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More than a decade after 'Dance Moms' first aired, one of the show's young contestants is putting her several skills to the test.
Following her stint on the third season of the Lifetime reality TV competition, Asia Monet Ray's professional path has given her the chance to shine in different areas.
The 16-year-old California dancer was the youngest-ever contestant of 'Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition', which she joined in 2012. Jazz and contemporary singer and dancer, Asia then appeared on 'Dance Moms', kicking off her career in show business. Though no longer affiliated with Abby Lee Miller, Asia still works in the entertainment industry and shares her life with fans through social media.
How Did Asia Monet Ray Join 'Dance Moms'?
Then 7, Asia Monet Ray joined Lifetime show 'Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition', where talented young dancers competed for a coveted scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet Academy. The participants are judged by Abby Lee Miller, founder of the dance company of the same name and teacher on 'Dance Moms'.
Asia ranked third in the first season of 'AUDC', behind Brianna Haire and Madison O'Connor, who placed first and second respectively.
Following her appearance on Abby Lee Miller's show, the young dancer must have impressed the stern choreographer so much that she was asked to join 'Dance Moms' in its third season, aired on Lifetime in 2013, together with her mother, Kristie Ray, a former fitness model.
However, Asia didn't appear from the very beginning of it, first featured in episode 14, and left just before Nationals. According to her mom, Asia left the series after receiving other opportunities.
In 2021, Asia told 'E! News' that Lifetime reached out to have her on 'AUDC' when she was just six.
"Lifetime reached out. And they're like, 'Look, we have this new show…We'd love to have her on it. We just want to make sure she's 9 years of age,'" she said.
Despite being three years younger, the dancer said that the network was determined to make it work. "I had to go into a full psych evaluation to make sure that I was mentally prepared," Asia said.
Was Asia's Reality Show 'Raising Asia' Really Canceled?
After being on 'Dance Moms', Asia went on to star in her own reality show, spin-off 'Raising Asia'. The prematurely axed show focused on the young dancer's career and relationship with her family, manager Billy Hufsey and choreographer Anthony Burrell.
Together with Asia's mom Kristie, the series also followed her dad Shawn Ray, a Hall of Fame bodybuilder, and her younger sister Bella Blu Ray, a dancer and a gymnast. Asia's aunt and Kristie's sister Gina Alvarado-Samperio also appeared.
'Raising Asia' aired between July and September 2014, but the reality TV program was canceled after just one season. The show only had 13 episodes.
While speaking to her 'AUDC' co-star Jordyn Jones on Jones' podcast in 2021, Asia revealed that Lifetime wanted her to continue the show, but she refused. She wanted to move on to other projects.
What Asia Has Said About Her Time On 'Dance Moms'
Years after 'Dance Moms', Asia revealed what being on the show was really like, spilling some details about what happened behind the scenes.
"Certain things that were on the show were obviously creative editing of just making certain pieces splice together," she told 'E! News' in the same interview previously mentioned.
She also discussed working with Abby Lee Miller, known for being quite harsh on the contestants.
"Out of everything, that was the one thing that never changed," Asia said of Abby Lee Miller, adding that being on 'AUDC' prepared for 'Dance Moms' and that she wasn't upset about Miller's bluntness.
Despite being subjected to some criticism for her dancing, as were all dancers, Asia said she "had a great experience on [the show]", unlike some other contestants who have spoken up about their traumatic time.
"There was nothing that I would change on my experience whatsoever," Asia said. "I learned a lot, I met a lot of people I'm still friends with and pretty close with today and we have so much love for each other."
What Is Asia Monet Ray Doing Today?
After 'Raising Asia' was given the ax, the dancer went on to pursue an acting career. Her first acting credit, as per IMDb, is in the movie 'Sister Code', where she played a younger version of Lexi, the character portrayed by Amber Rose.
Asia then appeared in a two-episode arc on the 12th season of 'Grey's Anatomy', in which she played Jasmine Singh, a little girl involved in a car accident with her entire family.
In 2016, Asia starred in 'The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story', where she played Sydney Simpson, the daughter of O. J. Simpson, portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the show.
Alongside her acting career, Asia, now 18, has also decided to take a chance on her singing. She has released several songs as Asia Monet, including 'Come Along' and 'Hey Girl', released in 2017 and 2018.
Though not as successful as other former 'Dance Moms' stars, Asia is living her best life. She is very active on social media, counting 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 1 million followers on Tik Tok. She also has a YouTube channel where she posts her songs and covers, ranging from Mariah Carey to Billie Eilish to Adele.
As she explained in her 2021 chat to Jones, Asia dances "privately" now after realizing she didn't want to perform anymore following her experience on 'Dance Moms' and the subsequent shows and tours.
