You know that Sia music video? Yes, that one. Well, did you know that the super cool, young girl dancing in it is also a star of the show Dance Moms? Yes, Sia and Dance Moms have something in common. Let that sink in for a second. On top of all that awesomeness, that dancer, Maddie Ziegler, is now being featured in Elle.com editorials. No, I wasn't that cool at 12 either.
12-year-old Ziegler was photographed and interviewed for the site by 20-year-old Elle guest blogger Olivia Bee (Side note: What is with so many younger-than-me people being so much more awesome than I am? Not cool). The editorial features Ziegler at her home in Pittsburgh, doing normal 12-year-old things like posing for pictures with her dog and wearing Christian Siriano. No big deal.
The collaboration between Ziegler, Bee and Elle makes for an amazing photo shoot that emphasizes the creative power of young people all while looking very, very adult. The photos quality is stunning, with shadows and light perfectly highlighting the dancer's personality and space. As you scroll through the photos, admiring the aesthetic as a whole it's hard not to ask yourself, "How, how, HOW is she only 12?" Because, really, when I was 12 I don't think I had even discovered makeup yet, let alone mastered talking about MAC products casually.
After scrolling through the editorial, it's true that my first thought was how impressed I was, but when I thought back to my initial reaction to the photos, I remembered that I thought Zeigler was more like 20, rather than 12. And while she's truly stunning, I can't exactly imagine being a 12 or 13 year old and scrolling through those images and thinking anything other than, "Wow, why don't I look like that?" As impressive as the editorial is, that question is certainly something to think about.
