Who is Maddie Ziegler? The former ‘Dance Moms’ star frequently collaborates with Sia

You’ve probably seen Maddie Ziegler as Sia’s younger, wig-donning avatar. But Ziegler began her career as a dancer long before the pop singer discovered her in 2014.

This is everything you need to know about the 18-year-old dancer-turned-actor.

Who is Maddie Ziegler?

Maddie Ziegler was born on September 30, 2002. She grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her mom Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni and her younger sister Mackenzie. She has four other siblings: two older half-brothers, Tyler and Ryan, from her father Kurt’s previous marriage and two step-siblings, Mathew and Michele Gisoni, from her step-father Greg’s previous marriage.

Ziegler began homeschooling in 2013 to pursue dance full-time. She lamented to Today about missing out on a normal childhood but added that it’s “hard to go back to school after you’re in the public eye.”

How did Maddie Ziegler become famous?

Ziegler’s entered the public eye when she appeared on the Lifetime reality series “Dance Moms” from 2011 to 2016. The show documented the lives of the young dancers of the Abby Lee Dance Company Elite Competition Team — and Ziegler stood out as one of the best.

In 2014, singer-songwriter Sia discovered Ziegler through watching the series and hired her to appear in the music video for the smash hit “Chandelier.”

Following the successful collaboration, Ziegler was featured in a slew of Sia’s other music videos including “Elastic Heart,” “Big Girls Cry,” “Cheap Thrills” and “The Greatest.” She even toured with Sia in 2016 and 2017. 

Singer Todrick Hall also commissioned Ziegler to appear in his visuals for “Taylor in Wonderland” and “Freaks Like Me.”

What has Ziegler been up to since ‘Dance Moms’?

Ziegler has wasted no time carving her own path since leaving the reality series. She’s had numerous brand deals with companies including Fabletics, Betsey Johnson and Morphe.

Her 2017 memoir “The Maddie Diaries” was a New York Times bestseller and she also penned a trilogy of YA novels loosely based on her life.

The dancer launched her acting career in 2017, starring alongside Naomi Watts and Jacob Tremblay in “The Book of Henry.” She is also set to star as Velma in the upcoming film adaptation of “West Side Story.”

“It was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” Ziegler told Entertainment Tonight about filming “West Side Story.” “To work with Steven Spielberg was a pretty life-changing thing, so I’m really grateful for that.”

Among her numerous projects, Ziegler has appeared as a guest judge on a variety of reality TV competitions like “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation,” “Project Runway” and Quibi’s “Floored.”

As far as her private life goes, the 18-year-old is currently dating Australian musician Eddie Benjamin.

Where can I follow Ziegler online?

Ziegler has an enormous following with 13.7 million Instagram followers and 1.3 million followers on Twitter. The real question is, though: Does Maddie Ziegler have a TikTok?

Previously, she said that TikTok wasn’t really her thing, but she caved and joined the platform on Jan. 22.

“Am I late lol?” she joked in the caption of her first video while doing the “Renegade” dance.

If you enjoyed this story, find out all about Danielle Cohn, one of the most controversial Musical.ly stars.

More from In The Know:

The 10 most-liked TikToks of all time

Rifle Paper Co. just launched floral puzzles that are gorgeously impossible

Emma Chamberlain revolutionized YouTube by being herself — and now she’s building an empire

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to stay In The Know

Listen to the latest episode of our pop culture podcast, We Should Talk: