Abby Lee Miller Teases New TV Project With Maddie Ziegler After ‘Dance Moms’

Abby Lee Miller appeared indifferent to Maddie Ziegler and her family’s leave on Tuesday’s Season 6 finale of “Dance Moms,” but according to the coach, she couldn’t be happier for her student. Following the episode’s premiere on Lifetime, Abby appeared in a live YouTube broadcast where she gushed about the 13-year-old’s achievements and teased a possible future project with her.

“Maddie left to do a wonderful job, a great job. I’m very excited about it,” Abby said. As previously reported, Maddie will act as a judge on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation,” which premieres this month. Abby further explained Maddie’s leave, saying her schedule to promote her first feature film “The Book of Henry” and shooting for the movie “Sisters” with Sia conflicted with the “Dance Moms” production schedule, causing her to have to choose.

“It was not an easy decision. It was a very difficult decision. However, she made the right one,” Abby said. “I think it is great, and I think it’s what she needed to do.”

With “Dance Moms” behind her, Abby pointed out that Maddie will have more free time to pursue other projects and hinted she may have one in the works with her longtime dance teacher.

“Hopefully, wink wink, Maddie and I will work together again. She’s still at my studio. That’s never going to change. But hopefully were going to be working on another project that you might just see on your television screen [or] even your computer screen in the future. Keep your fingers crossed.”

Watch Abby’s “Dance Moms” after show below:

While Abby supported Maddie’s decision to move on, she didn’t say the same for little sister Mackenzie Ziegler, whose post-reality TV career plans remain uncertain. Abby said that Mackenzie, 11, should have stuck around to further her dancing skills.

“I think the world loves her. We are in 130 countries, and I think they are just head of heels with Mackenzie,” she said. “I think she was the right age to really come into her dancing and to improve. We would have seen her really improve this season. You know, sometimes you get stuck doing what your older sister is doing.”

Maddie and Mackenzie will return to “Dance Moms” for two specials this month. Catch the first, “Hello and Goodbye,” Tuesday, May 10, at 9 p.m. EDT on Lifetime.