Olivia Bee

While the December issue of ELLE is on newsstands (pick it up now!), Olivia Bee will be serving up exclusive editorials and photo essays all month long on ELLE.com.

When we began discussing the type of unexpected personality Olivia Bee—the 20-year-old shutterbug who has shot everything from self-portraits for Hermès to Girls star Zosia Mamet for The New York Times Magazine—should spotlight, our first instinct was to have her capture someone older: perhaps a Rayder sister or a Lauren Hutton type. But Bee, who is as tiny and kinetic as her buzzing namesake, had someone else in mind: the 12-year-old star of the lowbrow-brilliant Lifetime reality hit Dance Moms and that Sia video.

"I'm just obsessed with her," Bee said with a giggle over the phone, the Millennial inflection betraying the old soul calm that enables her to nab gigs from industry vets twice her age. And just like that, we sent her off to Pittsburgh, where the home-schooled tween resides with her mom and sister (and costar) Mackenzie, 10. Below, a never-before-seen peek into Ziegler's home life, which, when she's not filming or practicing or volunteering, revolves around girl crushing on Zendaya, watching YouTube tutorials, and cuddling with her Maltipoo, Maliboo.

For a second set of exclusive Maddie portraits, all of which capture the girl behind the elaborate routines and stage makeup, click back over to ELLE.com later this week.

Olivia Bee

Maddie Ziegler in her bedroom wearing a Simone Rocha dress.

Maddie on modeling: "I definitely think about changing my pose and keeping my face alive. I also have to keep my face a little bit calmer, since I'm not performing to a large crowd, just to the photographer."

Olivia Bee

Maddie in front of her extensive trophy collection wearing a Cynthia Rowley dress.

On athletic shortcomings: "I've tried playing sports with my brothers. I just can't get the hang of it when it comes to throwing the ball."

Olivia Bee

Maddie on her back porch wearing a Tory Burch sweater and an Endless Rose skirt.

Olivia Bee

Maddie takes a moment in her bedroom vanity.

Natural Beauty: "I don't usually wear a lot of makeup when I'm hanging out with my friends. Just some M.A.C. Zoom Lash mascara and Marc Jacobs Magic Marc'er Liquid Eyeliner pen."

Maddie pauses with Maliboo; she is wearing a Christian Siriano coat and an Orla Kiely sweater.

On type casting: "Truth be told, I'm a perfectionist."

Maddie blends in with her surroundings wearing an Orla Kiely Dress, a Caroline Constas fur stole, and Dune shoes.

Shop Girl "I love Forever 21, Topshop, H&M, Zara, Sephora, and Naimie's. I like to dress comfy one day and dress up the next."

Maddie playing hooky in a Cynthia Rowley sweater, an Endless Rose skirt, and Adidas sneakers.

On fashion: "I love the high-waisted jean and crop top look. I love following all the trends and am really into the big, statement jewelry right now. Zendaya is always on trend. I love her girly-yet-tomboy style."

Maddie at home in Pittsburgh wearing a Tanya Taylor sweater and an Endless Rose skirt.

On life imitating art: "Dance has definitely made me a better model. When I'm performing, I'm always thinking about my face and my look. I used to have a much harder time with it."

Hair stylist: Dianna Kazandjian; make-up: Katherine Reel; fashion editor: Danielle Prescod; a version of this article's introduction appears in the December 2014 issue of ELLE magazine.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io