# Hayes Grier
**Hayes Grier** (born 2000) is an American social media personality from North Carolina who rose to fame as a teenager making short videos on the Vine platform, and later competed on season 21 of *Dancing with the Stars* in 2015.[1](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350) • [2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000; hometown North Carolina[2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier) |
| Rise to fame | Personal videos on Vine; about 4 million followers on Vine and Instagram by August 2015[1](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350) |
| *Dancing with the Stars* | Season 21 (2015), partnered with Emma Slater, placed 8th[2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier) |
| Judges' scores | Highest 30 (Team Freestyle), lowest 21 (Cha-Cha-Cha), average 24.2[2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier) |
| Other projects | Book *Hollywood Days with Hayes* and the show *Top Grier* on go90[3](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/cmplxlaurenmartin/how-16-year-old-hayes-grier-made-himself-an-empire) |
| Instagram today | About 6.4 million followers on @hayesgrier[4](https://pictame.com/en/compare/hayesgrier-vs-zachking) |
## Vine career
Grier began making Vine videos in 2013, joining his brother Nash on the platform.[5](https://www.capa.com/assets/doc/Hayes-Grier-PR-2017-318c38ff7e.pdf) His short videos brought him a large teenage following: by the time he was announced for *Dancing with the Stars* in August 2015, at age 15, he had about 4 million followers on Vine and Instagram combined, and a *Time* recap of the season put his total social media following at more than eight million.[1](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350) • [6](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/) He was also on a live tour across the United States during this period.[2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier)
## Dancing with the Stars
Grier was announced as the fourth celebrity contestant for season 21 of *Dancing with the Stars* on August 27, 2015, joining a cast that included [Bindi Irwin](https://www.edgepedia.org/bindi-irwin), jockey [Victor Espinoza](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-espinoza), and Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.[1](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350) He announced his participation with a video released on his own social accounts before the show's official reveal continued on *Good Morning America* in early September.[1](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350)
He was partnered with professional dancer [Emma Slater](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-slater). He had no dance experience before the show; Slater told *Time* that he "dances like a T. Rex" but promised to whip him into shape.[6](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/) His first routine was a cha cha to Omi's "Cheerleader," staged in a high school locker room, which scored 21 out of 30.[6](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/) Later dances included a jive to the [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles](https://www.edgepedia.org/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles) theme song, scoring 30 out of 40, and a contemporary routine to [Shawn Mendes](https://www.edgepedia.org/shawn-mendes)' "Stitches" for the show's "Most Memorable Year" theme.[7](https://time.com/4053284/dancing-with-the-stars-watcc-recap/) • [8](https://time.com/4062306/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-memorable-years/) He finished in 8th place, with a highest score of 30, a lowest of 21, and a season average of 24.2.[2](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier)
## Later projects
While still a teenager, Grier expanded beyond short-form video. He had a book deal for *Hollywood Days with Hayes* and his own show, *Top Grier*, on the go90 video service.[3](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/cmplxlaurenmartin/how-16-year-old-hayes-grier-made-himself-an-empire) In 2016 he was hospitalized after a dirt bike accident, shortly before the premiere of the comedy docu-series *Top Grier* that fall.[9](https://time.com/4430060/hayes-grier-hospitalized-dirt-bike/) A 2017 press release for a live event described an interactive look into his world for online fans.[5](https://www.capa.com/assets/doc/Hayes-Grier-PR-2017-318c38ff7e.pdf)
His Instagram account @hayesgrier has since grown to roughly 6.4 million followers, though third-party analyses of the account report a low engagement rate of about 0.02% on recent posts.[4](https://pictame.com/en/compare/hayesgrier-vs-zachking)
## References
1. [Vine Star Hayes Grier to Join 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 21, ABC News (August 27, 2015)](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/vine-star-hayes-grier-join-dancing-stars-season/story?id=33354350)
2. [Hayes Grier, Dancing with the Stars Wiki](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Hayes_Grier)
3. [How A 16-Year-Old Made Himself An Empire, Complex](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/cmplxlaurenmartin/how-16-year-old-hayes-grier-made-himself-an-empire)
4. [Hayes vs Zach King — Instagram Profile Comparison, Pictame](https://pictame.com/en/compare/hayesgrier-vs-zachking)
5. [Hayes Grier press release, CAPA (2017)](https://www.capa.com/assets/doc/Hayes-Grier-PR-2017-318c38ff7e.pdf)
6. [Dancing with the Stars Watch: 13 Almost Celebrities, 3 Judges and 1 Gary Busey, Time (September 2015)](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/)
7. [Dancing with the Stars Watch: The First Breaking Bad-Themed Dance of the Season, Time](https://time.com/4053284/dancing-with-the-stars-watcc-recap/)
8. [Dancing with the Stars Watch: Memorable Years Memorable Tears, Time](https://time.com/4062306/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-memorable-years/)
9. [Social Media Star Hayes Grier Hospitalized After Dirt Bike Accident, Time (2016)](https://time.com/4430060/hayes-grier-hospitalized-dirt-bike/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Online creators and internet personalities › TikTok and short-form creators › Surnames A to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license