Before she was a neon-clad pop sensation or a controversial figure in the "gay pop" scene, JoJo Siwa was just a kid with a very loud voice and an even louder mother. Most people remember her as a staple of the Lifetime reality show, but if you go back and look at the timeline, the answer to when did Jojo siwa join dance moms is actually a bit of a trick question.
Technically, JoJo didn't just "show up" one day. Her entrance was a slow burn that started long before she officially earned a spot on the elite team. To understand how she became the most famous export of the ALDC, you have to look at the messy, high-decibel history of her first few appearances.
The First Sighting: Season 4 Cameos
Honestly, most casual fans forget that JoJo was actually in the background of Season 4. If you have a sharp eye, you can spot those signature bows in Season 4, Episode 3, "Abby Strikes Back." She wasn't a cast member yet; she was just one of hundreds of kids at an open call audition in Orlando.
It’s kinda wild to see her there now. While the show was focusing on the "Select Team" vs. the "Elite Team" drama, JoJo was just another hopeful in the crowd. She also appeared in the audience during a few competitions that season. She was basically haunting the perimeter of the show, waiting for the right moment to strike.
When Did Jojo Siwa Join Dance Moms Officially?
The real debut—the one where she actually got to speak and dance—happened in Season 5. Specifically, JoJo and her mom, Jessalynn, made their grand entrance in Season 5, Episode 3, aptly titled "JoJo with a Bow Bow."
She wasn't just another guest dancer. Abby Lee Miller brought her in as a replacement while Maddie Ziegler was away filming music videos with Sia. It was a calculated move. Abby knew JoJo from Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition (AUDC), where she had finished in the top five.
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JoJo didn't exactly get a warm welcome. The other moms were skeptical, and the girls were already a tight-knit group. Her first solo on the show was a musical theater piece called "Lucky Star." She was loud, she was "too much" for the other moms, and she immediately clashed with Abby’s rigid expectations.
- The Probation Period: For the first few weeks of Season 5, JoJo was on "probation."
- The Breaking Point: In Episode 4, "Bye Bye Pittsburgh," Abby almost cut her entirely.
- The Official Jacket: It wasn't until Season 5, Episode 11, "Nia's Last Chance," that JoJo finally received her official ALDC team jacket.
That was the moment she went from a "guest" to a "cast member." It took eleven weeks of fighting for her life in that studio to finally be seen as part of the team.
The AUDC Connection: Where It Really Started
To be fair, JoJo’s relationship with the Dance Moms universe started in 2013. She was the youngest contestant on Season 2 of Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. She was only nine years old.
Even then, the traits that would make her a star were fully formed. She had that raspy voice, the "never-say-die" attitude, and a mother who was willing to bleach her hair and glue rhinestones to anything that moved. She was eliminated in week 9 of that show, but she clearly left an impression on Abby.
Most kids who got kicked off AUDC disappeared. JoJo didn't. She and Jessalynn stayed in Abby's ear, showing up at auditions and making sure they weren't forgotten. That’s why, when the ALDC moved to Los Angeles in Season 5, JoJo was the obvious choice to bring in for the TV cameras.
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Why Her Arrival Changed the Show
Before JoJo, the girls on the team were mostly "yes" people. They were terrified of Abby. Then JoJo walks in.
She was the first kid who really talked back. Not in a mean way, necessarily, but she had a level of confidence that the Pittsburgh girls just didn't have. There’s a famous scene where Abby tells her she’s not good, and JoJo basically says, "If you didn't like it, you should have told me." The look on Abby's face was priceless.
"I'd rather be a loud person than a quiet person." — JoJo Siwa, proving from day one she wasn't going to blend in.
Her presence shifted the dynamic from a strictly competitive dance environment to a "brand-building" environment. While the other moms were worried about getting a solo, Jessalynn was worried about JoJo's YouTube channel and her merchandise. They were the first ones to realize that Dance Moms was a platform, not just a dance studio.
The Departure: Season 6 and Beyond
All good things (and chaotic ones) must end. JoJo’s time as a regular cast member lasted through Season 5 and into Season 6. Her final episode as a series regular was Season 6, Episode 29, "JoJo Is a No Show."
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The exit was abrupt. She was supposed to do a ballet duet with Kendall Vertes, and she just... didn't show up. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes tension about a deal she had signed with Nickelodeon. Basically, JoJo had outgrown the show. She was becoming a global brand, and the $2,000 per episode (or whatever they were making) wasn't worth the verbal abuse from Abby anymore.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to rewatch her journey or understand the timeline better, here is the roadmap:
- Watch AUDC Season 2 if you want to see the "origin story" of the bows and the attitude.
- Skip to Season 5, Episode 3 of Dance Moms to see her official debut.
- Pay attention to Episode 11 of the same season for the "jacket ceremony" that made her permanent.
- Look for the shift in Season 6 where her social media presence starts to eclipse the competition results.
JoJo Siwa joining Dance Moms wasn't just a casting choice; it was the moment the show pivoted from a dance documentary into a star-making machine. Whether you love her or find the glitter exhausting, you can't deny that she played the game better than almost anyone else in that studio.
To dive deeper into the ALDC history, you should compare JoJo's trajectory with other "guest" dancers like Asia Monet Ray or Kalani Hilliker to see how their contracts and career moves differed during the Los Angeles transition years.