If you spent any time on the internet between 2011 and 2017, you know the face. It’s the face of a small, profoundly unimpressed six-year-old girl named Vivi-Anne Stein. While other kids were sobbing over a missed pirouette or a crooked headband, Vivi was just... there. She was the queen of the deadpan delivery. Her most famous contribution to pop culture? A stone-faced admission that she didn't really want to dance—she just wanted a taco.
It was hilarious. It was relatable. And for many fans of the Lifetime chaos-fest, it felt like the most honest moment in reality TV history. But what’s wild is how much everyone got her wrong.
Fast forward to today, and vivi anne dance moms now looks nothing like the "bored" kid you remember. In a plot twist that basically nobody saw coming back in Season 1, Vivi-Anne didn't quit. She didn't run away to join a softball league or become a full-time taco connoisseur. She actually became the one thing everyone assumed she’d never be: a serious, high-level dancer.
The College Life of Vivi-Anne Stein
People love a good "where are they now" story, but Vivi’s is actually pretty grounded. She graduated high school in 2023. Think about that for a second. The kid who was barely tall enough to reach Abby Lee Miller’s waist is now a college student.
Currently, she’s a student at Cleveland State University. And she isn't just sitting in lecture halls; she’s a standout member of the Cleveland State Viking Dance Team. If you’ve been keeping tabs on her social media, you’ve probably seen the videos. She’s not just "keeping up" anymore. She’s sharp. She’s athletic. Honestly, her technique is arguably more consistent than some of the "elites" who stayed in the ALDC pressure cooker until they burned out.
She even holds a leadership role on the team as Vice President. It’s a huge shift from the little girl who seemed to be dragged to competitions by her mother, Cathy Nesbitt-Stein.
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Why Everyone Thought She’d Quit
Let’s be real. The show edited Vivi-Anne to look like a prop. While Cathy was busy engaging in legendary verbal warfare with Abby—who could forget the water-throwing or the "purse-swinging" incidents?—Vivi was often just standing in the background.
The narrative was simple: Cathy is a stage mom, and Vivi is a reluctant participant.
But looking back, it's clear that Cathy actually did something right. She pulled Vivi off the "main" team early on. She protected her from the most toxic elements of the production. While the Ziegler sisters and Chloe Lukasiak were dealing with national fame and intense scrutiny, Vivi was back in Ohio. She was training at her mom’s studio, Candy Apple’s Dance Center, away from the cameras.
It turns out that when you take the cameras away, Vivi-Anne actually likes to dance. Who knew?
The Tap Renaissance
If you want to see where she truly shines, look at her tap solos. Most people don't realize that Vivi-Anne developed into a phenomenal tap dancer. It’s her specialty.
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She has won numerous awards at regional and national levels. Her feet are fast, her rhythm is precise, and—surprisingly—she actually looks like she’s having fun. It’s a far cry from the "I hope the floor opens up and swallows me" energy she had during those early ALDC group numbers.
Life Beyond the Studio
Vivi-Anne is 21 now. She’s active on TikTok and Instagram, but she isn't chasing the "influencer" life as hard as some of her former castmates. She seems content being a normal college student who happens to have a couple hundred thousand followers.
She’s also been more open about her personal life lately. In late 2025, she "soft-launched" her relationship with her girlfriend, Autumn, who is also on the Cleveland State dance team. Fans were obsessed. The comments were flooded with support, mostly from people who grew up watching her and are just happy to see her living an authentic life.
It’s a stark contrast to the scripted drama of her childhood. No pyramid. No shouting. Just a young woman living her life in Ohio.
The Cathy Factor: Still Iconic?
You can't talk about Vivi-Anne without mentioning Cathy. Honestly, Cathy Nesbitt-Stein is still the same whirlwind of energy she always was. She still runs Candy Apple’s in Canton, Ohio. She’s still Vivi’s biggest fan.
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The relationship between them seems genuinely solid. They often post videos together, poking fun at their old Dance Moms personas. They know the memes. They know the taco jokes. And they seem to be in on it.
There’s something weirdly wholesome about the fact that the most "villainized" mother-daughter duo from the show ended up being the ones with the most stable, low-drama transition into adulthood.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about vivi anne dance moms now is that she was "bad" at dancing. She wasn't bad; she was six. She was a recreational-level dancer being compared to kids who were training 40 hours a week for professional careers.
When you look at her journey through a 2026 lens, it’s a lesson in longevity. Most of the girls from the show struggled with the transition to "real life." Some stopped dancing entirely because the trauma of the show ruined it for them. Vivi-Anne is one of the few who still does it for the love of the sport.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Dancers:
- Don't peak too early. Vivi-Anne is proof that you don't have to be the best at six years old to have a successful dance career in your 20s.
- Protection matters. If you're a parent of a talented kid, Cathy's move to pull Vivi from the limelight might be the smartest "dance mom" move in history.
- Follow the passion, not the trend. Vivi found her niche in tap and cheer, rather than trying to fit the "lyrical/contemporary" mold the show forced on everyone.
Vivi-Anne Stein didn't just survive Dance Moms; she outlasted it. She’s a college leader, a talented tapper, and apparently, she still likes tacos. Honestly? Good for her.