I’m a backup dancer in music videos.
People have no idea how strenuous it is to be a backup dancer, especially if you’re in a movie.
Imagine dancing a high-intensity routine 20 times in a row until the director gets the perfect take, all while trying not to look like you were dripping with sweat. However, music videos usually have a lot of fans going for exactly this purpose; however, when the director yells “cut,” every dancer finds the nearest fan. I was hired for a music video gig last week, and it was the hardest task I’d ever done! The other dancers and I met early that afternoon to learn the tough choreography! The practice space was perfect, but someone turned the thermostat down as low as it would go, and despite dancing for thirds, I don’t assume anyone broke a sweat! The cooling plan was outstanding. I didn’t have to sit over a vent while the two of us were in breaks like I usually did in practice spaces. It wasn’t even humid inside of there, the air conditioner plan took out so much moisture! Once it was time to get ready, the two of us all opted to change and do our makeup in the practice space, and both of us knew—or, at least the two of us thought the two of us knew—the heat that was in our future, and the two of us wanted to soak up the chilly, dry air while the two of us could. Then after the two of us carpooled from the practice space to the set—a nearby aircraft hangar—we all shared despairing looks. The shoot was particularly outside, in the summer, in a hangar with no ventilation! The worst part: there were zero fans in the hangar! It was so strenuous to stay pretty and dance my heart out without even a stitch of ventilation. But, my fellow dancers and I pulled through, and agreed that we’d learn the fantastic print next time!