Yahoo Finance JoJo Siwa Says Abby Lee Miller Still Gives Her Choreography Advice 'All the Time'
JoJo Siwa has never asked Abby Lee Miller for feedback on her choreography, but that doesn't mean the 19-year-old's former dance instructor doesn't give it.
"I don't think I've ever gone to her with choreography advice," Siwa tells PEOPLE exclusively ahead of hosting Saturday 1st annual Children and Family Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. "Almost every time that I post something though of me dancing, she'll swipe up and give me a correction on it or she'll swipe up and give an idea on it."
"That happens all the time," the XOMG POP! group co-founder adds.
Siwa spent many hours in the dance studio with Miller, 71, while appearing on Dance Moms for two seasons. Although the two haven't worked together in a while, the former Nickelodeon star knows how lucky she was to be trained by Miller at the Abby Lee Miller Dance Studio in Pittsburgh.
"I do respect her choreography and I do respect what she's done for the world," Siwa shares. "Whether the dance community wants to admit it or not, she changed the dance world for the better. I think that that's really cool."
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images; GP/Star Max/GC Images Abby Lee Miller and JoJo Siwa
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Miller was often criticized for being too tough on her young students, however, Siwa doesn't see it that way.
"I think she brought a light to the dance world and some people may say it was a negative light, but a light is a light," notes Siwa. "You can choose how you look at it. I think I've always tried to see everything for the best."
"That's something that I walked away from Dance Moms with — it was good and I loved it and I'm grateful that I've been able to keep my love for the show," she adds.
Abby Lee Miller/Instagram Abby Lee Miller and JoJo Siwa
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Even when Siwa hears harsh criticism from Miller, she knows the tough love she once received from the dance instructor has helped her become the woman she is today.
"Why I was able to be on Dance Moms is because I was able to handle the criticism and I wanted it," Siwa explains. "I always knew that if someone like Abby or someone like my mom is telling me something, that's only to make me a little bit better."
"They're really looking out for me and I've learned to appreciate that versus be like, 'Oh, they said my legs look funny when I do a kick,'" she continues. "It's like, no, your leg is bent. It looks bad. They're telling you to fix it."
Momodu Mansaray/Getty JoJo Siwa
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Not only is Siwa gearing up to host the Children and Family Emmys, she'll be watching the dance group she co-founded with her mom Jessalynn Siwa perform, too. The Siwas and their group are staying busy with their XOMG POP!'s holiday special and live-action series, debuting on YouTube on Dec. 9.
"I'm so excited," Siwa says of taking the stage for Saturday's portion of the two-night show. "An opportunity came around and they asked me to host and you don't say no to the Emmys. So, of course I said yes."
Steve Granitz/WireImage
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The Children's & Family Emmy ceremony will be streamed live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday and Sunday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' viewing platform powered by Vimeo.
The ceremony will also be available to watch online at Watch.TheEmmys.TV and via The Emmys' apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku.
