Former “Dance Moms” Star Nia Sioux Highlights Mental Health with “Seize the Awkward” in Directorial Debut

In the seven-part “Capture the Convo” video series, Sioux joins her friends to model safe conversations about mental health and discuss their real experiences checking in with peers. The series encourages young adults to visit SeizeTheAwkward.org for tips to start their own conversations and spot the signs that a friend may be struggling.

Research suggests that peer support promotes effective coping and improved mental health, a finding that inspires the mission of the award-winning “Seize the Awkward” campaign by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and The Jed Foundation (JED) in collaboration with the Ad Council. The campaign aims to equip young adults ages 16-24, especially Black and Hispanic youth, with resources to regularly check in with their friends about mental health.

“Mental health is so close to my heart and joining ‘Seize the Awkward’ to create this new series was the perfect opportunity for my first directing role to contribute to a cause I’m passionate about,” said Sioux. “Bringing this vision to life with leading organizations in the mental health space has been empowering, both as a director and as a young adult myself. I hope this series serves as a reminder that we all have the power to start these conversations with our own circles.”

The first “Capture the Convo” video launched today on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok highlighting excerpts from conversations with friends of Sioux’s who will be featured throughout the series. All videos feature the song “Lose Me Too,” which was provided pro bono by musical artist and mental health advocate, ROSIE.

Six additional videos will premiere throughout May for Mental Health Awareness Month on social and digital channels belonging to the participating talent and “Seize the Awkward.” The participants, who donated their time to take part in the series, have a collective following of more than 58.8 million across social platforms:

• Kenzie Ziegler, singer, songwriter and actress
• GAYLE, Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter
• Brooklinn Khoury, skateboarder and content creator
• Paul Russell, platinum recording artist
• Zach Hood, musical artist and content creator

"We know that when youth struggle with their mental health, they are likely to turn to a friend for help. Our ‘Seize the Awkward’ campaign ensures that friends know what to do when this occurs, and the campaign uses storytelling to convey these lifesaving messages," said AFSP CEO Bob Gebbia. "As a young director, Nia has been able to create 'Capture the Convo’ through this lens and show in a very relatable way what it means to listen, support and make mental health conversations acceptable and impactful for youth."

In each video, the participants answer questions like, “When your friends check in on you, what is the best way for them to do that?” and “How would you bring up a conversation if you knew a friend was going through something?” with the goal of modeling open conversations around mental health for young adults to apply in their own social circles.

“When young people see individuals they admire embrace vulnerability, engage in help-giving and help-seeking behaviors, and advocate for mental health, it not only helps them relate but also opens up new lines of healthy communication in their own lives and within their friend groups,” says John MacPhee, CEO of JED. “Nia Sioux’s directorial debut for the digital ‘Capture the Convo’ series with ‘Seize the Awkward’ shows her generation's ambition to mainstream conversations around emotional health. This is a mission that has been at the forefront of JED for the past 25 years and continues today with our partners AFSP and the Ad Council. Together, we can make a difference in how youth mental health is talked about, understood, and cared for.”

Production company RUOKAY supported the development of the content series and the shoot featured an all-female and LGBTQIA+ production crew. Additional behind the scenes content from the production was captured pro bono by photographer Krissy Saleh and videographer Cameron McLeod. As an extension of the video series, shareable GIFs from “Capture the Convo” videos will be available on the “Seize the Awkward” GIPHY page, which can be used by young adults to start the conversation with friends.

“It’s so important for young adults to see examples of safe, open conversations around mental health, and we are confident ‘Capture the Convo’ will inspire viewers to start these critical conversations with their own friends,” said Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council. “Nia’s authenticity as a young adult navigating mental health with her friends shines through in her work on both sides of the camera, and we are honored she chose to bring her talent to this important new series.”

Since launching in January 2018, “Seize the Awkward” has been a trusted source of information for young adults across the country, driving over 5.7 million visits to SeizeTheAwkward.org and more than 83.9 million video views. In the campaign’s effort to reflect a diverse range of young adult experiences with mental health, “Seize the Awkward” recently released public service advertisements (PSAs) including “Check In On Your Friends” with Grammy award-winning artist and philanthropist Megan Thee Stallion, “We Can Talk About It” produced pro bono by long-time partner Droga5, and a student-produced video featuring Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.

For tools and resources to start a conversation with friends about mental health, visit SeizeTheAwkward.org and @SeizeTheAwkward on Instagram.

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