Elliana Walmsley
Elliana Kathryn Walmsley (born June 23, 2007)[1] is an American dancer. She became known for appearing in Lifetime's reality show Dance Moms. Walmsley has an Instagram account with more than 1.5m followers and recently got a YouTube channel with more than 121k subscribers.
Elliana Walmsley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Elliana Kathryn Walmsley June 23, 2007 Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Dancer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Relatives | Yolanda Walmsley (mother) Kevin Walmsley (father) Jakeob Walmsley (brother) Luke Walmsley (brother) |
Early life
Walmsley was born in Boulder, Colorado to Yolanda (née Parra)[2] and Kevin Walmsley. She has two older brothers, Jakeob and Luke. Walmsley began dancing when she was 18 months old and studied at The Joffrey Ballet, Master Ballet Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, Michelle Latimer Dance Academy in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and EDGE Performing Arts Center and The Millennium Dance Complex, both in Los Angeles.[1] In 2015, Walmsley participated in the KAR Dance Competition held in Las Vegas and was crowned "Miss Petite Dance America".[3]
Career
2016–2017: Career beginnings
In 2016, she joined the US reality TV show Dance Moms, alongside her mother, during Season 6 as part of the ALDC mini team. After the mini team disbanded, Walmsley joined the elite team and became a permanent member of the cast during Season 7 in 2017, before leaving at the end of the year. She returned for some episodes in season 8.[4]
In 2017, she participated in a national tour with castmate Maesi Caes to teach dance masterclasses and give solo performances. At the end of 2017, Elliana Walmsley originated the lead role of Grace in the musical Dance Divas Nutcracker, based on Cheryl Burke's book series: Dance Divas. It was performed off-Broadway from December 13[5] to December 17 at Theatre Row, New York City, where a portion of the money made went towards the charity "Dancers with Cancer".
In July 2017, she competed at the annual national dance competition The Dance Awards, held in Orlando, Florida. She finished in the top ten in the Mini Female Best Dancer category. In July 2018, representing the Michelle Latimer Dance Academy, Walmsley won the title of Mini Female Best Dancer at The Dance Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] She has toured with 24/7, JUMP, and NUVO dance conventions in their 2019 season as the reigning TDA Mini Female Best Dancer winner at their Las Vegas Nationals. In June 2020, Walmsley competed at The Dance Awards again, but this time, in the Junior Category. She made it to the improv dance-off round and finished in the Top 15.
2018–present: current work
In 2018, Walmsley participated in Dancing with the Stars: Juniors as a professional[1] with Jason Maybaum and Emma Slater.[6] In July 2019, she booked the starring role of Clara in the 2019/2020 Radio City Christmas Spectacular show alongside The Rockettes after pursuing the role for three years.[7][8] In 2020, it was announced that Walmsley would star in season 7 of the Brat web-based series Chicken Girls.[9]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017, 2019 | Dance Moms | Herself | 42 Episodes | |
| 2018 | Dancing With The Stars | Herself - Junior Pro Dancer | 1 episode | |
| Dancing With The Stars: Juniors | Herself - Junior Pro Dancer | 5 episodes | ||
| To the Pointe with Kristyn Burtt | Herself | 1 episode | ||
| Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Dancer | 1 episode |
Web Series
| Year | Series | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | JoJo's Juice | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | TinaQ's Celebrity Interviews | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2018 | Boss Cheer | Sammy | 1 episode | |
| 2020 | CollabBASH: The First and Largest Online Creator Event | Self - Panelist | ||
| Chicken Girls: The Docuseries | Herself | 5 episodes | ||
| Chicken Girls | Claire | 9 episodes |
Music Videos
| Year | Song | Artist | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Extra | Azalea Carey | as a Dancer | |
| A Different Way | DJ Snake Feat. Lauv | as a Dancer (age 10) | ||
| 2018 | Alive | Rachael Sage | Dancer | |
| 2019 | We're Taking Over | Barbie | As Herself | |
| 2020 | Simplify | Stefan Benz | Girlfriend | |
| All My Friends | Indi Star | Friend |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Dance Divas Nutcracker | Grace | ||
| 2019 | Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular | Clara |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award Show | Category | Recipients and Nominees | Outcome | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Dance Awards | Female Best Dancer (Mini) | Elliana Walmsley | Top 10 | |
| 2018 | The Dance Awards | Female Best Dancer (Mini) | Elliana Walmsley | Won | |
| CelebMix Awards | Best Dancer | Elliana Walmsley | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | CelebMix Awards | Best Dancer | Elliana Walmsley | Nominated | |
| 2020 | The Dance Awards | Female Best Dancer (Junior) | Elliana Walmsley | Top 15 |
References
- Rolfe, Helen (November 23, 2018). "Why You Should Know Dance Darling Elliana Walmsley". Dance Spirit.
- "Dance Moms: Bonus: Yolanda's Middle Name (Season 7, Episode 23)". YouTube. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- "Elliana Walmsley - Existence (Miss Petite Dance America)". Retrieved August 30, 2020.
- Sorren, Martha (July 10, 2019). "Elliana & Yolanda's Return to Dance Moms Is Already Causing So Much Drama". Woman's Day.
- "Dance Mom's Elliana Walmsley to Star in World Premiere of Dance Divas Nutcracker Off-Broadway". BWW News.
- Bounds, Amy (October 5, 2018). "Boulder 11-year-old Elliana Walmsley competing on 'Dancing with the Stars Junior". Daily Camera.
- Rockettes [@therockettes] (July 7, 2019). "Never give up on your dreams. Elliana didn't in 2017, and today, she is officially one of our Claras in the #ChristmasSpectacular. Welcome to the Rockette family, @ellianawalmsley_! 🌟👧🏻🎄" – via Instagram.
- Elliana Walmsley [@ellianawalmsley_] (July 12, 2019). "WATCH TO THE END! 😉 My heart is EXPLODING with JOY!!! So incredibly humbled and honored to share that I will dance the role of CLARA in the RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR with @therockettes!!! This has been a dream of mine since I was a baby ballerina...dreams really do come true!!!! 💜Thank you to the village that have helped me over the years to be ready for this adventure! @kellyjsmith1 You were the first to start me off and you have been there for me every step of the way. 🥰 Massive thanks to ALL of my teachers and mentors who prepared me for this incredible adventure....I love you all!!!! A heartfelt thank you to @drewphillip and @dancecelebrity for making this surprise extra special!💗" – via Instagram.
- Shafer, Ellise (August 4, 2020). "Brat TV Announces New Cast of 'Chicken Girls' For Season 7". Variety.