Born in Arizona, Kalani Brooke Hilliker began dancing at the age of 2 at Dance Connection 2 in Arizona. At her first recital, it was evident from the moment she stepped on the stage that she was destined to perform. Kalani then furthered her training at Club Dance in Arizona when she was 5 years old and began her Ballet training at the Master Ballet Academy in Arizona at the age of 10. With impeccable technique and the performance to match, Kalani competed regularly in the US dance circuit, winning numerous solo regional and national titles at Dance Awards, Nuvo, Jump, Showbiz, Hall of Fame, and KAR to name a few. In 2011, Kalani and several of her dance friends entered Disney Channel's Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off contest, vying for the prize of a featured role on the hit show Shake It Up. Her group, AKsquared, won the competition, and was featured in the Shake It Up episode "Camp It Up." The on-camera experience left Kalani knowing she wanted to pursue being a professional dancer. In 2013, Kalani became a series dance regular on the ABC Family show Bunheads, appearing in multiple episodes as Baby Bun. That same year, she took part in Lifetime's Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, a dance reality competition series. Kalani made it to the final four, having finished in fourth place. Following her top four finish, Kalani and her mom, Kira Girard, was invited by Abby Lee Miller to join the cast of Lifetime's Dance Moms, having first appeared in the season 4 episode "Big Trouble in the Big Apple." Kalani and her mom became series cast members at the beginning of the competition season during season 5. Kalani has expanded her role as a dancer off the dance floor as well, being honored as a Capezio athlete, launching her own dance wear line for Purple Pixies, and her own collection for clothing label Mod Angel. She has also made a splash in the social media world, becoming a social influencer for tweens and teens amassing a large following across the world. Kalani continues to work professionally, having appeared in numerous music videos and print campaigns as a dancer and model. Keep an eye out for more to come, as her star is on the rise!
