JoJo Siwa Twirls in ‘Never Before Seen Footage’ Wearing a Dress

JoJo Siwa has had one of her busiest years yet — new music, a viral tour rollout, and even a stint on Celebrity Big Brother UK. And now, thanks to her Dance Moms bestie Kendall Vertes, fans are getting a glimpse at something they don’t see every day: the 22-year-old “Karma” singer in a dress. 

“Never before seen footage of Joelle Joanie in a dress,” Vertes, 22, says in a TikTok posted Wednesday, September 17 from Lake Como, Italy, where the pair are celebrating fellow Dance Moms star Kalani Hilliker’s wedding to Nathan Goldman. “Hello,” Siwa smiles, spinning around as the ALDC veteran cheers, “Wooo, she’s in a dress!” and runs in for a hug. 

The two bounce for a second before Vertes gushes, “Look how stunning! Give us a twirl, give us a twirl.” Siwa obliges, twirling again and quipping, “I feel like Rapunzel,” before shouting, “Don’t pull up my audition clip for Rapunzel — my mom posted that without my consent!” (Back in April, Siwa’s mom posted a long-forgotten self-tape of her daughter auditioning for Disney’s Tangled. It was deleted soon after, but not before it went viral on social media.)

A moment later, the Nickelodeon alum moves in for a close-up — “Hi everybody, here we are” — and Vertes caps it off with, “Let’s get Kalani married.”

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Fans wasted no time reacting in the comments section.

“ngl, it really suits her. SHE IS SO PRETTYYY 💗💗💗,” one fan wrote. 

“Okay but she is giving Tangled 😂,” another said. 

“The glow up is real. Love the big bows but I love this so much more!” chimed in a third. 

Even the bride dropped by with praise, while others couldn’t get over Siwa’s full name. “JOELLLLE JOANIEEEEEE whaaaaat,” one user exclaimed. “Joelle Joanie is such a pretty name omg,” another added. JC Penney’s official account even got in on the fun, posting: “Ok Joelle 🥰.”

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While Vertes’ “never before seen” tagline got fans excited, it isn’t technically Siwa’s first time in a gown. The dancer-turned-pop star turned heads at the American Music Awards in 2021 when she told People it was her very first time wearing a dress and heels on a red carpet, stepping out in a glamorous black off-the-shoulder gown with sheer panels. That same year she dazzled in a frilly cotton candy pink dress at the People’s Choice Awards and floated across the Dancing With the Stars stage in ballroom-inspired costumes throughout the season.

As for Hilliker, today she’s officially off the market. The newlyweds got engaged in August 2024 during a romantic Lake Como escape, where Goldman popped the question beside candles and clusters of white flowers.

The lovebirds later shared a joint Instagram post with snaps of Hilliker flashing her Brilliant Earth diamond ring while hugging and kissing her now-husband at the scenic proposal site. “A lifetime of this. I couldn’t be lucky enough or more grateful to get to be your fiancé,” Hilliker wrote at the time. “I love you forever Nathan🤍🦋.”