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Though Dance Moms has been off the air for a while, fans are still invested in the former cast members’ lives. One person who has received a lot of attention from fans lately is Gianna Martello. Fans will recall that Martello served as a choreographer for the Abby Lee Dance Company and was featured on all eight seasons of the Lifetime show.

Dance Moms cast member Gianna Martello
Gianna Martello | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

In many ways, Martello was responsible for the continued success of the ALDC Junior Elite Competition Team. Not only did she have a hand in choreographing almost every solo, duet, trio, or group dance, but she also was sure to show up for the team when Abby Lee Miller (dance teacher and studio owner) was exhibiting some of her more erratic behavior. Dance Moms fans will recall that it was Martello who worked with the cast whenever Miller was absent or on a rampage.

Gianna Martello got along well with most of the ‘Dance Moms’ cast

Martello also developed a close relationship with plenty of the dancers. Many of the original cast members have expressed their love for Martello and shared that the show would not have been possible with her. JoJo Siwa, in particular, has been vocal about how sweet she finds Martello to be. Of course, not everyone shared this sentiment. Recently, Dance Moms alum, Christi Lukasiak made headlines when she declared that Martello was not a nice person.

Lukasiak has also shared cryptic messages about Martello in the past. When Dance Moms fans pressed her for a reason she didn’t like Martello, she gave her reasoning through an Instagram comment. “Gianna is JUST like Abby. Just. She will never leave her,” Lukasiak publicly commented. “All you need to know is that Gianna high-fived Abby when she made fun of Chloe’s eye and we finally left.”

The choreographer denied Christi Lukasiak’s claims on Instagram

Once the choreographer got wind of Lukasiak’s claims, she took to her own Instagram post to discount the accusations. “So let me clear the air,” the Dance Moms alum began. “No, that did not happen, under any circumstances, ever, in any context. The only ‘high-five’ I would ever give would be for a competition WIN. Which, if you’ve ever seen the show, you’ve probably seen me do a few times. Read what you want, believe what you want, make your assumptions, and take your sides. You won’t find me gossiping about others publicly. Ever.”

Naturally, Miller co-signed Martello’s statement. Not only do she and Martello continue to work together to this day, but they have a very long history together. Martello actually danced for the ALDC when she was younger, years before Dance Moms premiered. She has continued to support Miller through her many ups and downs and even though Miller’s stint in prison.

Abby Lee Miller defends her friend and former student

“How dare her… didn’t she sign a contract with the network that she wouldn’t talk about us!” Miller wrote in response to Lukasiak’s claimed that Martello isn’t nice. “@giannamartello is my student! RELAX EVERYONE, I TRAINED GIA – SHE CAN HANDLE ANY DUMB OR NASTY THING PPL SAY ABOUT HER – SADLY IT GOES WITH THE BUSINESS! Although she is a grown woman now, she was at my studio day in and day out – she grew up there training, competing, performing with ppl much more talented than… so and so! Actually, her small group & their Moms should have been the first – the original Dance Moms cast!!!”

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‘Dance Moms’: Why the Original Cast Initially Thought the Show Was a Joke

‘Dance Moms’ fans found a video of Martello from when she danced with the ALDC

Because of Miller’s claim about Martello’s talent, more Dance Moms fans than ever were interested in seeing videos of her time dancing at the ALDC. However, finding videos of the choreographer performing has proven to be difficult. But recently, some eager fans managed to find a clip of Martello performing a duet called “The Last Days” back in 2007. The duet actually looks similar to a lot of dances we’ve seen on Dance Moms, but we don’t know if Miller’s claim that Martello was better than some of the original cast members rings true.