GiaNina Paolantonio Is a Force in the Dance World

GiaNina Paolantonio is taking the dance world by storm. The 20-year-old has performed on Broadway, toured with Mariah Carey, appeared in The Greatest Showman, and reached international fame starring in Season 8 of “Dance Moms.” This past year, she’s shifted her focus to teaching and choreographing. With regular class slots at iconic studios and an international teaching tour in full swing, Paolantonio is acquiring a reputation as an in-demand instructor. As a choreographer, she’s worked with major artists like Billie Eilish and Jessie Murph to craft viral dances using their music.

Dance Spirit talked with Paolantonio about her teaching philosophy, choreographic process, and advice for dancers.

On Teaching Dance

Paolantonio never dreamt of being a dance teacher or a choreographer. Growing up, she thought teachers couldn’t also be working dancers. So when she moved to L.A. in 2021 at 16, Paolantonio turned down offers to sub classes in the area. It wasn’t until a trip with friends that she changed her mind. An offer to sub popped up on Paolantonio’s phone, and her friends urged her to take it. She recalls actress and singer Kylie Cantrall’s words of encouragement: “What are you waiting for? Just do it.”

Paolantonio agreed to sub a contemporary class at Millennium Dance Complex with less than a week to prepare. It felt like the right time, she says, because her family happened to be in town. Both Paolantonio’s parents and her dog went to the studio to offer their support. The class was a sold-out success, and Millennium offered her a weekly teaching slot.

Her Teaching Style

It took Paolantonio about six months to find her choreographic groove in jazz funk, which she now teaches at Playground LA. She brings a “very fierce, very Britney” energy to the style, she says, taking inspiration from Brian Friedman, whose classes she took at conventions growing up. With contemporary, which she teaches at Millennium, the movement has always come naturally. (She can choreograph combos completely in her head, while sitting in an airplane.)

Paolantonio’s favorite reminder to her students, whether they’re total beginners or seasoned pros, is: “All I ever ask is for you to give me effort and a huge smile on your face.” She’s touched when students—especially those who are new or returning to dance—thank her for creating a safe space to make mistakes. “It’s a human environment,” says Paolantonio. “I always say that if I made up the combo and I forget it, you’re allowed to forget it too.”

Getting Social

Paolantonio came of age on social media, creating content for fun long before she amassed a following of millions. “I’ve always loved making videos. I was doing it before I needed to,” she says. Social media took off for Paolantonio when her season of “Dance Moms” airing preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and coincided with the rise of TikTok. It was a “perfect storm,” she says, and she used the momentum to grow her audience on multiple platforms.

Paolantonio appreciates social media for the opportunities it brings, but she also acknowledges its negative side. She says as a dancer on social media, your passion for dance has to get you through the tough moments, like navigating mean comments and unsolicited advice. “I have so many eyes on me and opinions of me that it can get to be a lot,” says Paolantonio. But she knows how to focus on the opinions that matter: those of her family and close friends. “You really need a support system behind you. You can’t do it alone.”

On Working With Top Artists

How did Paolantonio come to work with musical artists like Billie Eilish, Nelly Furtado, and Jessie Murph? Fusing her content-creation skills with her choreographic chops, she came up with the idea for artist classes, in which she partners with a specific artist and their label to create and teach a combo to the singer’s music. At the end of class, the combo is filmed and shared to social media. Some artists come to the classes in person, and those who can’t attend show support by re-sharing class videos, sometimes sending in video messages. Paolantonio says two of her passions collide during her artist classes. “I love to give an exciting moment to my students,” she says. “We’re all eating, we’re all winning, we’re all doing great things together.”

Her Advice for Dancers  

Paolantonio believes that if you’re great at what you do, others may see your success and try to bring you down. She says it’s important to affirm your own confidence: “You have to know yourself enough and believe in yourself enough.” That’s how Paolantonio, who describes herself as “a very vulnerable human,” stays grounded in cutthroat environments.

So what’s next for Paolantonio? Her international teaching tour will be keeping her busy well into 2026. And she’s been nurturing another passion: singing. Her first single, a project a year in the making, will be coming out soon. “I think it’s something that no one expects,” she says, adding, “It’s been a long time coming, and I finally feel like it’s right.”