GiaNina Paolantonio

Who Is GiaNina Paolantonio?

GiaNina Paolantonio was born as GiaNina Marie Paolantonio on June 10, 2005, in Oakhurst, New Jersey, USA. She is an American dancer, choreographer, singer, and actress who made her Broadway debut in Matilda the Musical at the age of nine.

She appeared in the feature film The Greatest Showman (2017) and later gained national attention on Season 8 of Dance Moms. Before her teens, GiaNina performed as both a Knicks City Kid and a Brooklyn Nets Kid, and she went on to tour with Mariah Carey during her All I Want for Christmas Is You concerts.

Furthermore, she currently teaches a weekly class at the world-renowned Millennium Dance Studio in Los Angeles, as well as Playground LA,  dedicated to sharing her passion for dance and inspiring others through the art of teaching.

GiaNina Paolantonio is not simply a reality television dancer. She is a Broadway performer, a Hollywood film actress, a recording artist, a podcast host, and a dance educator. She has been all of these things,  and she is only 20 years old.

Early Life: Born on the Jersey Shore, Destined for Greatness

Growing Up in Oakhurst, New Jersey

GiaNina Marie Paolantonio was born on June 10, 2005, and is a dancer from Oakhurst, New Jersey.

She was born and raised on the Jersey Shore.

The Jersey Shore,  with its vibrant boardwalks, tight-knit communities, and deeply Italian-American cultural roots,  is a fitting birthplace for a young performer of GiaNina’s passion and personality. Gia has Italian roots.

Growing up on the shore gave her a grounded, spirited personality that shines through in every interview, performance, and Instagram post she has ever shared with her millions of fans.

Dancing Since Age One: Born Into the Art

She has been dancing since the age of one.

One year old. Most children are still learning to walk steadily. GiaNina was already moving to music.

Her mom was a dance teacher her whole life. “I didn’t really have much of a choice,” GiaNina has said with a laugh. “I was kind of born into it! I think when I was four or five, I started catching on to things that kids my age normally wouldn’t catch on to. My mom was like, ‘I think she has something special here.'”

Therefore, GiaNina’s extraordinary career did not begin with an audition or a talent show. It began in the most natural way possible in the warm, encouraging arms of a mother who recognized something rare in her daughter and chose to nurture it.

A Mother’s Vision: “GiaNina’s Journey” Begins

Ever since that day when her mother recognized her special gift, they have documented her journey with “GiaNina’s Journey,” and that is how it all got started.

“GiaNina’s Journey” is not just a social media hashtag. It is the ongoing documentary of a remarkable life filmed by a devoted family and shared with a worldwide audience who have been watching, rooting, and celebrating every milestone.

Family: Parents, Brother Joey, and Grandmother Mimi

Her mother is Joanne Paolantonio, and her father is John Paolantonio.

She has an older brother named Joey.

Her grandmother Mimi passed away during her Broadway debut,  a bittersweet milestone that combined the highest professional achievement of her young life with a profound personal loss.

This detail,  carrying grief at nine years old while performing on Broadway,  reveals a depth of character and resilience in GiaNina that goes far beyond her age.

Dance Training at Middletown Dance Academy

GiaNina trained at Middletown Dance Academy in Middletown, New Jersey.

Her strongest styles of dance are Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical.

These three disciplines,  technically demanding, physically powerful, and emotionally expressive,  reflect the full range of GiaNina’s artistic personality. Furthermore, they gave her the versatility to move seamlessly from Broadway stages to film sets to competitive dance floors.

Career: A Resume That Would Make Most Adults Envious

Broadway Debut: Matilda the Musical (2015–2016),  Age Nine

At the age of nine, GiaNina made her Broadway debut as Amanda Thripp in Matilda the Musical. She starred in the musical from March 2015 until September 2016.

GiaNina described how it happened: “We like to say I went from the couch to Broadway! I wasn’t much of a singer; I could just carry a tune. I had never had experience with acting. I was just a very competitive dancer who loved what I did. I went to an open call audition that my mom actually found, and I think four callback later I booked it!”

Four callbacks. An open call. No prior acting training. Just raw, undeniable talent and a mother who found the audition and a daughter brave enough to walk in.

Matilda the Musical is one of Broadway’s most beloved and technically demanding productions. Playing Amanda Thripp,  a fierce, spirited character,  gave GiaNina her first taste of professional live theatre at the very highest level.

