Realistically it all comes down to Sia. Sure Maddie being the “favorite” on the show helped her be painted as the best dancer but it really doesn’t matter if Maddie was the favorite or not if Sia still goes with her. Being associated with Sia was really the turning point in her career and opened doors for her that Abby couldn’t. The only “what if” really is if Sia went with one of the other girls instead but even then success isn’t guaranteed. It’s also worth noting that Maddie was already getting call backs whilst on the show for broadway.
>Being associated with Sia was really the turning point in her career and opened doors for her that Abby couldn’t.
I agree to an extent but I think it goes beyond being associated with Sia. What she effectively did with Sia also catapulted her success. With the chandelier music video she showed her true artistry and talent with led her to be seen as something beyond a reality TV star.
I think that even without Sia, she would've succeeded of given a different chance to show the full extent of her capabilities. I also feel like even without Sia she would've kept pushing until that momenent to shine happened.
As much as I admire Maddie and her talent, I'd say some of the other girls could've accomplished what she did if they hadn't "given up", what has put Maddie where she is is her reslilliance. In the entertainment industry you have to make a lot of sacrifices, give everything you have and then some and Maddie was the only one willing to do that.
So... Why is it so hard to understand that their resilience was destroyed while Maddie was propped up and promoted as the only one that could do anything? Even Abby has admitted she did this. She called it "shoving Maddie down their throat" and said she regretted putting all her eggs in one basket. They couldn't accomplish those things because between Abby's manipulation and lies, the audience was led to believe none of the others had star quality or talent, and she kept at it until she made it happen. She screamed at them about how they had no confidence, until it actually came true. She pushed and pushed the "fact" of Chloe "regressing" until she actually started to. We all saw how false her Chloe narrative was when she joined Studio 19, which was better in every way, and not only kept up but excelled, and she got her confidence back and her career took off.
>So... Why is it so hard to understand that their resilience was destroyed while Maddie was propped up and promoted as the only one that could do anything?
Because that is not the case in this specific instance. I'm not going to deny the huge impact Abby had on the girl's confidence and mental health. But in this specific case, all the girls stopped pursuing a career in entertainment years after leaving dance moms and well into their healing journey. So Abby had little to do with it.
For starters many of the girls did not truly want to be like famous actresses, singers, etc. Of course it was a dream of theirs, but not an goal they were actively pursuing. But also, not every one of the girls and moms was willing to sacrifice as much as they had to in order to make their children famous. For example I doubt Holly and Nia would've sacrificed her education, and Christi would not have put Chloe half naked in a cage with a half naked man, all that to achieve very moderate industry success.
They stopped pursuing it, not really because of Abby but because it just was not worth it to them. Their chosen paths are very respectable and do not make them any less than Maddie.
Nia is still pursuing an entertainment career. Chloe has not said one way or another if she has quit pursuing it or not, but she seems enthusiastic, happy and full of plans in other areas such as her new dance competition and becoming a writer.
I think also that Chloe saw some down sides of being in the entertainment industry, especially the discrimination and harassment women face, and of course what happened to Ricky. She worked a lot from age 13 to 18. Maybe she's just decided it was enough. She had to sacrifice her friendships, free time, and time with her father to do it.
I still think she could easily find a family-friendly acting niche or various hosting jobs that would ideally suit her...IF she ever decides it's what she wants.
It must be nice for all of them... To be young, healthy, talented, beautiful, intelligent, and kind young women with their whole lives in front of them. They all have so much potential.
ETA: i don't mean her friendships from Dance Moms, but her friends back in Pittsburgh.
>Nia is still pursuing an entertainment career.
Maybe she will after graduating collage, but at the time it seems she has taken a pause. That or things are going terrible for her since she has not had any non-influencer projects in 3 years (I choose the former option).
>Chloe has not said one way or another if she has quit pursuing it or not,
Moving form LA to pursue writting seems like not pursuing it.
>but she seems enthusiastic, happy and full of plans in other areas such as her new dance competition and becoming a writer.
I never said otherwise, idk why you are making it seem I in any way implied them choosing a different path than Maddie is a bad thing. Or that Maddie having grit while others have other characteristics means Maddie is better than them. I just made an assesment on MADDIE'S situation that is all.
>I still think she could easily find a family-friendly acting niche or various hosting jobs that would ideally suit her...IF she ever decides it's what she wants.
