Mackenzie Ziegler facts for kids

Mackenzie Ziegler in 2018

Mackenzie Frances Ziegler (born June 4, 2004) is an American singer, actress, and internet star. She was also a dancer for many years. When she was a child, she appeared on the TV show Dance Moms for six years. Her older sister, Maddie Ziegler, who is also a dancer and actress, was on the show with her.

Mackenzie started her music career in 2014 with her first album, Mack Z. In 2018, she released her second album, Phases. She has toured North America and Europe with singer Johnny Orlando. They have released several songs together. Mackenzie has also released many solo songs. In 2017 and 2018, she traveled to Australia and New Zealand for dance workshops with her sister. She has also modeled for Polo Ralph Lauren. Her third album, Biting My Tongue, came out in 2024. Later in 2024, she joined Mark Ambor on his Rockwood tour.

Besides Dance Moms, Mackenzie has been on other TV shows. These include the comedy show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn (in 2015 and 2017). From 2018 to 2020, she starred in the high school drama series Total Eclipse on Brat TV. In 2018, she also competed on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors. That same year, she played Dorothy in a holiday play called The Wonderful Winter of Oz in Pasadena, California.

By February 2022, Mackenzie Ziegler had many followers online. She had over 14 million followers on Instagram. She also had 22 million followers on TikTok, 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and one million followers on Twitter.

Early Life and Family

Mackenzie Ziegler was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Her parents are Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni and Kurt Ziegler. She has Polish, Italian, and German family roots. Her parents divorced when she was young. Her mother later remarried Greg Gisoni in 2013.

Mackenzie has an older sister, Maddie Ziegler, who is also a famous dancer and actress. She also has two older half-brothers from her father's side, Ryan and Tyler. Plus, she has two older step-siblings, Matthew and Michelle. Mackenzie started dancing at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh when she was two years old. She won many awards in dance competitions with this company. Mackenzie was homeschooled for her education.

Career Highlights

2011–2016: Dance Moms and First Album

Mackenzie first appeared on TV in 2011. This was on the Lifetime reality dance show Dance Moms. She was on the show with her mother and sister. In 2016, the Zieglers left the show after six seasons. They wanted to work on other projects. Mackenzie also appeared on Dance Moms' related shows, Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and Abby's Studio Rescue.

In 2014, Mackenzie released her first album, called Mack Z. She also used "Mack Z" as her stage name for singing. This album reached #1 on the iTunes pop charts. It also reached #7 on iTunes' overall album sales chart. The music video for her song "Girl Party" also hit #1 on the iTunes pop chart. This video has been watched over 85 million times. Later that year, her videos for "Shine" and "Christmas All Year Long" came out. She kept releasing songs and videos as Mack Z in 2015 and 2016. In 2014, Mackenzie and her sister launched a special clothing line. It was called The Maddie & Mackenzie Collection.

In 2015, Mackenzie started acting on TV. Her first role was on Nickelodeon's comedy show Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. She also appeared in a WowWee commercial with her sister. She returned to Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn in January 2017. This was for an episode called "Keeping Up with the Quadashians". Also in 2015, she walked the runway for Polo Ralph Lauren in New York City. She was also in an ad video for Glamour Magazine.

2016–2017: More Music and Tours

In November 2016, Mackenzie released her first song under her full name. It was a duet with singer Johnny Orlando. The song was called "Day & Night". The music video for this song came out on December 21, 2016. It has been watched over 25 million times. In 2017 and 2018, Mackenzie and Johnny Orlando went on their Day & Night Tour. They performed across North America and the UK. Her 2017 video "Breathe" has been watched over 54 million times. The video for her 2018 duet with Orlando, "What If", has been viewed over 75 million times.

In 2016, Mackenzie and her sister were the faces of Clean & Clear's back-to-school campaign. Mackenzie was also the face of Polo Ralph Lauren's children's spring 2016 collection. She became a brand ambassador for the girls' fashion line Emily West in 2017. In 2016, Mackenzie worked with TurnBoard. They released the Kenzie Ziegler TurnBoard, a tool for dancers to practice turning. In 2017 and 2018, Mackenzie created dance-inspired activewear clothing lines. She worked with the tween store Justice. Justice also worked with her on a video for her song, "Teamwork". This was part of a back-to-school social media campaign against bullying. Later that year, Mackenzie released a tee-shirt line called Tee4Too. In 2019, she released a line of sweatshirts and tee-shirts with FanJoy.

