Pressley Hosbach On Her Transition From Dance Moms To Social Media Stardom - Exclusive Interview

Those who followed the Season 8 cast of "Dance Moms" remember Pressley Hosbach for her bubbly personality and serious dancing skills. Though tempers occasionally flared on the Lifetime reality show, the young dancer kept her eyes on the prize and impressed viewers with her composure both on and off the stage. Along with her stylish dance mom, Ashley Hosbach, Pressley became a fan favorite in the 8th and final season of the show.

Not content to rest on her laurels, the "Dance Moms" alum began posting regularly to social media shortly after the series wrapped — and the rest is history. Today, the cheery content creator has over 10 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, who eagerly tune in to her fashion, beauty, and dance vlogs. In addition to designing and, of course, dancing, the 16-year-old powerhouse is even working on an upcoming solo album. In an exclusive interview with The List, Hosbach dished on everything from "Dance Moms" and social media stardom to her exciting new musical endeavor.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?

I've been dancing since I was 2 years old, so my first love was dance. My mom owned a dance studio, so I was born into it. As I got older, I started to dance more professionally. I did my first professional job when I was around 8. Before that, I actually did a lot of print work when I was 3 months old, so I've been in this industry for a really long time.

It wasn't until after I did "Dance Moms" that I really started focusing on social media. With social media, there were a lot of opportunities for acting and singing. So I started to take it more seriously — I started doing acting classes and singing lessons. Social media created a love for all aspects of the entertainment industry for me.

We heard that you were a fan of "Dance Moms" growing up. How did you actually end up on the show?

My mom owned a dance studio, and the choreographer Gianna Martello on the show "Dance Moms," came and taught a masterclass at our studio. It was right around the time that they were casting Season 8. She told my mom, "Your daughter's the perfect age. You should submit her for [the show]." So we submitted the online form, and then we did a Skype audition, videos, and phone calls. It was a whole year-long process.

Then, we did the in-person audition. A couple of months later, I actually found out I got it from a post on social media that Abby did. So it was through Gianna and taking her class. I used to go to a lot of the "Dance Moms" boot camps and classes growing up since I was 6 years old because I loved it so much.

When was the first time that you got recognized in public for being on the show?

It was right after it first came out. I was walking in New York, and it was an older guy. It caught me off guard. I was like, "Why do you know my name? This is so weird." He was like, "My daughter loves you on 'Dance Moms.'" I was like, "Oh my God, that's so cool."

After that, it mostly started off at dance competitions. I would get noticed a lot, and it still is very weird to me to think that people know who I am. There's been a few really memorable moments. I remember I was on the boardwalk in New Jersey with my family, and this little girl came up to me crying, and she was like, "I love you so much. You're so awesome in 'Dance Moms.'" I would cry if I met some people, and I can't believe people are like that for me.

What were some of your favorite and least favorite performances on the show?

Towards the end, both of my favorite dances are actually in one episode. My favorite solo was the one called "Flower Child," and my favorite dance was "Rising from the Ashes." I think that was our second-to-last episode. Both of those dances were super special to me. I don't know why, but they really have stuck with me, and they've always been my favorites. I didn't really have a least favorite. They were all great, and I really liked all of them.

How did you keep yourself grounded when things got really dramatic on the show?

Throughout everything, my family has kept me super grounded, and I'm so grateful to have a great support system. My parents are super supportive of everything that I do, and my whole entire family is super supportive. It's them that have kept me grounded and reminded me of what's important. Even when it gets hard, [they] remind me that this is what I wanted to do, and I'm doing this to push towards my dreams.

What were things like behind the scenes on "Dance Moms" versus what actually aired on TV?

The most shocking thing for me was how long it actually takes to film everything. We actually don't start filming until later in the week, until Wednesday, but Pyramid in itself is actually four hours long when it is only five minutes of the show. You film for 30-something hours a week, and it turns into less than an hour-long episode. That was most shocking to me, and how quickly you have to learn the dances — it seems quick on the show, but that part is actually quicker in real life.

What was the best lesson that you took away from being on the show?

The best lesson I took away was to stay true to who you are and be confident in yourself, no matter what anybody else says about you. You know who you are, and because you're so confident and so sure of what you want and who you are, nobody else's words will affect you. That was something that I also had to grow and learn, my confidence in myself. I feel like ["Dance Moms"] gave me a lot of confidence in who I am and also taught me that I'm going to need that if I want to be in this industry.

Are you still in touch with any former "Dance Moms" cast members?

Yeah, I do keep in touch with some of the girls from the show and Brady. It's really cool that I have made such strong friendships with some of them. It was a great experience to meet new people.

How did you get started creating content on social media?

I actually started my YouTube channel right before quarantine. I was posting on it, but I wasn't gaining a crazy amount of followers. From "Dance Moms," I had a pretty decent platform. [But] it wasn't until I was getting on a flight back from LA to go to New Jersey to quarantine [that things took off]. We were getting on a flight, and I posted myself doing the Savage Dance on TikTok right before I got on the plane. When I landed, it had half a million views. I'd never got views like that. I was like, "This is weird. I'm just going to keep posting."

I kept posting me doing dances and dueting different TikTokers, and the views just kept [increasing]. I was like, maybe I'll start to do what I did on my YouTube channel on my TikTok. That's how I got into the lifestyle route. After I started gaining a lot of traction on TikTok, it went over to Instagram and then to YouTube. Quarantine was such an awful time, but I'm so grateful for it because I feel like I wouldn't be where I am without it.

How did being on "Dance Moms" help you cope with some of the challenges that come with being an influencer?

It's the same as what I said before: You have to be so confident in who you are that nobody else's words will really affect you. They still do at times, but I feel like that's the same with online criticism. I'm so grateful that I have a great fan base and people who watch my videos. I feel like it's a lot of love, and I'm so grateful that those are the people who support me. You have to be so confident in yourself and be sure of what you're posting, and if you love it, it doesn't really matter if other people like it, in my opinion.

We heard that you're working on an album at the moment. Who are your biggest musical influences?

Taylor Swift is such a big inspiration for me. She started music when she was about my age, and I feel like she's grown into one of the biggest artists of all time. Same with Olivia Rodrigo. I love her so much. And Dolly Parton is a really big inspiration to me as well.

Can you tell us a bit more about your music project?

I've been working on my music project for over a year now, and it's been really fun getting to be in different rooms with different producers and writers and learning all the ropes. I'm still very new to this. I didn't grow up singing my entire life. It's a new love that I've found, getting to explore my voice and see what I want my sound to be like, being a sponge and soaking everything up so that I know everything — there's so much to learn. I'm so excited for it to finally come out because I feel like it's been so long, and I can't wait to share everything with everyone.

Your "Get Ready With Me" videos on TikTok are so popular. What inspires your personal sense of style?

Definitely my mom. I feel like, as I've gotten older, I have become a copy of my mom. She has dressed cool my entire life. She's always been the coolest mom, dressing in the cutest outfits, and I've always wanted to dress like her. Now that I'm old enough, we basically share a closet. She is my style inspiration because she dresses so cool, and I love her style.

Can you share some of your upcoming plans with us?

I'm actually launching a collaborative athleticwear line with Jo+Jax, a dancewear company. I've been wearing them since I was so little. They've always been my favorite dancewear. I'm having my own collection come out with them in about two weeks. We just posted what the collection looks like, and it's available for pre-order. That's been such a fun project to work on with them.

You can pre-order Pressley's Collection at Jo+Jax. Follow Pressley on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for dance, music, and fashion updates.

This interview has been edited for clarity.