Sia's New Video Pays Tribute To Orlando Shooting Victims

Aussie singer-songwriter Sia has released the music video for her collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, The Greatest, which once again features her mini-Sia, Dance Moms prodigy Maddie Zeigler.

The talented young dancer is joined by 49 other performers in the video as a powerful tribute to the 49 men and women who lost their lives in the shooting attack at Orlando nightclub Pulse, which took place in June.
 
The video, which opens on a black screen with the hashtag #WeAreYourChildren, is the latest to star Zeigler, aged 14. She has also appeared in Sia’s videos for Chandelier (2014), Elastic Heart and Big Girls Cry (2015) alongside Shia LaBeouf and Cheap Thrills (2016), which was nominated for MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.

"A lesson in emotional maturity" – Arts and Culture Editor Maxim Boon
 
Maddie Zeigler is a phenomenal talent, and not just for her dancing skills. She shows a level of emotional maturity in her performances that is way beyond her years. It’s a good thing too, as Zeigler is the heart and soul of this video, the visceral focal point for this profound tribute. Such a responsibility could be easily overwhelming for a performer barely into their teens, but in her very capable hands, there is no hint of insincerity or misunderstanding.
 
The choreography itself is also very well judged. It’s vivid and punchy to serve the energy of the music, but it also layers all kinds of symbolic gestures that speak to a sense of solidarity and defiance. The cast of 49 additional dancers – one for each of those killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting – represent our multicultural society, with all ages and races performing shoulder to shoulder. It’s beautifully pointed, railing against intolerance and hate without succumbing to any cheesy sentimentality. With two rainbows wiped across her cheeks, Zeigler darts through bullet-riddled corridors raising up the slumped bodies around her. It’s a deeply moving scene that manages to be uplifting without being glib.
 
But this is a tribute to an appalling atrocity, and this is clearly front of mind. After Sia’s upbeat music finishes, a deliberately stark reminder is offered. The 49 bodies are once again collapsed on the floor and Zeigler’s rainbow painted cheeks are streaked with tears. The message is obvious: we must all move forward together, but we must never forget.