There’s a lot of pop music out there… but there’s only one artist as famous, successful, creative, and beloved as Taylor Swift. The singer can say no to performing during the Super Bowl Halftime Show and it doesn’t even matter because her Eras tour earned so much money. Swift sang her most popular songs and at every concert stop, she wore fabulous costumes and connected with the audience.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour also featured incredibly talented backup dancers, and they were one of the most important parts of each performance. Since the singer has a billion-dollar net worth, she can definitely afford to pay her dancers a lot. In this article, we’ll take a look at what Taylor Swift’s Eras tour backup dancers were paid, along with what it’s like to have this impressive career.
How Much Money Did Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Backup Dancers Make?
The exactsalary that Taylor Swift’s Eras tour backup dancers earn is unknown. However, fans can make some estimated guesses based on what backup dancers are paid for performances. According to City Dance Studios, Lady Gaga’s backup dancers earned $1,000 when she performed at the Super Bowl, and Beyonce’s backup dancers earned $2,500 for her 2021 Coachella concert.
While it’s unclear if Taylor Swift’s Eras tour backup dancers are paid a flat fee or per performance, they have definitely earned a lot of money. That’s because of the $55 million bonusesthat Swift paid her tour employees in the summer of 2023.
According to People, that included caterers, sound technicians, riggers, and backup dancers. Swift also paid her 50 truck drivers $100,000, which added up to $5 million in bonuses.
Since Swift’s Eras tour included many cities worldwide in 2023 and 2024, it’s no wonder that she wanted to thank the tour employees for their incredible dedication and hard work. Her backup dancers left their regular lives when they agreed to go on tour, and while it must have been fun, there’s no doubt that it was demanding and rigorous. They had to train, rehearse, and get back on stage night after night. It’s sweet that Swift honored her dancers in this way.
Due to these bonuses, the backup dancers on the Eras tour might have earned more money than if they were part of her other tours. While of course dancers are artists who devote their lives to this creative form because they love it, it must have felt great to be given a bonus.
The singer has always tried to help those in her inner circle, and since she has so much money, it makes sense that she helps financially when she can. In 2015, according to Seventeen, Swift gave $50,000 to a GoFundMe page for Ayden, the nephew of her backup dancer Toshi. Ayden had cancer, which would be heartbreaking at any age but was particularly upsetting because he was so little. The singer wrote, “Baby Ayden, I’m lucky enough to perform with your uncle Toshi on tour. All of us are praying for you and your mama and sending so much love your way. Love, Taylor.”
It’s also possible to assume that Taylor Swift’s Eras tour backup dancers are paid well because the singer truly appreciates the art form. In late 2023, when Swift was named the Time Person of The Year, she talked about dancing and sounded very humble. She said:
“Learning choreography is not my strong suit. I had three months of dance training, because I wanted to get it in my bones. I wanted to be so over-rehearsed that I could be silly with the fans, and not lose my train of thought.”
What Is It Like Being A Backup Dancer On Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour?
Of course, fans can guess that being one of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour backup dancers must be lots of fun… but also a lot of hard work and extremely long hours.
In an interview with British GQ, ballet teacher, author and lawyer Eloise Skinner talked about what it must be like to be one of Taylor Swift’s dancers. Skinner mentioned that dancers are focused on eating properly so they can feel good and keep up their energy. They also want to make sure that they don’t get injured, whether they spend time in saunas or ice baths when they have free time.
Skinner also noted that Taylor Swift’s Eras dancers likely work out a lot so they can be ready. They mentioned pilates, swimming, strength training, running, mobility, and cardio.
Jan Ravnik is the Taylor Swift backup dancer who has gotten the most attention. According to Uproxx.com, people think that he looks like Oscar Isaac. As Bustle reported, fans couldn’t stop talking about this, and they also noticed how talented he is.
Ravnik is thrilled to be part of the Eras tour and wrote on Instagram:
“I’m beyond grateful to be part of [the] Eras Tour. Still can’t put into words how I feel after yesterdays opening night! I never thought that small town boy from Slovenia could come so far, but here we are.”
Many fans have praised Taylor Swift’s Eras tour dancers for their talent. Redditor @Comprehensive_Air499 wrote, “Can we all agree that Taylor’s dancers CRUSH it every night?” Another fan wrote, “Those dancers have crazy stamina. So proud of all of them, plus back stage crew, for putting together an amazing experience for the Era’s Tour.”