Ava Cota
Ava Michelle Cota (born on April 10, 2002) is a dancer who starred in Lifetime's hit reality show Dance Moms as part of Abby Lee Dance Company's Junior Select Ensemble Team, however she was expelled from the team at the end of season 4. Outside of Dance Moms she attends JC's Broadway Dance Academy, owned by her mother Jeanette in Fenton, Michigan. Ava made further appearances on during season 5 of the show as a member of the competition team at this studio.
| Ava Michelle Cota | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 15 |
| Birthdate | April 10, 2002 |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | Fenton, Michigan |
| Height | 6' 1" |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| School Grade | 10th (17/18) |
| Professional Information | |
| Profession | Dancer Model Student |
| Affiliations | Wilhelmina Models |
| Dance Studios | Abby Lee Dance Company (formerly) Candy Apples Dance Center (formerly) JC's Broadway Dance Academy |
| Titles | see below |
| Friends and Family | |
| Parents | Jeanette Cota (mother) Rick Cota (father) |
| Siblings | Devon Cota (brother) |
| Friends | Tea Adamson Kamryn Beck Chloe Berbas Nina Candela Mari Dudash Jade Cloud Nia Frazier Haley Huelsman Kerrynton Jones Chloe Lukasiak Sarah Reasons Ashtin Roth Chloe Smith Tessa Wilkinson |
| Pets | {{{pets}}} |
| Nicknames | {{{nicknames}}} |
In January 2016, Ava auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. Her appearance was televised on the show's season premiere. She did not make it past the academy round.
Dances
Solos
Papa - lyrical - 2010
- 1st overall nexstar 8 & under solo - Nexstar Talent Competition in Detroit, Michigan
Amazing Grace - lyrical - 2011-2012
- entered in title competition - National American Miss Pageant 2011
- 1st overall ? solo - VIP Dance Competition in Lake Orion, Michigan 2012
Rory's Song - lyrical - 2011
- 1st overall petite solo - StarQuest Dance Comptition in Detroit, Michigan
My Story - n/a - 2012
- 1st overall elite junior solo - In10sity Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
Papa - lyrical - 2012
- unknown scoring - On Point Dance Competition
- 1st overall nexstar 9-11 solo - Nexstar Talent Competition in Detroit, Michigan
Dedication to Sandy Hook - lyrical - 2013
- 1st overall junior solo - NextLevel Dance Competition in Lansing, Michigan
- 1st overall secondary 9-11 solo - KAR in Detroit, Michigan
- 4th overall elite junior solo - In10sity Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
The Prayer - lyrical - 2013
- unknown scoring - WILD Dance Intensive in Detroit, Michigan
- 1st overall energy junior solo - Energy Dance Competition in Highland, Michigan
- 2nd overall mini solo - NUVO Dance Convention in Deerborn, Michigan
This is the Life - jazz - 2013
- unknown scoring - WILD Dance Intensive in Detroit, Michigan
Yesterday - lyrical - 2013
- 4th overall power 9-11 solo - Believe Talent Competition in Sandusky, Ohio
Drizzle - contemporary - 2014
- 3rd overall power 9-11 solo - Believe Talent Competition in Woodbridge, Virginia
Eden - lyrical - 2014
- 2nd overall junior solo, 2nd overall solo - Energy Dance Competition in Waterford, Michigan
Halo - lyrical - 2014
- 1st overall power 9-11 solo - Starpower Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
- 3rd overall junior solo - JUMP Dance Convention in Dearborn, Michigan
I Won't Give Up - lyrical - 2014
- 1st overall 12 & under interpretive solo - NextLevel Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
Sweet Revenge - lyrical - 2014
- 3rd overall junior solo, 10th overall solo - In10sity Dance Competition Invitational Nationals in Calabasas, California
Hurtful Words - lyrical - 2015
- 1st overall teen solo, 1st overall solo - Starbound Talent Competition in Butler, Pennsylvania
Not About Angels - lyrical - 2015
- 4th overall junior solo - NYCDA in Lansing, Michigan
On My Way - lyrical - 2015
- 2nd overall junior solo, 3rd overall solo, platinum award - Energy Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
Shine on Me - lyrical - 2015
- 1st age 11-12 lyrical solo - New York Dance Experience in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Praying Mantis - contemporary - 2015
- 4th overall teen solo, 5th overall solo - Xpression Dance Competition in Phoenix, Arizona
The Myth of a Mermaid - contemporary - 2015
- 1st overall junior solo - Centerstage Dance Competition Nationals in Lancaster, California
- 1st overall power teen solo - Energy Dance Competition Nationals
Unsolved Mystery - contemporary - 2015
- 1st overall power teen solo - Energy Dance Competition Nationals
Cynthia - contemporary - 2016
Strange Fruit - unknown genre - 2016
- 2nd overall intermediate 12-14 solo - KAR in Detroit, Michigan