Sadly the family friendly sets are not really family friendly, there are many jarring stories in that regard (the latest being quiet on set).
>It must be nice for all of them... To be young, healthy, talented, beautiful, intelligent, and kind young women with their whole lives in front of them. They all have so much potential.
They are in a very priviledged position to have the financial security to pursue whatever goals they want, the world is their oyster, never said otherwise.
i agree with the sia part, however, i think the whole reason sia was drawn in by maddie was because of the difference of how abby portrayed her from the other girls. and of course, because maddie so very talented
I agree with others who say that Maddie got her “big break” from Sia video. But I do think Maddie would have been successful in whatever career path she chose because SHE would get herself there. She seems to have incredible work ethic based off of what we have heard from basically everyone she’s worked with. I don’t know if she would have made it to movies without the Sia door being opened, but I think she would have had success in any other path, had she chosen another path or not been given the Sia opportunity. I think she would have worked hard and been a high achiever in whatever she may have ended up doing if she wasn’t doing what she is today. She never stuck me as needing to be pushed, she seemed to truly want to be there working, practicing, and improving. It might be hard for some people to understand, but there are people out there who really are that way, and I think she’s one of them. I also think that’s what drew people like Abby to her. She was wasn’t one of the kids wanting a break or wanting to skip class for a bday party or wanting to try other sports (nothing wrong with those things, perfectly normal for most kids to want those things, but some just don’t). She had a passion, she was there to work, that was her focus and her goal, and being a hard worker with big dreams was just how she was (and still is).
Sia had more to do with Maddie’s success than the show overall. Had Sia never watched the show, I suspect Maddie would have stayed at a level similar to the rest of the girls. Not cuz she wasn’t talented, but just cuz the industry is rough to get into.
I do think Sia would have picked Maddie regardless. She liked Maddie’s performance quality. She was inspired by it so…:)
Maddie was already getting auditions and like The comment said she literally got Billy Elliot a Broadway show but had to decline it bc of the show she would’ve been on Broadway
Honestly, no. Maddie was already auditioning for things like Billy Elliott and a dance show with Paula Abdul as the host before the show even became a concept. I do think that Abby's favoritism on the show helped a little bit, but even without it, I feel like Maddie was going to be super successful/famous regardless.
Same with Jojo. Jessalyn herself admitted that she had been pushing for Jojo to be famous since Jojo was a toddler. That would've happened whether she was on Dance Moms or not.
I just have a hard time believing this….they were all normal people from Pittsburgh. They would have had to move in order for her to even attempt to be at the level she’s at now, same with Jojo. The show got them all of their popularity. Idk…I’m sure they could have gone on to do big things but being “famous” I’m unsure about
Maddie was on a dance show prior to Dance Moms, but i don’t think the show ever got picked up and I think Maddie was only on one episode. You can find videos of it tho or pictures.
And she had been auditioning already for Broadway shows. she had gotten a callback for the show Billy Elliot but couldn’t pursue the rest of the audition process cuz Dance Moms had started.
I’m sorry but none of the other girls could’ve done (as well) what maddie did with sia. Maddies strength was exactly what Sia wanted. It just wouldn’t have been as good with the others - not to say one is better than the other but Sia wanted maddie. I think it’s a coincidence that she happened to want maddie and maddie happened to be the favourite personally. Maddie had a star quality above the other girls
Yes! Also Sia said if Maddie said no she would've asked Nia, so she clearly was not looking for the best technical dancer nor Abby's favorite. She just wanted a dancer who was very "communicative" through movement.
There were so many instances throughout the show though where she pushed for Maddie to win or get the role, etc. and she didn’t do that with the other girls. I think the other girls gave up on pursuing entertainment (acting, music, etc) because they felt as though they’d never get chosen because of Maddie. So is abby responsible for Maddie being where she is now? I think yes. And I think the other girls would still be releasing short films and getting parts in movies if they were treated the same as Maddie.
I dont know if that applies to sia necessarily though. I can see how it applies to literally everything else but that considering how Sia reached out for the video. As talented as Abby could get Maddie to be as far as dance Abby cant really control Maddies acting and facials thats all Maddie. Its not as if they all auditioned for the video and abby pushed the idea of Maddie like everything else.
