Abby Lee Miller is a renowned American dance instructor, choreographer, and creator of Dance Moms, celebrated for her strict teaching style and dramatic reality TV presence, though marred by legal and health challenges.
Early Life & Education
Abigale Lee Miller was born on September 21, 1965, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Maryen Lorrain Miller, a dance teacher and studio owner, and George L. “Salty” Miller. Raised in Penn Hills, she trained under her mother’s direction at the Maryen Lorrain Dance Studio.
Abby founded the Abby Lee Dance Company in 1980 at her mother’s studio and officially took over in 1995, renaming it Reign Dance Productions.
Abby Lee Miller’s Career
Abby’s dance career took off in earnest with the launch of Dance Moms in 2011, where she appeared as a no-nonsense instructor mentoring her Abby Lee Dance Company junior dance team.
The show ran until 2019, producing several spin-offs like Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, Dance Moms: Miami, and Abby’s Studio Rescue.
Before reality TV fame, she achieved certification from Dance Masters of America in 1986, though her membership ended in 2012 after criticism over Dance Moms being a misrepresentation of dance education.
Abby Lee Miller expanded her reach by opening an ALDC studio in Los Angeles in 2015. This venture closed in 2017 following her legal issues, after which she downsized and relocated within L.A. Her Pittsburgh studio closed permanently in 2022, with the property repurposed.
In 2014, she authored Everything I Learned About Life, I Learned in Dance Class. Despite her career setbacks, Abby continues hosting dance masterclasses, most recently in May 2025 in San Antonio, offering instruction, Q&A sessions, and merchandise to attendees.
Her career has been shaped by extremes, her skill as a choreographer, her polarizing teaching persona, and her television success, and it has been tempered by serious legal and health struggles.
Personal Life
Abby Lee Miller has never married nor had children, famously stating she “loved the studio more than family”. In April 2018, she was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma after spinal surgery; by September of that year, she entered remission and began physical therapy to relearn walking.
As of 2024, she is paraplegic and uses a power wheelchair for mobility. In June 2025, she filed a medical malpractice lawsuit claiming a catheter was negligently left inside her during a 2020 surgery, causing years of pain.
Net Worth
Media estimates vary regarding Abby Lee Miller’s net worth. Various sources project $1–2 million based on her books, masterclasses, and digital ventures. These reflect the impact of legal challenges and health battles on her financial stability.