With You - unknown genre - 2016
- entered in title competition - KAR in Detroit, Michigan
Duets
Birds of a Feather - acrobatic (with Sarah Reasons) - 2014
- unknown scoring - Energy Dance Competition in Youngstown, Ohio
Under Your Skin - open (with Haley Huelsman) - 2017
- 3rd overall teen duet/trio - Fierce Dance Competition in San Diego, California
Groups
with Abby Lee Dance Company
The Good Life - contemporary (with Tea Adamson, Kamryn Beck, Jade Cloud, Sarah Reasons, and Maddie Ziegler) - 2014
- 1st overall energy junior small group - Energy Dance Competition in Youngstown, Ohio
The Rapture - contemporary (with Tea Adamson, Kamryn Beck, Jade Cloud, Sarah Hunt, and Sarah Reasons) - 2014
- 1st overall preteen group - Sheer Talent Competition in Wheeling, West Virginia
First Ladies - contemporary (with Tea Adamson, Kamryn Beck, Jade Cloud, Chloe Lukasiak, and Sarah Reasons) - 2014
- 1st overall power 9-11 small group - Believe Talent Competition in Woodbridge, Virginia
with Candy Apples Dance Center
Abduction - contemporary (with Haley Huelsman, Tara Johnson, Chloe Smith, Vivi-Anne Stein, and Zack Torres) - 2017
- 4th overall teen group - Starbound Talent Competition Nationals in Asbury Park, New Jersey
Build a Wall - contemporary (with Haley Huelsman, Tara Johnson, Chloe Smith, and Nicaya Wiley) - 2017
- 2nd overall teen group - Sheer Talent Competition in Wheeling, West Virginia
I'm Back... I'm Your Worst Nightmare - contemporary (with Haley Huelsman, Tara Johnson, Nicaya Wiley) - 2017
- 3rd overall group - Fierce Dance Competition in San Diego, California
My One - lyrical (with Haley Huelsman, Tara Johnson, Vivi-Anne Stein, Madeline Underwood, and Nicaya Wiley) - 2017
- did not place - New York Dance Experience in Dublin, California
with JC's Broadway Dance Academy
D-Town - hip hop (with Chloe Berbas, Nina Canbela, Mari Dudash, and Kerrynton Jones) - 2015
- did not place - Starbound Talent Competition in Butler, Pennsylvania
Famous Infamous - contemporary (with Haley Huelsman, Ashtin Roth, Chloe Smith, and Tessa Wilkinson) - 2015
- 3rd overall teen group - Xpression Dance Competition in Phoenix, Arizona
Moving Target - open (with Haley Huelsman, Ashtin Roth, Chloe Smith, and Tessa Wilkinson) - 2015
- 1st overall teen group, 1st overall group - Center Stage Dance Competition Nationals in Lancaster, California
Run Run Run - lyrical (with Haley Huelsman, Ashtin Roth, Chloe Smith, and Tessa Wilkinson) - 2016
- 1st overall senior group, 2nd overall group - New York Dance Experience in Escondido, California
The Challenge - lyrical (with Chloe Berbas, Nina Candela, and others) - 2015
- 2nd overall energy junior group - Energy Dance Competition in Detroit, Michigan
The Waiting Room - contemporary (with Haley Huelsman, Gavin Morales, McKenzie Morales, Ashtin Roth, Chloe Smith, and Tessa Wilkinson) - 2016
- 2nd overall teen group - Sheer Talent Competition in Los Angeles, California
Dance Titles
- Regional Petite Miss Dance KAR 2011
- Regional JUMP Mini Female VIP 2013
- Regional NUVO Mini Female Breakout Artist 2013
- Regional Junior Miss Energy 2013
- Regional Junior Miss Dance KAR 2013
- Regional Junior Miss NextLevel 2013
- Regional 24/SEVEN Junior Female Nonstop Dancer 2014
- Regional NYCDA Junior Female Outstanding Dancer 2015
- National Junior Miss Center Stage 2015
Pageant Titles
- National American Miss Talent 2011
Fun Facts
- Ava competed at 3 different competitions as a member of the Abby Lee Dance Company's junior select ensemble competition team.
- Ava competed one solo under the Abby Lee Dance Company name and competed three against the ALDC on the show.
- Ava and her mother have been stalking the ALDC at most of their competitions for years, according to the original team's moms.
- In reference to the last bullet point, Jeanette recently admitted that she has shown up at a lot of ALDC events and competitions in the past, but only because Abby invited her there.
- Ava's solos "Hurtful Words" and "Praying Mantis" are aimed towards Abby. During Ava's time at the ALDC, she was deeply hurt by the things Abby said to her. Abby once called her too tall and said her long arms made her look like a praying mantis (which inspired the name of the second solo).
- Ava's favorite dance styles are hip hop and contemporary (as of June 2015).
- Ava is a straight-A student.
- Ava started dancing at another studio when she was 2 years old and moved to her mother's dance studio when she was 3 years old after it opened.
- In 2015, it was reported that Ava was training about 30 hours per week (with some of the training occurring at BDA and some with a separate ballet teacher).
Gallery
-
-
-
-
Ava and her mother Jeanette -
-