The New York Knicks City Kids and Brooklyn Nets Kids (2014–2015)

GiaNina danced for the New York Knicks City Kids Dance Team during the 2014–15 season at Madison Square Garden. She also performed as a member of the Brooklyn Nets Kids Dance Team at Barclays Center.

Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center two of New York City’s most iconic arenas. Before she was ten years old, GiaNina Paolantonio had performed at both. Therefore, she understood what it meant to command a crowd long before she ever stepped onto a reality television stage.

Performing With Mariah Carey: Christmas at Rockefeller Center (2014) and Las Vegas Residency (2017)

GiaNina performed for Mariah Carey at the NBC Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting in 2014, as well as her All I Want for Christmas Is You concert residency at Beacon Theater in New York and The Colosseum in Las Vegas in 2017.

Performing alongside Mariah Carey,  one of the greatest vocalists in music history,  is a career milestone that most professional dancers never achieve. GiaNina achieved it twice. Furthermore, performing at The Colosseum in Las Vegas placed her on one of the most prestigious entertainment stages in America.

The Greatest Showman (2017): A Hollywood Film Credit at Age 12

GiaNina was a principal ballerina in the mega movie sensation The Greatest Showman.

She was featured as a principal ballerina in The Greatest Showman, one of the most successful live-action musical films of the decade.

The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman and featuring one of the most beloved film soundtracks of recent years,  was a global box office phenomenon. Being a principal ballerina in that film at the age of twelve placed GiaNina’s talent in a permanent cinematic record. Additionally, it gave her a Hollywood film credit that most professional dancers spend their entire careers hoping to achieve.

Lip Sync Battle Shorties (2018): Nickelodeon Television Debut

She became a member of the Big Battle Dance Crew on Season 2 of Lip Sync Battle Shorties in 2018, showcasing her versatility as a performer.

Lip Sync Battle Shorties, the Nickelodeon spin-off of the popular Paramount Network celebrity lip-sync series,  gave GiaNina her first national television exposure before Dance Moms. It introduced her sharp performance instincts, competitive energy, and natural charisma to a young national audience.

Dance Moms Season 8 (2018–2019): National Fame Arrives

Those who thought Abby Lee Miller’s one-year prison sentence marked the end of the Dance Moms era were wrong. The popular Lifetime series made a comeback with a new cast of tween and teen dancers,  including 13-year-old GiaNina Paolantonio.

GiaNina was the first brunette member to be featured on the ALDC Elite Competition Team in Season 8 of Dance Moms. She is the first ALDC Elite Competition Team Member to be from New Jersey.

GiaNina and Joanne Paolantonio were seen in Season 3 of Dance Moms waiting to audition for a spot on the ALDC Elite Competition Team. They finally joined in Season 8.

Their patience waiting years before their opportunity arrived makes their Season 8 journey even more meaningful. Furthermore, GiaNina’s mother, Joanne,  a dance teacher of 27 years,  brought extraordinary experience and passionate advocacy to every moment of their Dance Moms story.

GiaNina spoke about working with Abby Lee Miller: “Abby is a wonderful person and coach. She’s strict, but that’s the only way to bring the best out of her dancers. She can be brutally honest, but I would rather have that than someone always telling me I’m great and can’t do anything wrong. To become great, you must be challenged.”

This maturity,  welcoming honesty, and challenge rather than seeking comfort are some of GiaNina’s most remarkable qualities as both a performer and a person.

The 7th Annual Reality Television Awards (2020)

GiaNina and her mom were presenters at the 7th Annual Reality Television Awards in 2020.

Being recognised at a major industry awards ceremony as a presenter, alongside her mother,  was a meaningful validation of their Dance Moms journey and their place in the reality television landscape.

JoJo Siwa’s “D.R.E.A.M.” Music Video (September 2020)

In September 2020, she was featured in JoJo Siwa’s music video for the slumber party theme of her song “D.R.E.A.M.” along with other cast members, including Kamryn Smith, Kendyl Fay, Paris Moore, and Pressley Hosbach.

Appearing in a JoJo Siwa music video placed GiaNina in front of one of the largest young audiences on social media,  introducing her vibrant personality to millions of fans who may not have followed Dance Moms.

Vibe Crew TikTok Group (August 2020)

In August 2020, she joined the TikTok group called Vibe Crew along with fellow Dance Moms castmates Elliana Walmsley and Lilliana Ketchman.

TikTok group houses were one of the defining social media phenomena of 2020. Joining Vibe Crew placed GiaNina in a collaborative creative environment with fellow performers,  generating viral content, building cross-audiences, and establishing her TikTok presence at the platform’s most explosive growth period.

