Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Support Dancers
Although Taylor Swift may be the face of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the success of the tour and the concert movie depends much on a number of background dancers and vocalists included in the production. The Eras Tour movie opened theatres during a break from Swift's eponymous tour in October 2023. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film rapidly rose to top grossing concert film of all time and broke box office records.
Although many surprise attendees have joined Swift onstage on The Eras Tour, only Swift's backup dancers and backing vocalists are shown alongside her in the movie. Working hard on The Eras Tour, these actors deserve as much respect as Swift for their efforts on the film. Now streaming on Disney+, Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour (Version) has four previously cut songs and four bonus acoustic songs, so highlighting even more of Swift's backup dancers and vocals' prowess.
Disney+ now streams Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version).
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) on Disney+ and the theatrical release of the concert film differ in some important ways.
Taylor Swift: Backstage Dancers from The Eras Tour
The backup dancers of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Version) show in various roles to assist her performances and guarantee the whole production runs go without a hitch throughout all 10 eras. On The Eras Tour, Swift features 15 dancers in rotation, each of whom fulfills a different function over the three and a half-hour running length of the movie. While some perform one-on-one with Swift herself, others operate as a group to support the pop star up onstage during different sets.
Canadian dancer Amanda Balen is the dance captain of The Eras Tour dance company. Balen has been on TV shows like Glee and movies including La La Land, A Star is Born, and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Balen also sang alongside Lady Gaga and Cher before collaborating with Swift. She also works with Taylor Swift outside of the Eras Tour. She also features among the dancers in Swift's "Karma" music video alongside Ice Spice.
Balen has also been employed outside of her dance career. Though the show ran only through its first season, she was an associate producer on The World's Best, a talent competition held in 2019. In 2022 Balen worked on another TV special. She oversaw the dancing for Step Into... The Movies. Professional dancers and vocalists came together to present classic musical scenes for a modern audience. Well received by TV viewers, many questioned whether the special would turn into a regular celebration of art but it did not last beyond 2022.
Audie Douglass
Although Audrey Douglass stars in The Eras Tour movie among the 15 backup dancers, this is not her first time gracing both large and small screens. Douglass performed at the Grammys and worked as a professional dancer on television shows and movies including Glee, Parks and Recreation, La La Land, Ellen, before Swift hired her. She used to be a Rockette in New York City as well, via Us Weekly. She maintained her place in the group for three years even though she said that working as a Rockette was the toughest job she has ever had.
Apart from accompanying Swift, Douglass has been a dancer for Dua Lipa. She has also shown up as a member of the dancing ensemble on Dancing With The Stars. She also starred in the "Karma" music video for Swift's remixed take of the song, same like Balen.
Jan Ravnik drew a lot of attention on stage during Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Since Ravnik appears directly next to Swift in several of the musical numbers, his part in the show is a little more noticeable than some of the other dancers. Ravnik stars as Bill, the husband of Rebekah Harkness, during the onstage reenactment of the actual narrative behind "the last great American dynasty." Additionally drawing attention during the "Lavender Haze" sequence is Ravnik's open shirt.
Like the other dancers here, he also features in the "Karma" music video. Apart from dancing with Swift, the seasoned performer has collaborated with other major stars over his career including Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul, and Bruno Mars. Ravnik also made appearances on Got Talent and the X Factor talent competition series.
Though some performances highlight the music better, Swifties cannot choose a favorite song in the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie.
Kambo Saunders
The Eras Tour is Kameron Saunders's most recent gig in his long and active dancing career. Saunders graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and worked with many esteemed dance companies including Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Saint Louis Ballet, and Missouri Contemporary Ballet before dancing with Swift. He also starred as a dancer in the 2024 musical The Colour Purple and the 2022 holiday film Spirited.
During performances in the Red and Midnights eras of The Eras Tour, Saunders gets several flashes in the forefront. After Swift says, "like we are never getting back together," she hands Saunders the mic to yell the remainder of the legendary line: "LIKE EVER!" during the bridge of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Saunders performs some solo freestyle choreography while Swift performs "Bejeweled" during the Midnights era; the audience, including the other dancers, watches in wonder.
