly calls out her castmates for racist behavior and microaggressions. She acknowledges that they were all children at the time reflecting the thoughts of their parents but still holds them accountable for the hurt they’ve caused. She does not hold back in revealing the names of the people behind the remarks. I find this choice bold yet wise because it’s important to hold everyone (even ourselves) accountable for our previous mistakes while allowing the space for future growth.

                  Sioux’s book doesn’t only cover her time on Dance Moms. She spends a good amount of it discussing her family, the strained relationships she had with her brothers, and the beautiful friendship shared with her mother, Dr. Holly. She also discusses the ramifications of being on the show- how it impacted her finding a career and people willing to hire “the weakest dancer”. All of this is to say she has more to her story than just appearing on a reality tv show. I loved getting to read about her full self, not just the one I saw on my screen.

                  In comparison to other Dance Moms girls, Sioux does not hesitate to call out Abby Lee Miller for her behavior. Maddie Ziegler, known as “Abby’s Favorite” on the show, regularly refers to Miller as “her dance teacher” but almost never by name. Sioux does not hold back. It’s almost a He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named/Lord Voldemort situation. While others are hesitant to say her name, Sioux says loud and proud Abby Lee Miller was racist. She always stood out as having the most integrity. 

                  Bottom of the Pyramid truly breaks down the narrative the producers wrote for Sioux. Due to a chronic illness diagnosed in her youth, she missed out on a key year of dance training, leading her to be a bit behind of her teammates. Behind the scenes, she trained relentlessly to catch up, but the producers chose to focus on her flaws, not the hard work behind it nor the chronic illness she faced. I don’t know how anyone could read this book and still believe the falsity painted by Dance Moms.

                  I would recommend Bottom of the Pyramid to any Dance Moms fan. It’s an easy read with good, strong language and interesting gossip on top of the harsh truths. Nia Sioux deserves all the support after what the producers of the show put her through. 

Lorraine Durbin ’26 is a creative writing major at Susquehanna University with a specialization in creative non-fiction.