Photos by Glenn Nutley
“ We are very close and talk and FaceTime all the time ,” says Maddie of her relationship with Sia . “ I love being on stage with Sia because I just love to dance and know we are there together doing it . Being on tour was the most amazing experience !”
She is also generating buzz for her acting talent . She has made appearances on “ Pretty Little Liars ,” “ Austin & Ally ,” and “ Nicky , Ricky , Dicky & Dawn ,” and voiced the character Camille in the animated film “ Ballerina ,” which was released in 2016 . She also appeared on Fox ’ s “ So You Think You Can Dance : The Next Generation ,” where she was the show ’ s youngest judge .
This summer , Maddie will make her big-screen debut in “ The Book of Henry ,” in which she stars alongside Naomi Watts , Jacob Tremblay and Sarah Silverman . The film is slated for release in June .
“ I love learning the craft of acting ,” Maddie says . “ Being in front of a camera is so amazing , too .”
While she loves acting , she notes that she will always dance . Since the Abby Lee Dance Company ’ s Pittsburgh location closed , Maddie continues to train at Dance Mechanics in Allison Park .
“ When I ’ m in L . A ., I dance everywhere ,” she says . “ It ’ s so great out there because there are open dance classes from 8 in the morning until 10 at night , so if I ’ m working I can always fit dance in my schedule .”
With numerous projects requiring frequent travel , Maddie is now homeschooled , including while she ’ s on set . Industry regulations state that children under age 15 are only permitted to spend nine hours a day at work on a film or television show , including school .
“ I really have to stay focused and get the job done ,” she says . “ When the day is over , I just can ’ t wait until the next day .”
All of her hard work has certainly paid off . In 2016 , she earned a People ’ s Choice Award and was named the Teen Choice Award ’ s Choice Dancer . She ’ s also been named to Time Magazine ’ s list of the 30 Most Influential Teens — twice .
“ I was so excited and shocked I was on the same list as President Obama ’ s daughters ,” says Maddie of the Time Magazine accolades .
While she ’ s accomplished so much already , Maddie Ziegler shows no signs of slowing down . Before her feature film debut this summer , her memoir , “ The Maddie Diaries ,” is slated for publication in March , and she ’ s also continuing to work on her clothing line , Maddie , which is available online and at select Nordstrom stores .
As for others hoping to follow in the dance prodigy ’ s footsteps , she has this advice : “ Always be kind and stay humble ,” she says . “ If you think you are working hard , work harder !” n
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