On the last few episodes of Dance Moms, we’ve been treated to a preteen music video battle of epic proportions–and the jealousy that said battle can cause among a group of middle-aged mothers–courtesy of two amazing ALDC members…the underdog Nia and Abby Lee Miller’s up-and-coming favorite Kendall. Both girls had adorably glossy and professional finished products, but who knows if they’ll ever make their way up the pop charts.
Of course, their teammate Maddie Ziegler is in an entirely different league, starring in Sia’s trilogy of slightly creepy, extremely well-choreographed, and often controversial music videos. “Chandelier” took Maddie out of Abby’s studio and made her a household name for something other than a reality series about bickering moms and their talented daughters. “Elastic Heart” found her dancing in a cage with Shia LeBeuof. Combined, the two videos have garnered close to a billion views, and the third installment “Big Girls Don’t Cry” was recently released.
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The dancing phenomenon is featured in the May issue of Nylon (on new stands this past Tuesday) where she dishes on feeling like a normal twelve-year-old (albeit one who wowed in a performance at this year’s Grammys!), and what it’s like being the muse for an international superstar singer/songwriter. Of her extremely famous new friend Sia, Maddie gushes, “I love hanging out with her because she’s super funny and is always having a laugh with everyone. When I’m with her, I have no worries in the world.”
Maddie is even getting some stellar advice from Sia (although I’m sure Abby would tell her to disregard it!), revealing, “She said that when she was younger, she was a songwriter and getting burnt out because she kept going and going. So she always tells me to make sure I’m having fun, because she doesn’t want me to keep working and working and then start hating what I do.”
While she’s skyrocketed onto the scene with red carpets and talk shows and celebrity fans, Maddie feels very grounded. She admits, “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you must live in L.A., the glamorous life,’ and I really don’t. I’m in a small house, in Pittsburgh, in the snow,” adding, “My friends and I on the show, we don’t consider ourselves to be famous. We act like normal kids, but sometimes it’s hard for us if we go out for ice cream, or go shopping at the mall, because a big group of people will stop us and ask for photos. We just want to live normal lives, but that’s hard to do sometimes.”
I do love that Maddie has maintained both the importance of staying a tween paired with her unwavering professionalism. Watching these girls, and hearing how grounded and sweet Maddie sounds in this interview, I am reminded why I used to enjoy Dance Moms so much…and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the crazy adults!
As for her future, Maddie has several goals, and all of them include the spotlight. She tells the magazine, “I want to be an actress, so I’ve been auditioning lately. I’d love to be on scripted TV shows and movies, but not just one – I want to be in a lot of them! I’d also love to sing, and possibly be on Broadway,” joking, “I can’t watch scary movies, but I’d love to act in one of them! I want to audition for roles that are super creepy and eerie.”
Give the girl a nude bodysuit and a chopped NeNe Leakes wig, and she’s good to go!
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[Photo Credit: NYLON/Beth Garrabrant]