Mackenzie and her sister went on a dance workshop tour in Australia in January 2017. Mackenzie was also in a 2017 dance ad for General Electric. They did another dance workshop tour in Australia and New Zealand in mid-2018.

2018–2023: Total Eclipse and Dancing with the Stars Juniors

From 2018 to 2020, Mackenzie starred as Cassie in the high school drama series Total Eclipse. This show was on the Brat TV digital network. She also helped produce the show. She played the same character in the movie Brat Holiday Spectacular (2018). In February 2018, Mackenzie and her sister appeared on The Slow Mo Guys YouTube channel. She was on the cover of the April/May 2018 issue of Girls' Life magazine. Mackenzie released a self-help book in May 2018. It was called Kenzie's Rules for Life: How to be Happy, Healthy, and Dance to Your Own Beat. The book gives "inspirational, upbeat lessons for kids learning to navigate life." It was a best-seller for juvenile non-fiction. In fall 2018, Mackenzie launched her own makeup line, "Love, Kenzie".

Mackenzie was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018. She made it to the finals. On one episode, she danced with her sister. This was their first time dancing together on TV since Dance Moms. On November 20, 2018, Mackenzie released her second album, Phases. One song on the album, "Wonderful", was written by Sia. Mackenzie performed this song on Dancing with the Stars. In December 2018, Mackenzie played Dorothy in a holiday play. It was called The Wonderful Winter of Oz in Pasadena, California. In mid-2019, Mackenzie signed with Arista Records. She toured the US as the opening act for PrettyMuch. She also voiced the main character in an animated movie. It was released in the US in November 2019. The American title was Ice Princess Lily. It's about an ice princess who becomes friends with a dragon. They work together to defeat an evil snowman.

Mackenzie and her sister were guest judges in 2020. This was on the Quibi dance competition show Floored. She sang a duet with Sia on Mackenzie's song "Exhale", released in June 2020. In 2020 and 2021, Mackenzie competed on The Masked Singer spin-off The Masked Dancer. She was "Tulip" and finished in third place. In 2023, she and her sister launched a back-to-school fashion collection with American Eagle Outfitters.

2024–Present: Biting My Tongue

Mackenzie Ziegler released an album called Biting My Tongue on July 26, 2024. She said she wrote it as "a form of therapy." Since October 2024, she has been the opening act for Mark Ambor on his Rockwood tour. This tour is planned to continue into 2025.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

In 2012, Mackenzie, her mother, and her sister worked with Starlight Children's Foundation. They helped raise awareness for young people who are often sick. Mackenzie has also partnered with groups like Love Your Melon and Dancers Against Cancer. These groups raise money and awareness for childhood cancer. In 2016, Mackenzie and her sister made a public service announcement for DoSomething.org. This was for their Birthday Mail campaign. It helps people send homemade birthday cards to children living in homeless shelters. The same group put the Ziegler sisters on their 2016 list of young celebrities who help others. Mackenzie has also supported Dancers Against Cancer with her sister.

In 2018, Mackenzie performed at the first We Day Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. She appeared on Celebrity Family Feud in 2019. She was with her sister, mother, aunt, and dancer Charlize Glass. They played for "My Friend's Place," a charity that provides meals for homeless youth in Los Angeles. They have volunteered there before.

Credits

Television and Film

Web Series

Stage Performances

Music Videos

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Ziegler Girls 2017 tour of Australia (with Maddie Ziegler)
• Day & Night Tour with Johnny Orlando (2017)
• Maddie & Mackenzie Australia & New Zealand Tour 2018 (with Maddie Ziegler)

Opening Act Tours

• FOMO tour (2019; PrettyMuch)
• Rockwood tour (2024; Mark Ambor)

Music Albums

Albums

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mackenzie Ziegler para niños

• List of dancers