Despite being only 12-years-old, Maddie Ziegler is already hugely famous. The star of Dance Moms, the show that tells the tale of young kids on the dancing circuit in America and their sometimes-violent mothers (think tantrums and fights galore) it wasn’t long before Maddie caught the eye of superstar singer Sia. After tweeting just how much she loved the young dancer, the two began to collaborate on the video for Sia’s Chandelier. Wearing the mysterious singer’s trademark white wig, a nude leotard, and throwing some serious shapes in an abandoned house, soon Maddie was the talk of Twitter. But then came the video for Sia’s Elastic Heart, which sees young Maddie wearing the same attire, but this time wrestling Nymphomaniac star Shia LaBeouf inside a large silver cage, and this is when the Internet really broke. “I anticipated some ‘paedophilia!!!’ cries for this video.” Tweeted Sia, amidst the Twitter shitstorm that ensued, “all I can say is Maddie and Shia are two of the only actors I felt could play.” But while some criticised the dancers’ controversial age gap, others praised the video for its raw emotive expression and artistic interpretation of contemporary dance.
How long have you been dancing for?
I’ve been dancing for 10 years! I started at two and it’s been my passion ever since.
What does dancing mean to you?
Dancing means everything to me! Getting to do what I love everyday is amazing. I love expressing myself in dance and I am so dedicated to it.
Do you like the acting/emotional side of it or is it more about the physical aspect?
I do love the acting and emotion. You’re really putting yourself out there when you have emotional characters, but that just shows how far you can take it.
What is your favourite song to dance to?
I love dancing to slower songs such as Sia and Sam Smith.
Do you prefer dancing when you feel happy or sad?
I would say both. I love dancing when I’m happy because I have fun. I also love dancing when I’m sad, because I can put all of my emotions on the dance floor. It feels amazing to get every emotion out by dancing.
How did your collaboration with Sia first come about?
It’s actually quite funny, Sia was a fan of Dance Moms and she tweeted me and asked if I would like to be in her new music video for Chandelier. Two weeks later I flew to LA to film it. When we met each other we instantly became family!
Have you always been a fan of her music?
I was familiar with her music but it’s not like I listened to it all the time! Because she didn’t show her face, I never really heard about her. But now I do, and her music changed my life.
Did you help with the choreography at all?
No I didn’t. Ryan Heffington choreographed it and he’s a genius.
How did the experience differ from dancing in a competition or when you dance on Dance Moms?
The differences are at competition with Dance Moms there’s a camera crew following you and you don’t do as many dances as you would at a normal competition.
What was it like working with Shia LaBeouf for the second Sia video?
It was amazing, he’s such a good actor and such a sweet person.
How do you feel about being famous?
I don’t consider myself famous. I’m just a normal kid.
Who is your fave dancer of all time?
Wow, I love all of the professional dancers but one of my favorites would be Ryan Heffington.
What are your hopes and dreams for 2015?
Definitely to star in a movie or scripted TV show.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
I would love to continue dancing but also be an actor and a singer. I guess I want to be a triple threat lol!
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock
Still from Elastic Hearts