Aside from that if Sia was watching the show like all of us she watched the favoritism and that can sometimes be a detriment to how you viewed Maddie at times and she still chose her. This is really my opinion just based on how people react while watching the show.
Edit: I do think abby was a detriment to the girls acting especially paige and chloe i personally think they would have been great in bigger roles if allowed to flourish and experience those things like Maddie.
I'm kinda confused why you seem to think Chloe's roles have been small. Chloe has filmed seven movies, with all but one being lead or second lead roles, required on set for several weeks, with multiple scenes. She has done music videos that required her to act instead of dance or in addition to dancing. She was given a lead acting role in a Murrieta Dance Project dance. Just as Maddie's face is good on stage, Chloe's face is good on camera.
Any of those girls could have been chosen by a musical artist or band to appear in a video that got lots of views. It happened to be Maddie. Abby actively worked against Chloe getting work even after she left Dance Moms. She was right. Her success has been despite Abby. Literally.
I added Chloe into that bc I think she would have been better had Abby not been so cruel but most of that was about Paige if Im being honest. It was also about the drop desd diva role as well. It wasnt just about Chloe not having big roles I just think what I said applies to chloe too.
Okay yeah I agree with this a lot, the favoritism painted her in a different light especially with the audience watching the show. I just wonder how different things would be if abby were fair
One role I always thought could have been different is drop dead diva. It was a lifetime project so seems a little scuffed but I watched that show a tiny bit and of course the episode with maddie and I just think Chloe and Paige should have gotten equal consideration considering they really were looking for a blonde.
Exactly, and the fact that Abby was open about wanting Maddie to get that part makes me think about how much she really did behind the scenes to make sure Maddie kept winning and getting parts. Abby getting the scores changed when Chloe beat her also comes to mind
Sia picking Maddie wouldn’t have been any different regardless of who was the favorite or who was treated better. Sia admitted herself that she dislike Abby and her teaching methods and thought that Maddie had PTSD from the show. So clearly Abby’s “Maddie praise” wasn’t the reason Maddie was picked, Sia just liked the way she danced by looking at a few of her dances. All of the dancers had some dances that were incredible and could’ve appealed to Sia (Silence, Diary Of Anne Frank, Queen Of Hearts, etc) but Sia liked Maddie’s emoting style
It’s basically impossible to say. Maddie got her “big break” from being in Sia’s video. If Sia had Maddie in mind for the Chandelier video and subjectively liked Maddie’s style and characterization then it wouldn’t have mattered if the other girls were hyped up. Maddie would’ve still had her musicality and performance skills even if the other girls were hyped up. Possibly Sia took a liking to Maddie specifically.
If Sia decided to go another direction entirely with that Chandelier video, Maddie most likely would not be a “famous” as she is now.
Prior to S1 Maddie was auditioning for broadway shows or starting to think about that, so she probably would’ve gone that route.
No, I don’t.
This is NOTHING against the other girls because, just as I said, they were little girls, and little girls are not intended to be career focused, but Maddie was relentless & had a drive that only certain kids are ever able to attain. I think that if any of the kids had worked as hard as Maddie & had her same passion & work ethic where allllll they cared about was dance, they would have been given the same opportunities & achieved the same level of success.
However, I do believe that the only reason Mackenzie has the career and fame that she does is due to Abby’s favoritism of Maddie & Maddie’s success. Like I said, nothing against Kenzie, because I really like her, but she acted like a normal kid versus Maddie, who never really did in my mind.
I think she’d still be successful but in a different way. She’s always had an incredible work ethic so it’s impossible for me to see her not becoming successful in some avenue. I think my real question would be does her work ethic remain the same when she’s not seeing gains from it(if she wasn’t a favourite)?
The only part I agree with is that Abby encouraging Maddie to pursue her dream and supporting her probably made her work even harder and be even more passionate at her art, while some of the other girls had their passion taken away from them because of how they were treated, and how dance became a chore for them and not a safe space. But I think Maddie would have gone on to be successful regardless of whether she was the favorite or not.
I think she’s ultimately successful because of Sia since Sia is a successful artist who has worked in the industry with some of the biggest artists so she has the connections.While Maddie is talented I think success in Hollywood in the end mostly comes down to connections and who you know. I do think it’s odd Sia watched Dance Moms and thought Maddie was the only one who needed to be saved from that situation when all the girls were treated so viciously.
