At just 13 years old, Reese Hatala has danced alongside notable celebrities, been featured on several reality competition shows and performed at top industry events—and she’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon. The teen took her first dance class at age three, training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap and hip-hop. Hatala moved on to perform in several commercials for brands such as Old Navy and H&M, at the Kids Choice Awards, and alongside Justin Bieber on his Purpose World Tour in Canada. Additionally, she demonstrated her hip-hop skills on both The Ellen Show (with her older sister, Taylor) and Seasons 1 and 2 of World of Dance (with a group and with a duet partner). However, Hatala’s most celebrated accomplishment to date remains her status as troupe dancer on Season 1 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars: Juniors—she often gave performances following commercial breaks, as well as behind celebrity duos’ routines. Below, she details her dance experiences.

When did you first become interested in dance? What about it appealed to you the most?

I started dancing when I was three years old. I did my first hip-hop solo when I was six, and I loved the way that dance made me feel. I always wanted to be performing on stage!


What is your favorite style of dance, and why?

My favorite style of dance is hip-hop. I love how there are so many different styles within hip-hop, and you can merge all of those styles and put your own flavor on them. Hip-hop is so creative, and I love the energy!

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in the dance industry? 

To dance for myself and no one else. The dance industry is very competitive, and you have to learn to stay confident and love yourself and the uniqueness that you have to offer!


Why did you decide to audition for World of Dance?

I was on Seasons 1 and 2 of World Of Dance. On Season 1, I competed with the immaBEAST group, and we made it to the third round. On Season 2, I competed as a hip-hop duet with Sarah Phoenix. We decided to audition to bring a unique style of animation infused with hard-hitting hip-hop.

What was your favorite part about being a competitor? What was the most challenging part?

My favorite part of competing on WOD was meeting all of the other dancers and, of course, meeting J. Lo, ‪Derek Hough‬ and ‪Ne-Yo‬! The most challenging part was selecting songs and concepts [for the routines].


What was the audition process like for Dancing with the Stars: Juniors?

The audition was unlike any other I'd ever done before. I had very little ballroom experience, and for a part of the audition, we had to dance with a boy partner, which was a new experience for me.


Do you find it difficult to be a part of a dance troupe? 

Being a troupe dancer on DWTS: Juniors was an amazing experience! It was so challenging, and I learned so many different styles of ballroom. I had the best time! As troupe dancers, we had our own ballroom or hip-hop dances, and we also got to dance with the other teams in their weekly dances, which was a lot of fun.

What was your favorite themed week on DWTS: Juniors and why?

I loved Disney Week! I got to perform with Miles [Brown] and Rylee [Arnold] in their Aladdin dance and Akash [Vukoti] and Kamri [Peterson] in their Hercules dance. 

What are your future plans?

To learn as many new styles of hip-hop as I can, such as popping, locking, animation, krump and many more. I‘m also taking weekly ballet and contemporary classes. I love to continually challenge and push myself to become a better dancer. 

This or That:

Hip-hop or jazz? Hip-hop. 

Jumps or turns? Jumps. 

iPhone or iPad? iPhone. 

Traveler or homebody? Traveler. 

Ice cream or cookies? Cookies. 

Follow Reese on Social Media:

Instagram: @reeses_pieces77

Twitter: @reesehatala

Facebook: @reesehatalaofficial

YouTube: Reese Hatala