'Dance Moms' Is Back With A New Batch Of Kiddos

Abby Lee Miller is back in the spotlight. Dance Moms is back on the air after Abby took more than a year off to deal with health and legal troubles. She begins Season 8 back in her original dance studio in Pittsburgh. She'll also be teaching an almost entirely new group of dancers. So, you're probably wondering — who are the kids on Dance Mom's new season? Thankfully, Lifetime has already released some introductions. I'm going to tell you all about the dancers to look out for.

Let's start with some familiar faces: Lilly and her mom Stacey. Lilly is the only one of Abby's former pupils who is returning this season, and both of them seem to think that means she'll get special treatment. "This time around, Lilly should be in the sweet spot," Stacey said in a preview clip. "You're one of the people who's gonna get something special. I think it's finally your turn. I mean, why not?" she asks her daughter.

They might be in for a rude awakening when the new season premieres June 4 at 9 p.m. ET. Abby plans to start every dancer off on the same level, and that means taking Lilly's jacket away from her in front of the other kids. Of course Stacey is going to fight Abby and other moms to make sure her daughter gets the spotlight she deserves. But the fight will probably be harder than she's expecting because Abby's new students are also very talented.

Brady may also stand out to you, first because he is the only boy on this season. Lilly may be competing with him for solos because they share the same two favorite styles of dance — ballet and contemporary. His story might also make you emotional, because he found dance when he was seeking comfort during a difficult time in his life. "My dad got deployed to Iraq and I kind of had nothing to do," he said in his introduction video. "I really wanted to express myself in creative movement." His mom Trisha is definitely going to fight for his right to do that. Previews of the season show her in conflict with veteran mom Stacey often.

GiaNina is going to stand out for reasons beyond her unique name. First of all, her mom was a dance teacher, so she has two dance professionals to impress. But she also enjoys one dance style that's completely different from many of the other kids. She loves hip-hop and jazz fusion or funk. "It expresses my personality the most," she said in her introductory video. She also channels Ariana Grande via cat ear headbands quite often. I always root for people with the confidence to stand out and be their funky selves. GiaNina is definitely on my radar.

Viewers will get to meet plenty of other talented dancers this season. Many of these kids' mothers owned a dance studio at one point in their lives, which probably explains their competitiveness. I hope the kids get along and I can't wait to watch them begin new dance journeys with Abby.