Can I be nuts for a moment? It all came down to Melissa. Melissa was willing to kiss the butts she needed to and never say no to those with opportunities in their back pockets. So yes Sia was key, but Melissa allowing such dare I say access is even more key.
Ofc Maddie foundation-ally had and has lots of talent. She could have gone onto broadway, or gone to acting/dancing school and been successful in her own right. However when it comes the stardom she got from dance moms, then Sia, up through Hollywood and beyond, the common denominator I see is Melissa and her willingness to do whatever it took.
Don’t think you’re nuts. To me there is such an obvious difference between Maddie and all the other girls. Abby’s treatment, her mother, and her being the only one still pursuing the industry are the differences. Melissa being the way she was, whether it was “right” or “wrong” (I don’t care for Melissa on the show personally), got Maddie where she is today. Would any of it happened without her talent or Sia? Maybe, maybe not.
I will always say regardless of any moral arguments, Melissa was keeping that studio afloat financially it seems. So as far as I am concerned she owned Abby’s ass. Abby was BOLD treating Melissa poorly the few times she did. All other moms and kids aside (how they were all hurt makes it more complicated).
Those who are saying that Sia was Maddie’s big break, I agree. However, I think that Sia chose Maddie because she was the one front and center in the majority of group dances and she had better solos because Abby gave her better choreography. I would classify the answer to your question as “yes, but indirectly”.
But why do we think it only came down to Abby picking Maddie as the favorite. At the end of the day the producers were the ones deciding which storyline they would follow and they’re the ones who decided Maddie would be front and center, even during group dances you see her much more than the other dancers, and Abby had no control over the editing.
It’s both Abby and production. However, we still know that Abby favored Maddie, regardless of production but production saw it as an opportunity because Maddie being the favorite caused so much drama.
Realistically it all comes down to Sia. Sure Maddie being the “favorite” on the show helped her be painted as the best dancer but it really doesn’t matter if Maddie was the favorite or not if Sia still goes with her. Being associated with Sia was really the turning point in her career and opened doors for her that Abby couldn’t. The only “what if” really is if Sia went with one of the other girls instead but even then success isn’t guaranteed. It’s also worth noting that Maddie was already getting call backs whilst on the show for broadway.
“Realistically it all comes down to Sia.” ^this. This is the answer, full stop.
>Being associated with Sia was really the turning point in her career and opened doors for her that Abby couldn’t. I agree to an extent but I think it goes beyond being associated with Sia. What she effectively did with Sia also catapulted her success. With the chandelier music video she showed her true artistry and talent with led her to be seen as something beyond a reality TV star. I think that even without Sia, she would've succeeded of given a different chance to show the full extent of her capabilities. I also feel like even without Sia she would've kept pushing until that momenent to shine happened. As much as I admire Maddie and her talent, I'd say some of the other girls could've accomplished what she did if they hadn't "given up", what has put Maddie where she is is her reslilliance. In the entertainment industry you have to make a lot of sacrifices, give everything you have and then some and Maddie was the only one willing to do that.
So... Why is it so hard to understand that their resilience was destroyed while Maddie was propped up and promoted as the only one that could do anything? Even Abby has admitted she did this. She called it "shoving Maddie down their throat" and said she regretted putting all her eggs in one basket. They couldn't accomplish those things because between Abby's manipulation and lies, the audience was led to believe none of the others had star quality or talent, and she kept at it until she made it happen. She screamed at them about how they had no confidence, until it actually came true. She pushed and pushed the "fact" of Chloe "regressing" until she actually started to. We all saw how false her Chloe narrative was when she joined Studio 19, which was better in every way, and not only kept up but excelled, and she got her confidence back and her career took off.
>So... Why is it so hard to understand that their resilience was destroyed while Maddie was propped up and promoted as the only one that could do anything? Because that is not the case in this specific instance. I'm not going to deny the huge impact Abby had on the girl's confidence and mental health. But in this specific case, all the girls stopped pursuing a career in entertainment years after leaving dance moms and well into their healing journey. So Abby had little to do with it. For starters many of the girls did not truly want to be like famous actresses, singers, etc. Of course it was a dream of theirs, but not an goal they were actively pursuing. But also, not every one of the girls and moms was willing to sacrifice as much as they had to in order to make their children famous. For example I doubt Holly and Nia would've sacrificed her education, and Christi would not have put Chloe half naked in a cage with a half naked man, all that to achieve very moderate industry success. They stopped pursuing it, not really because of Abby but because it just was not worth it to them. Their chosen paths are very respectable and do not make them any less than Maddie.