Brother Kameron Saunders of the Kansas City Chiefs used to play alongside Travis Kelce, Swift's boyfriend.
Kevin Chuang
Karen Chuang danced alongside musicians including Nicki Minaj, P!NK, and Khalid at events prior to working with Swift. The Clear Talent Group represents Chuang; she is teaching classes and choreographing when she is not performing on stage. She works at STEEZY Studio, Hollywood Vibe Dance, and Entity Contemporary Dance among other dance venues.
Like Balen, Chuang has also previously been a dancer for Lady Gaga, and also like many of the other dancers here, has performed as part of the ensemble in several musical television projects out of Los Angeles. In addition to appearing on Glee, she also danced in Grease Live and A Christmas Story Live. Other than the recorded version of The Eras Tour, her highest profile project, however, might actually be for SpongeBob SquarePants. She features as a dancer in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run.
Kevin Scheizzbach
Although Kevin Scheitzbach typically dances as a duo with his brother, Michael, as FlowXS, the dancer is currently working solo while touring with Swift on The Eras Tour. While he’s on tour, his brother has been leading dance workshops.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Scheitzbach moved to Los Angeles with his brother in 2021 to seek more opportunities in the dancing world, where he’s found immense success. Like Saunders, Scheitzbach also has a solo dance moment during “Bejeweled” in The Eras Tour movie where all eyes are on him. He’s also one of the featured dancers in “Lover” as the sequence couples up some of the dancers.
Before working with Swift, however, some fans of musicals might recognize him from work on the Disney Channel and Disney+. Scheitzbach appears in three of the brand’s projects in recent years: Zombies 2, Spin, and Sneakerella.
Natalie Peterson
Before joining The Eras Tour in 2023 as one of Swift’s backup dancers, Natalie Peterson worked as the assistant choreographer for Karol G’s Bichota Tour and appeared in the singer’s music video for her song “Location.” Like fellow Swift dancer Natalie Reid, Peterson graduated from Chapman University in California with two bachelor’s degrees — one in Dance and the other in Public Relations and Advertising. She then went on to perform in the Moschino fashion film, Lightning Strikes and at the 2021 Billboard Awards.
Peterson’s specialty in dancing is actually Latin Ballroom, something not seen extensively in Swift’s tour. Peterson still actively competes in ballroom dancing competitions and is a dance instructor with Hollywood Connection. She also enjoys choreographing Latin fusion pieces for her students and is a certified fitness instructor, able to wear many hats.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is an encapsulation of the live show that has taken the world by storm, but people are wondering when the movie was shot.
Natalie Reid
Natalie Reid is a dancer from Seattle, Washington, who moved to Los Angeles to attend Chapman University. Reid studied dance under Eras Tour choreographer Mandy Moore at the Edge Performing Arts Center (via City Dance Studios) before joining Swift on The Eras Tour. Reid toured with notable artists like Billie Eilish, Pitbull, and Jennifer Lopez.
Reid has also performed on various television shows like So You Think You Can Dance, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and the Emmys. She also played a Rockette in the Hallmark movie A Holiday Spectacular, putting her dancing skills to impressive use.
In The Eras Tour movie, Reid got a moment in the spotlight during the folklore era. During the onstage reenactment of “the last great american dynasty,” Reid plays the song’s real-life subject, Rebekah Harkness.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie is filled with references to other moments in her career that elevate the atmosphere and appreciation of every era.
Thomas Thomas
Originally from St. Andrews, Jamaica, Thomas moved to the United States as a kid and pursued his dream of becoming a dancer. He trained at a few noteworthy dance schools such as The Asbury Park Technical Academy of Dance and The Rock School of Penn. Prior to The Eras Tour, Thomas performed with artists like Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, and John Legend.
Thomas acts as Swift’s onstage scene partner during her performance of “tolerate it” in the evermore era, sitting across from Swift at the long dining table as she sings all her frustrations at him.
