Does Abby Lee Miller Approve Of Maddie & Sia?

Abby Lee Miller is known for speaking her mind on the hit Lifetime series Dance Moms. It is also no secret that Maddie Ziegler has always been Miller's favorite dance student. Now the 12-year-old dancer is getting a lot of attention for dancing in singer Sia's performances and music videos. One can assume that these gigs have taken some time away from her training at the Abby Lee Miller Dance Company, so what does Miller think about Maddie Ziegler's success outside of the dance studio? Does she approve of Ziegler working with Sia?

If you're a fan of the show, you are probably aware that on the series Miller will bring in a new dancer named Brynn Rumfallo to compete against Ziegler. In a promo for the show Miller says, “Maddie is being pulled in so many directions right now, so her training has suffered." By "so many directions" does Miller mean music video shoots and award show performances? It sure sounds like it.

In the same promo, Miller exclaims, "I need Maddie to focus. She needs to worry about the competition at hand because Brynn is going up against her." It seems like Miller wants Ziegler to prioritize her commitments and refocus on her dance team commitments.

So I guess Miller is not a fan of Ziegler's outside projects..? Wrong. Miller has been publicly supportive of Ziegler's recent success. When asked about Ziegler dancing in the "Chandelier" music video, Miller emphatically supported her star student, saying,

So proud. Maddie get's a lot of stick for being my favorite but... she is! She is incredible and her performance was incredible. That routine is so mature — it wasn't about her being perfect, it was about looking quirky, weird, dirty and she took the choreographers advice perfectly. She just blew it out of the water and never complained!

Miller also added, "Sia has been incredible and so supportive of Maddie. Sia and her team were a dream to work with."

Once the "Chandelier" video started gain praise and accolades, Ziegler received more attention for her performance, and Miller remained supportive through social media.

Ziegler had another major career moment when she performed at the 2015 Grammy Awards and Miller was there to support her student from the audience. She even gushed about the milestone on Instagram.

Based on the show, it appears that Abby Lee Miller feels neglected by Ziegler's focus on her other dance commitments. However, in real life, Miller seems genuinely happy for her favorite dancer's opportunities outside of her dance studio. She even beams with pride as she takes credit for honing Ziegler's talents over the years. Reality TV doesn't always tell the entire story, and it truly seemed that Miller is making the best of Ziegler's busy schedule and truly proud of her.