"Dance Moms" star Maddie Ziegler performs "Alive" on "The Ellen Show." (Photo : Instagram/Maddie Ziegler)
Maddie Ziegler is officially leaving "Dance Moms" and Abby Lee Dance Company (ALDC) to focus on her acting career. Younger sister, Mackenzie Ziegler and their mom Melissa Gisoni will also not be returning to the Lifetime show. It is still yet to be confirmed if they will finish up season 6.
An insider told Entertainment Tonight that Ziegler has made up her mind about leaving the Lifetime show. Gisoni reportedly announced their departure during last Wednesday's, February 3, taping. This did not come as a surprise given that Ziegler has missed several ALDC competitions and "Dance Moms" season 6 tapings for her new film, "The Book of Henry."
The 13-year-old has always been vocal about pursuing a different path aside from dancing and starring in reality TV. She said that she has always been interested in acting and modeling.
Speaking to the publication, back in September, Ziegler admitted that being a part of ALDC and "Dance Moms" have definitely opened a lot of doors for her. After starring in Sia's music video trilogy, "Chandelier," "Elastic Heart" and "Big Girls Cry," Ziegler shared that her interest in acting intensified further.
Back then, Ziegler, however, claimed that she still wanted to continue dancing.
"I definitely want to be moving more into acting. Still keeping up my dancing, but also [do] movies and scripted TV shows," she explained.
Ziegler explained that she just wanted to be a triple threat and hone her acting and singing skills. She added that she is definitely interested in doing movies and scripted TV shows.
It seems like the young dancer's extremely busy schedule left her with no choice but to pick between acting and dancing. Being that she has been one of the most popular girls in "Dance Moms" and Abby Lee Miller's favorite student, the decision may have not come easy.
According to Us Weekly, her stint in Sia's music video and "Pretty Little Liars" guesting has caught the attention of several producers. The insider added that Ziegler is in "high demand" nowadays, an opportunity that she would not pass up on even if that mean leaving "Dance Moms" for good this time around.
