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We’ve been watching kids on Dance Moms for years as they grow into national dancing superstars under Abby Lee Miller’s tutelage. The teacher may be strict, but there’s no doubt that she knows how to get the children who are accepted into the Abby Lee Dance Company to be the best they can be at their craft. And one student in particular, Maddie Ziegler, has already made a name for herself as a teenager in the dance world.

Maddie Ziegler has since chosen to leave Dance Moms, however — and she’s found a new mentor in the singer Sia. Here’s why Maddie much prefers working with Sia even after all of her years with Abby.

Sia first reached out to Maddie on social media years ago

We can’t imagine pop culture without the dynamic duo of Sia and Maddie, and it’s hard to believe the two initially connected over social media. Billboard explains all the way back in 2014, Sia reached out to Maddie on Twitter after seeing her on Dance Moms. The message read, “hey maddie, you want to play me in the video for my first single?” Maddie lated commented on the incident, explaining that there was no audition or anything to make sure she was well-suited for the role. “It was just a direct message from Twitter,” Maddie said.

It seems Sia just knew Maddie would be the perfect fit — and she was. It all started with the music video for “Chandelier,” but Maddie then went on to star in “Elastic Heart” with Shia LaBeouf, “Big Girls Cry,” “Cheap Thrills,” and “The Greatest.” Not only that, but Maddie also joined Sia for part of her tour. As Sia explained, “Maddie’s presence adds a mischievous energy, as if replicated movements can’t capture the heart behind those wide eyes and deranged smiles.”

Now, Sia feels very protective of Maddie

A partnership that started years ago is still going strong today, and both Sia and Maddie have talked at length about how much they appreciate each other. People reports after a writer for The Guardian wrote an article about the damaging effects of fame, particularly in terms of Sia and Maddie’s relationship, Sia clapped back on Twitter. She said, “I do check in with Maddie weekly about whether she wants this, and assure her if she ever wants it to stop it stops. It’s a conversation we should all be having.” she also added that “Maddie was already famous when I discovered her, but I have certainly expanded her exposure and feel responsible for that. I feel very protective of her and my goal is to empower her in whatever choices she makes.”

As for what Maddie thinks of Sia, it seems the respect is totally mutual. She told E! News back in 2017 that “Sia is the best artist I’ve ever heard or seen or worked with. I feel like she’s given me such great advice and so many things that I learned from her every day.”

Sia offers Maddie creative freedom whereas Dance Moms was ultra stressful

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E! News notes Maddie credits Dance Moms for cultivating her skills and helping her pick up on choreography quickly for Sia’s videos — but she doesn’t miss being a part of the show. As she told Seventeen, “Leaving Dance Moms was a hard decision to make, but it was getting too stressful.” She also added that Abby Lee Miller was just as intense in real life as she appeared on the show, which added to the anxiety. “I feel like I had so much more pressure on me to be the best in the room,” she said.

It seems Abby also has something to say about not being a part of Maddie’s life anymore. Entertainment Tonight reminds us Abby dished on her feelings about Maddie on her special, Dance Moms: Abby Lee Tells All. Abby explained how she was disappointed that Maddie no longer reaches out to her. “I don’t think had she not been in my studio, she would be where she is today,” the mentor said. “And I can confidently say that.”

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