Sia defends working with 15-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler after facing new criticism

Sia has said that she stands by her decision to feature 15-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler in her music videos and on tour, in the wake of new criticism.

The singer-songwriter, full name Sia Furler, defended her continued use of teenage Ziegler after a Guardian article criticised her for using her as a “cypher since she broke up with fame”.

The singer is known for keeping her identity protected by wearing a wig that disguises her face, choosing instead to cast Ziegler in the spotlight.

The Guardian article said Sia has described fame as a monster that “questions everything there is to question. Even things I had never thought to question. Things I had never dreamed of feeling insecure about.”

“Me and fame will never be married,” she continued.

The author of the article expressed concern for the way Ziegler has been exposed to fame at such a young age: "[Sia] herself might not be willing to marry fame but standing on the stage in front of us, she seemed to be officiating another marriage... to a minor who is yet to learn about, or tame, the monster."

Sia took to Twitter to respond to the piece, explaining that Ziegler was already famous prior to working with her. Despite this, the singer is very “protective” of her and she wants to “empower her in whatever choices she makes”.

“This article poses a question I have asked myself often. I do check in with Maddie weekly about whether she wants this, and assure her if she ever wants it to stop it stops,” Sia wrote.

“It's a conversation we should all be having. Not just myself but all directors, stage parents and agents.”

She wrote in a follow-up tweet: “What I learned from Maddie is that fame affects her differently than how it affected me. I can only trust that she is telling me the truth. If that changes, we stop,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet.

Ziegler now has 10.4 million Instagram followers.

She was only 11 when she shot to fame in Sia’s music video for Chandelier in 2014, and has gone on to star in five more of her music videos.

In 2015, Sia’s music video for Elastic Heart sparked controversy, which showed 12-year-old Ziegler dancing alongside then 28-year-old actor Shia LaBeouf in a giant cage.

Sia’s eighth studio album Everyday Is Christmas, released last month, features an up-close shot of Ziegler with festive red and green hair and a large bow.