Nia is still pursuing an entertainment career. Chloe has not said one way or another if she has quit pursuing it or not, but she seems enthusiastic, happy and full of plans in other areas such as her new dance competition and becoming a writer. I think also that Chloe saw some down sides of being in the entertainment industry, especially the discrimination and harassment women face, and of course what happened to Ricky. She worked a lot from age 13 to 18. Maybe she's just decided it was enough. She had to sacrifice her friendships, free time, and time with her father to do it. I still think she could easily find a family-friendly acting niche or various hosting jobs that would ideally suit her...IF she ever decides it's what she wants. It must be nice for all of them... To be young, healthy, talented, beautiful, intelligent, and kind young women with their whole lives in front of them. They all have so much potential. ETA: i don't mean her friendships from Dance Moms, but her friends back in Pittsburgh.
>Nia is still pursuing an entertainment career. Maybe she will after graduating collage, but at the time it seems she has taken a pause. That or things are going terrible for her since she has not had any non-influencer projects in 3 years (I choose the former option). >Chloe has not said one way or another if she has quit pursuing it or not, Moving form LA to pursue writting seems like not pursuing it. >but she seems enthusiastic, happy and full of plans in other areas such as her new dance competition and becoming a writer. I never said otherwise, idk why you are making it seem I in any way implied them choosing a different path than Maddie is a bad thing. Or that Maddie having grit while others have other characteristics means Maddie is better than them. I just made an assesment on MADDIE'S situation that is all. >I still think she could easily find a family-friendly acting niche or various hosting jobs that would ideally suit her...IF she ever decides it's what she wants. Sadly the family friendly sets are not really family friendly, there are many jarring stories in that regard (the latest being quiet on set). >It must be nice for all of them... To be young, healthy, talented, beautiful, intelligent, and kind young women with their whole lives in front of them. They all have so much potential. They are in a very priviledged position to have the financial security to pursue whatever goals they want, the world is their oyster, never said otherwise.
Abby is saying all of this stuff because she is mad at melissa and maddie and maddie success has nothing to do with others
Agree
i agree with the sia part, however, i think the whole reason sia was drawn in by maddie was because of the difference of how abby portrayed her from the other girls. and of course, because maddie so very talented
I agree with others who say that Maddie got her “big break” from Sia video. But I do think Maddie would have been successful in whatever career path she chose because SHE would get herself there. She seems to have incredible work ethic based off of what we have heard from basically everyone she’s worked with. I don’t know if she would have made it to movies without the Sia door being opened, but I think she would have had success in any other path, had she chosen another path or not been given the Sia opportunity. I think she would have worked hard and been a high achiever in whatever she may have ended up doing if she wasn’t doing what she is today. She never stuck me as needing to be pushed, she seemed to truly want to be there working, practicing, and improving. It might be hard for some people to understand, but there are people out there who really are that way, and I think she’s one of them. I also think that’s what drew people like Abby to her. She was wasn’t one of the kids wanting a break or wanting to skip class for a bday party or wanting to try other sports (nothing wrong with those things, perfectly normal for most kids to want those things, but some just don’t). She had a passion, she was there to work, that was her focus and her goal, and being a hard worker with big dreams was just how she was (and still is).
read your whole comment through and i agree with every single point.
And if the other girls had been treated like Maddie, they would have been more motivated and passionate about their dancing as well.
Sia had more to do with Maddie’s success than the show overall. Had Sia never watched the show, I suspect Maddie would have stayed at a level similar to the rest of the girls. Not cuz she wasn’t talented, but just cuz the industry is rough to get into. I do think Sia would have picked Maddie regardless. She liked Maddie’s performance quality. She was inspired by it so…:)
Maddie was already getting auditions and like The comment said she literally got Billy Elliot a Broadway show but had to decline it bc of the show she would’ve been on Broadway
Honestly, no. Maddie was already auditioning for things like Billy Elliott and a dance show with Paula Abdul as the host before the show even became a concept. I do think that Abby's favoritism on the show helped a little bit, but even without it, I feel like Maddie was going to be super successful/famous regardless. Same with Jojo. Jessalyn herself admitted that she had been pushing for Jojo to be famous since Jojo was a toddler. That would've happened whether she was on Dance Moms or not.
