Meet the 13-year-old dancing sensation who stunned people at the big Apple event
Pint-sized dancing queen Maddie Ziegler blew away attendees at Apple's splashy media event in San Francisco on Wednesday. The 13-year-old performed alongside singer Sia.
Ziegler entered the limelight on Lifestyle's hit TV series "Dance Moms," but is perhaps best known as Sia's alter-ego performing in not one, but five of her music videos.
The latest, "The Greatest," shows the young dancer-turned-actress leading a crew of 48 children in wild choreography. The video ends with the entire crowd lying on the floor.
Its haunting imagery has led critics to label it a tribute to the mass shooting that claimed 49 lives at an Orlando gay nightclub in June.
At the end of the Apple event, Tim Cook announced a special performance by Sia, who stood almost entirely motionless at the edge of the stage. Ziegler, joined at first by a flock of dancers dressed in matching flesh-colored leotards, lept and writhed as Sia sang.
Not a lot of help from Sia here.
The pair performed "The Greatest" and "Chandelier."
Ziegler is no stranger to the spotlight. She accompanied Sia - in matching platinum wigs, no less - on the Grammys red carpet in 2015. She also starred in an advertising campaign for Capezio dancewear that went viral and appeared on the show "Pretty Little Liars."
Most recently, Ziegler launched a luxury "athleisure" line called Maddie. It's available online and in Nordstrom stores starting in October.
Apple may have given the rising star her biggest platform yet, however. People in attendance at the event and interested techies watching from their offices were glued to Ziegler's dancing.
Others cracked jokes at Apple's expense.
Humorously enough, Apple may have a new spokeswoman in Ziegler.
According to The Daily Mail, the Pittsburgh native received an Apple Watch for her 13th birthday last year. Here's hoping she upgrades to a Series 2 device next month.