Sia debuts new video 'Big Girls Cry': Child dancer Maddie Ziegler stars again despite criticism of 'sexualisation'

Sia has used the 12-year-old dancer in her two previous videos

Maddie Ziegler channels Sia in 'Big Girls Cry'

Sia has debuted the new video for her single featuring 12-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler again.

The video for “Big Girls Cry” is more static than Sia’s previous videos, featuring the young dancer pictured from the waist up performing to the camera against a black background.

The Australian singer, who also co-directs her music videos, has used the Dance Moms reality TV star twice before in her videos for “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart”.

The young dancer, who appears as an on-screen substitute for the camera shy artist, is seen in “Big Girls Cry” gesticulating wildly wearing a blunt, blonde wig and flesh coloured leotard.

Sia apologised for causing emotional distress with her last video “Elastic Heart”, which featured the androgynous child dancer and Shia La Beouf fighting in a cage.

The singer said she was sorry for “those who felt triggered” by the video after some fans who had experienced abuse and grooming in the past said it was disturbing.

Describing fame as being like an overbearing mother-in-law in 2013, Sia removed her face from her artwork and promotional materials and has made very few public appearances since.

The singer has cast Ziegler in her music videos since May 2014 and has drawn criticism from some viewers for appearing to sexualise the child dancer.

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