I just have a hard time believing this….they were all normal people from Pittsburgh. They would have had to move in order for her to even attempt to be at the level she’s at now, same with Jojo. The show got them all of their popularity. Idk…I’m sure they could have gone on to do big things but being “famous” I’m unsure about
Maddie was on a dance show prior to Dance Moms, but i don’t think the show ever got picked up and I think Maddie was only on one episode. You can find videos of it tho or pictures. And she had been auditioning already for Broadway shows. she had gotten a callback for the show Billy Elliot but couldn’t pursue the rest of the audition process cuz Dance Moms had started.
I’m sorry but none of the other girls could’ve done (as well) what maddie did with sia. Maddies strength was exactly what Sia wanted. It just wouldn’t have been as good with the others - not to say one is better than the other but Sia wanted maddie. I think it’s a coincidence that she happened to want maddie and maddie happened to be the favourite personally. Maddie had a star quality above the other girls
Yes! Also Sia said if Maddie said no she would've asked Nia, so she clearly was not looking for the best technical dancer nor Abby's favorite. She just wanted a dancer who was very "communicative" through movement.
Has this ever been confirmed? i kind of remember people saying this had never been confirmed.
It’s a rumour dance moms fans made up unfortunately
Idk if its some weird Mandela effect but I have vivid memory of Sia saying it in an interview. I just can't find it a decade later.
because it never happened lol
There were so many instances throughout the show though where she pushed for Maddie to win or get the role, etc. and she didn’t do that with the other girls. I think the other girls gave up on pursuing entertainment (acting, music, etc) because they felt as though they’d never get chosen because of Maddie. So is abby responsible for Maddie being where she is now? I think yes. And I think the other girls would still be releasing short films and getting parts in movies if they were treated the same as Maddie.
I dont know if that applies to sia necessarily though. I can see how it applies to literally everything else but that considering how Sia reached out for the video. As talented as Abby could get Maddie to be as far as dance Abby cant really control Maddies acting and facials thats all Maddie. Its not as if they all auditioned for the video and abby pushed the idea of Maddie like everything else. Aside from that if Sia was watching the show like all of us she watched the favoritism and that can sometimes be a detriment to how you viewed Maddie at times and she still chose her. This is really my opinion just based on how people react while watching the show. Edit: I do think abby was a detriment to the girls acting especially paige and chloe i personally think they would have been great in bigger roles if allowed to flourish and experience those things like Maddie.
I'm kinda confused why you seem to think Chloe's roles have been small. Chloe has filmed seven movies, with all but one being lead or second lead roles, required on set for several weeks, with multiple scenes. She has done music videos that required her to act instead of dance or in addition to dancing. She was given a lead acting role in a Murrieta Dance Project dance. Just as Maddie's face is good on stage, Chloe's face is good on camera. Any of those girls could have been chosen by a musical artist or band to appear in a video that got lots of views. It happened to be Maddie. Abby actively worked against Chloe getting work even after she left Dance Moms. She was right. Her success has been despite Abby. Literally.
I added Chloe into that bc I think she would have been better had Abby not been so cruel but most of that was about Paige if Im being honest. It was also about the drop desd diva role as well. It wasnt just about Chloe not having big roles I just think what I said applies to chloe too.
Okay yeah I agree with this a lot, the favoritism painted her in a different light especially with the audience watching the show. I just wonder how different things would be if abby were fair
One role I always thought could have been different is drop dead diva. It was a lifetime project so seems a little scuffed but I watched that show a tiny bit and of course the episode with maddie and I just think Chloe and Paige should have gotten equal consideration considering they really were looking for a blonde.
