From ‘Dance Moms’ to Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ video, teen dancer Maddie Ziegler has breakthrough

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Maddie Ziegler rose to fame on the Lifetime series “Dance Moms,” but appearing alongside Sia in music videos and on TV has taken her to an entirely new level.

Ziegler, 12, has appeared in Sia’s music videos for the hits “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart.” She’s also performed live on “Saturday Night Live,” ”The Ellen DeGeneres” and other shows as Sia has promoted her latest album.

“People only knew me as a reality star. Now when I go out with my friends, go get ice cream and go shopping, I love when they say, ‘Oh, you do stuff with Sia!’” Ziegler said in an interview last week. “I don’t want to be known as just a ‘Dance Moms’ competitor. I’d really like to be known for all of Sia’s work, too.”

Sia’s “Chandelier” is nominated for four Grammy Awards on Sunday, including best music video, thanks to Ziegler’s notable work. “Chandelier” has more than 500 million views on YouTube, while “Elastic Heart” — released last month — has close to 100 million.

Ziegler, who was born in Pittsburgh, made her debut in 2011 on “Dance Moms,” currently in its fifth season. She says working with Sia has increased her interest in music, though dancing is still No.1.

“I would love to be an amazing singer. …I take voice lessons,” she said. “It’s good to have as a dancer — to be able to sing and act too because for a Broadway show or musical, you have to be able to do everything.”

Could Sia become a musical mentor for her? Maybe so.

“We’ve become like family ever since I did ‘Chandelier,’” she said. “I text Sia sometimes when I am in rehearsals. Everyone’s like, ‘Send a picture of us to her!”

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Online:

http://www.ziegler-girls.com/

http://siamusic.net/

http://www.grammys.com

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/dance-moms