Music Releases: “TALK” (December 2020) and “Everything But You and Me” (March 2021)

In December 2020, she released her first single titled “TALK.” In March 2021, she released her second single titled “Everything But You and Me.”

These two releases confirmed GiaNina as a recording artist,  not just a dancer who occasionally sang. Her commitment to music reflected a genuine creative ambition that extended across every corner of the entertainment industry.

Bebe Rexha Kids’ Choice Awards 2023: Backup Dancer on the Big Stage

On March 4, 2023, she performed at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2023 as a backup dancer for Bebe Rexha.

Performing at the Kids’ Choice Awards,  one of children’s television’s biggest annual events,  alongside Grammy-nominated pop star Bebe Rexha, was a landmark moment. It confirmed that GiaNina had transitioned from competition dancer and reality TV cast member to professional touring and event performer of the highest caliber.

“Stupid Idiots Podcast” With Sage Rosen (September 2023)

In September 2023, she launched her first podcast titled “Stupid Idiots Podcast” along with Sage Rosen.

The podcast’s description is refreshingly honest: “Just two idiots talking about their crazy lives.”

This podcast is one of GiaNina’s most authentic creative ventures. It gives her audience a window into her personality, her humor, and her daily life,  completely unfiltered, completely real. Furthermore, it deepened the bond between GiaNina and her fans in a way that no scripted television show could replicate.

Teaching Career: From Student to Instructor at the World’s Best Studios

GiaNina currently teaches a weekly class at the world-renowned Millennium Dance Studio in Los Angeles as well as Playground LA.

GiaNina’s class embodies her multi-hyphenated talents and her love of expression through movement. She prides herself on authentic expression combined with technical components and extreme musicality. She enjoys teaching in styles of contemporary and jazz funk due to her technical training colliding with her commercial professional career. GiaNina’s class environment is very welcoming and extremely inspiring,  and her ability to connect and inspire every student that enters the classroom is why she resonates with so many dancers.

Millennium Dance Studio is one of the most prestigious dance training facilities in the world. Artists, including Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and countless major music video choreographers, have used its stages. Therefore, GiaNina’s position as a weekly instructor there is a remarkable professional achievement.

Her mother, Joanne, was a dance teacher for 27 years. Now, GiaNina carries that teaching legacy forward,  bringing everything she has learned on Broadway, in Hollywood, and on the Dance Moms stage into the classroom. It is a full-circle moment.

Career Highlights Timeline

Filmography and Screen Credits

Brand Partnerships and Commercials

GiaNina is an ambassador for the dancewear brand Capezio. She has been in commercials for the brands Reese’s, Pace Salsa, and Simon Premium Outlets.

GiaNina has built a strong presence on social media, where she creates viral choreography and collaborates with music labels to launch new dance trends.

Her Capezio ambassadorship is particularly meaningful. Capezio is one of the world’s most prestigious dancewear brands,  worn by professional dancers on Broadway, in ballet companies, and on competitive stages around the world. Being an ambassador confirms GiaNina’s standing as a professional dancer at the highest level.

Personal Life: Love, Goals, and a Legacy in Motion

Relationship With Sage Rosen

She is dating Sage Rosen.

Sage Rosen,  her podcast co-host and partner,  has become one of the most constant and visible presences in GiaNina’s public life. Their podcast together offers fans a warm, authentic, and frequently hilarious look at their relationship and shared adventures.

The Ultimate Dream: Becoming the Next Jennifer Lopez

She hopes to become the next Jennifer Lopez when she’s older.

In an interview, she expressed: “Even going on tour and being J.Lo’s backup dancer would love to do in my 18–20 range. That is a goal for me. But I also want to be an artist. I have a million different goals, so whatever life throws at me, I will be glad to take.”

Jennifer Lopez,  the ultimate dancer-singer-actress triple threat,  is the perfect idol for GiaNina. She is the blueprint. She is the standard. Most importantly, she is the proof that a girl from a working-class background with extraordinary talent and an unstoppable work ethic can become one of the greatest entertainers in history. GiaNina Paolantonio is following that same path.

Her Advice to Aspiring Performers

GiaNina’s advice to young performers is specific and powerful: “Stand front and center! Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, stand front and center because your personality shows. Have a signature statement that people will remember you by. Show them yourself. Your vibe needs to be the way you dress. This industry is so crazy. But I’m warning you now,  it’s crazy in the best possible way.”