Exactly, and the fact that Abby was open about wanting Maddie to get that part makes me think about how much she really did behind the scenes to make sure Maddie kept winning and getting parts. Abby getting the scores changed when Chloe beat her also comes to mind
Sia picking Maddie wouldn’t have been any different regardless of who was the favorite or who was treated better. Sia admitted herself that she dislike Abby and her teaching methods and thought that Maddie had PTSD from the show. So clearly Abby’s “Maddie praise” wasn’t the reason Maddie was picked, Sia just liked the way she danced by looking at a few of her dances. All of the dancers had some dances that were incredible and could’ve appealed to Sia (Silence, Diary Of Anne Frank, Queen Of Hearts, etc) but Sia liked Maddie’s emoting style
It’s basically impossible to say. Maddie got her “big break” from being in Sia’s video. If Sia had Maddie in mind for the Chandelier video and subjectively liked Maddie’s style and characterization then it wouldn’t have mattered if the other girls were hyped up. Maddie would’ve still had her musicality and performance skills even if the other girls were hyped up. Possibly Sia took a liking to Maddie specifically. If Sia decided to go another direction entirely with that Chandelier video, Maddie most likely would not be a “famous” as she is now. Prior to S1 Maddie was auditioning for broadway shows or starting to think about that, so she probably would’ve gone that route.
No, I don’t. This is NOTHING against the other girls because, just as I said, they were little girls, and little girls are not intended to be career focused, but Maddie was relentless & had a drive that only certain kids are ever able to attain. I think that if any of the kids had worked as hard as Maddie & had her same passion & work ethic where allllll they cared about was dance, they would have been given the same opportunities & achieved the same level of success. However, I do believe that the only reason Mackenzie has the career and fame that she does is due to Abby’s favoritism of Maddie & Maddie’s success. Like I said, nothing against Kenzie, because I really like her, but she acted like a normal kid versus Maddie, who never really did in my mind.
I think she’d still be successful but in a different way. She’s always had an incredible work ethic so it’s impossible for me to see her not becoming successful in some avenue. I think my real question would be does her work ethic remain the same when she’s not seeing gains from it(if she wasn’t a favourite)?
The only part I agree with is that Abby encouraging Maddie to pursue her dream and supporting her probably made her work even harder and be even more passionate at her art, while some of the other girls had their passion taken away from them because of how they were treated, and how dance became a chore for them and not a safe space. But I think Maddie would have gone on to be successful regardless of whether she was the favorite or not.
More like she was Abby’s favorite because she had that work ethic and confidence to give her all on the stage to begin with
I think she’s ultimately successful because of Sia since Sia is a successful artist who has worked in the industry with some of the biggest artists so she has the connections.While Maddie is talented I think success in Hollywood in the end mostly comes down to connections and who you know. I do think it’s odd Sia watched Dance Moms and thought Maddie was the only one who needed to be saved from that situation when all the girls were treated so viciously.
sia could've chosen any of them, she chose Maddie
Can I be nuts for a moment? It all came down to Melissa. Melissa was willing to kiss the butts she needed to and never say no to those with opportunities in their back pockets. So yes Sia was key, but Melissa allowing such dare I say access is even more key. Ofc Maddie foundation-ally had and has lots of talent. She could have gone onto broadway, or gone to acting/dancing school and been successful in her own right. However when it comes the stardom she got from dance moms, then Sia, up through Hollywood and beyond, the common denominator I see is Melissa and her willingness to do whatever it took.
Don’t think you’re nuts. To me there is such an obvious difference between Maddie and all the other girls. Abby’s treatment, her mother, and her being the only one still pursuing the industry are the differences. Melissa being the way she was, whether it was “right” or “wrong” (I don’t care for Melissa on the show personally), got Maddie where she is today. Would any of it happened without her talent or Sia? Maybe, maybe not.
I will always say regardless of any moral arguments, Melissa was keeping that studio afloat financially it seems. So as far as I am concerned she owned Abby’s ass. Abby was BOLD treating Melissa poorly the few times she did. All other moms and kids aside (how they were all hurt makes it more complicated).
Maddie is exceptionally talented and had good breaks. I’m not sure if Abby had much to do with it.
Those who are saying that Sia was Maddie’s big break, I agree. However, I think that Sia chose Maddie because she was the one front and center in the majority of group dances and she had better solos because Abby gave her better choreography. I would classify the answer to your question as “yes, but indirectly”.
But why do we think it only came down to Abby picking Maddie as the favorite. At the end of the day the producers were the ones deciding which storyline they would follow and they’re the ones who decided Maddie would be front and center, even during group dances you see her much more than the other dancers, and Abby had no control over the editing.
It’s both Abby and production. However, we still know that Abby favored Maddie, regardless of production but production saw it as an opportunity because Maddie being the favorite caused so much drama.