Maddie Ziegler

**Madison "Maddie" Nicole Ziegler** (born September 30, 2002) is the eldest child of Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni and Kurt Ziegler and is the older sister of Mackenzie Ziegler.

During her time on *Dance Moms*, Maddie was known to be Abby's favorite. This often caused tension between the moms and Abby, with them arguing that the other girls deserved just as much attention.

Maddie gained worldwide recognition in early 2014 after appearing in the viral music video for Australian Singer-Songwriter Sia's "Chandelier". She has since gone on to become a significant part of Sia's artistic image-appearing in multiple other music videos for the singer as well as touring with her.

Maddie and her family chose to depart from the show mid-Season 6 to pursue other projects.

## Early life

**Maddie** was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni and Kurt Ziegler, who owned a mortgage company. She is of Polish, German and Italian descent. Her parents divorced in 2011, citing the financial and emotional toll that dance took on the family, and her mother married Greg Gisoni in 2013.

Maddie has been an active member of the Abby Lee Dance Company since the age of two. She trains in tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, acro, jazz and aerial dance. Maddie has a younger sister, Mackenzie (born June 4, 2004), a dancer and singer who appeared with her on Dance Moms, two older half-brothers from her father's previous marriage, and two older step-siblings from the previous marriage of her step-father, Greg Gisoni, a vice-president at Westinghouse Electric Company. Maddie attended Sloan Elementary School until 2013 when she left to be home schooled. Maddie and her family have long lived in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and now split their time between Murrysville and Los Angeles.

## Career

Maddie has won numerous titles at regional, state and national dance competitions, including the 2014 Dancers Choice Award for Favorite Dancer 17 & Under. In 2010, Maddie performed for Paula Abdul's reality television program Live to Dance, but the program was canceled before her performance aired.

In 2011, eight-year-old Maddie and her mother were given roles in the first season of Lifetime's Dance Moms, a reality show about the young dancers on Abby Lee Miller's Abby Lee Dance Company Elite Competition Team and their often quarrelsome mothers. Maddie continued to appear on the show alongside her mother and younger sister, Mackenzie, until 2016, their last season on the show. In 2013, Maddie made guest appearances on a spin-off program, Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition. Dance Moms helped to make Maddie "one of the most famous dancers in the entertainment world currently. ... She inspires other dancers to pursue their dreams with originality and grace.

## Philanthropy

In 2012, Ziegler, along with her mother and sister, partnered with Starlight Children's Foundation. To help raise awareness for chronically ill youth. Ziegler stated that she enjoys dedicating her time to helping other children and that it is a rewarding experience.

## Filmography

To view the Filmography gallery for Maddie Ziegler, click *here*.

## External Links

* Facebook Page
* Twitter Page
* Instagram Account
* TikTok Account
* YouTube Channel
* Wikipedia Page
* IMDb Page