Maddie Ziegler bowed out in her final instalment of the singer’s triptych of mega hits – who will be crowned next?
Dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler has hung up her leotard after a year of mind-blowing collaborative performances as Sia’s blonde-wigged muse. Under the tutelage of choreographer Ryan Heffington, the 12-year-old danced her way through three of the singer's mega hits, including “Chandelier”, “Elastic Heart”, as well as last week's release “Big Girls Cry”. Plucking Ziegler from the already heady heights of Dance Mom fame, the pre-teen admitted that the singer was more starstruck than her pint-sized self. “When I met Sia she screamed,” Ziegler told us. “She came up and hugged me so hard and was like, ‘I’m such a big fan of your show’.” Following on from the singer’s admission of her plans for wig-domination – "I wanted to put all different types of people under those wigs and she's an amazing beginning” – it's safe to say that Ziegler has set the bar high. Who will take the Australian singer’s fancy next? We’ve racked up our favourite names that we feel might fill that blonde wig best.
HARI NEF
Hari Nef is probably going to take over the world one day. After moving up 67 spots to dethroneKendall Jenner from the Dazed 100 top spot last year, the NY performance artist, writer and actress is, according to her Twitter, about to hit another milestone by graduating from the theatre program at Columbia University. It could be perfect timing. If Sia is on the lookout for a Ziegler-worthy replacement then Nef might just be enough (see below if you have any doubts of her lip-syncing skills) to fill that leotard.
MICHAELA DePRINCE
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Ziegler’s cameos it’s that being Sia’s muse requires a helluva lot of strength. Michaela DePrince, a Sierra Leonean-born, American-adopted ballet dancer, has bundles of it – personal and physical. As well as encountering various downfalls as a child, which she details in her bestselling book, the 20-year-old suffers from vitiligo, for which she was called names for. Flying the flag for the next generation of black ballet dancers in a sea of racial discrimination, DePrince’s grace, strength, and point of difference is sure to catch Sia’s eye.
SERGEI POLUNIN
Two months ago, eyeballs everywhere were treated, courtesy of a dreamy triptych of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, photographer/filmmaker extraordinaire David LaChapelle, and Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin – and boy were we treated. Bathed in sunlight streaming through the arch windows of a stripped back barn, Polunin pirouettes in nothing but a nude pair of tights. Okay, so there’s a lot more that would make him worthy of Sia muse-fame (namely, because he’s the principal dancer with The Stanislavsky Music Theatre and Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and was the youngest ever principle at Britain's Royal Ballet) but he’s already got the outfit down pat – plus, we can totally imagine him in one of those blonde wigs.
KaoRi
If the Australian singer can steal this beauty away from artist Nobuyoshi Araki for just one minute (okay, three music videos or so) then Japanese ballet dancer KaoRi could be in with a shot. Since first meeting in 2011, KaoRi has held the title of Araki’s unwavering muse. Araki, in-turn, has photographed her thousands of times, even immortalising her with her own photo book and exhibition in Amsterdam. The clincher? In 2003, the dancer and performer choreographed her own ballet, working alongside musician Kazuki Arima - a member of Japanese band Otogivanashi – to live soundtrack the performance. And although KaoRi’s sensuality is a world-away from Ziegler’s manic and deranged moves, we’re sure this pair could work well with Sia’s softer side.
BRENDAN JORDAN
If you’re looking for high energy colliding with absolute hilarity then Brandan Jordan is probably going to take the cake on this one. Practically vibrating on-screen, Jordan’s YouTube channel, which went live just five months ago, is currently peaking at over 100,000 subscribers – and this kid’s just getting started. Alongside holding down that fierce 'smize', which landed the 15-year-old a modelling contract with American Apparel, Jordan has been teaching us everything from “How to be a model” to “How to handle the haters.” There’s no doubt that with poses like that, and a fiery sense of humour, this young star could teach our blonde-haired Aussie a thing or two. In the wise words of Jordan: “Work it, girl.”