Raphael Raphael
Raphael is one of the more recognizable dancers in The Eras Tour movie, as he plays a special role in several of Swift’s performances on The Eras Tour. In The Eras Tour movie, Thomas acts as Swift’s onstage scene partner during her performance of “tolerate it” in the evermore era, sitting across from Swift at the long dining table as she sings all her frustrations at him. He also serves as her love interest during her performance of “Style” in the 1989 era.
Sam McWilliams
Sam McWilliams turned just 21 while on tour, but Swift’s team has a knack for spotting talent regardless of age. Plus, the backup dancer already had a few dancing credits to his name before he signed on to perform in The Eras Tour. In addition to working on the Wonderful World of Disney’s Holiday Special, McWilliams previously worked with Bebe Rexha and Meghan Trainor and performed on So You Think You Can Dance? and the American Music Awards.
McWilliams is one of the featured dancers during “Lover” in The Eras Tour. One of the highlights for McWilliams so far on the tour was getting to spend time in Amsterdam and explore the city, as he explained in an Instagram post, that’s where his grandparents are from. Like many of the dancers on the tour, McWilliams’ social media gives a behind-the-scenes look at the tour as the dancers share photos from the stage and their downtime at the different stops.
Sydney Moss
Like many of her fellow dancers on The Eras Tour, Sydney Moss made the move to Los Angeles in 2016, and her dancing career has flourished ever since. She is currently working as a backup dancer for Swift on The Eras Tour, but before joining one of the biggest concert tours of all time, Moss performed alongside Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. Moss also teaches dance at the Radix Dance Convention and Jump Dance Convention.
Moss has also worked with Swift previously. In addition to The Eras Tour and the “Karma” remixed music video, Moss actually appeared in another Swift music video. She is one of the dancers in ME! While the song might not be remembered as one of Swift’s most beloved, the music video is colorful and fun and showcases a lot of talent.
Whether she’s adding or repeating a line or simply singing a lyric differently, Taylor Swift makes many changes to her songs in The Eras Tour movie.
Tamiya Lewis
Tamiya Lewis is a young dancer working with Taylor Swift for the first time on The Eras Tour. Signed to the Clear Talent Group, Lewis is an MVA pro dancer with Velocity Dance Convention, a national touring dance convention and competition. At only 20 years old, Lewis is already teaching classes for the program. In The Eras Tour Movie, Lewis is the one who opens the red box and releases the balloons to kick off the Red era.
What the movie doesn’t show is that the sequence of Lewis opening the red box is actually more extensive. The movie uses it as a transitional means to skip to the next performance, allowing the balloons to cover the screen in some clever editing. In concert, Lewis actually gets to do a more physical routine that’s more akin to mime than dance, hyping up the audience by repeatedly looking in the box and traveling the stage on her own while Swift has a wardrobe change backstage.
Taylor Banks
After graduating from high school in the Midwest, Taylor Banks moved to Los Angeles, where she soon gained recognition for her dancing skills. Before joining Swift on The Eras Tour as a backup dancer, she worked with a number of big names. Banks has performed alongside Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Billie Eilish, Cher, Mariah Carey, Dua Lipa, Ciara, Mario, Muse, and Carrie Underwood.
She’s also worked as one of the professional dancers on the Univision reality competition series Mira Quién Baila. The Spanish language show is similar to Dancing With The Stars in that contestants are paired up with professional dancers to compete. She appeared on the series in 2021. While on the show, she worked with actor Victor Gonzalez.
Tori Evans
Before embarking on The Eras Tour with Swift, Tori Evans studied dance at the University of Arizona in Tucson then moved to Los Angeles to follow her dream. Evans has performed alongside various artists, including Beyoncé, Cardi B, Maroon 5, Ricky Martin, Jason Derulo, Tyga, and Empire of the Sun. Evans also starred in several television series, such as The Masked Singer, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and The Price Is Right.
While those appearances were all for dancing roles, Evans has also dabbled in acting, appearing in the CW series All American: Homecoming. Her husband, TJ Shaw, played a football player in the flagship series All American as well.
Whyley Yoshimura
Like many other dancers seen in
