CELEBRITY
Just as America was beginning to tire of Taylor Swift’s rise to global domination, she’s hopped over to Europe to continue her billion-dollar Eras Tour – on into its fourteenth month and counting
Just as America was beginning to tire of Taylor Swift’s rise to global domination, she’s hopped over to Europe to continue her billion-dollar Eras Tour – on into its fourteenth month and counting. But it’s not just Miss Swift who’ll be hoping to soak up some of the sun and other fun that the Mediterranean has to offer between shows (Taylor performs in Spain tonight and tomorrow).
For among her massive entourage – which includes at least 50 truckers to transport her staging and costumes – are 15 hand-selected backup dancers who are no stranger to the revelries offered by a life on tour. While the troupe is mostly made up of women, it’s six male members – with their rippling physiques and photo-ready perma-tans – have emerged as something of a star attraction in their own right.
‘They cannot go anywhere without being swooned at by adoring fans,’ a source close to the dancers exclusively tells DailyMail.com. ‘They are recognized almost everywhere they go’ While on the road, it is understood that the troupe have become incredibly close with Swift – who often confides in them as friends, especially when it comes to her relationship with Travis Kelce. ‘She relies on them, just as much as they rely on her,’ the insider said.
And while such a lengthy tour is no doubt grueling, Swift’s dancers tell friends feel like they have ‘got the golden ticket’ and are on ‘an adventure of a lifetime’. When they aren’t rehearsing for hours on end (‘they constantly train and are always rehearsing,’ a source says), they enjoy exploring whichever city they are in together, heading to the beach and – of course – the best local nightclubs whenever possible.
And they’re making a pretty penny in the process. Indeed, Swift – who herself bags a staggering $13.6 million per show – is known for her generosity to employees. ‘They will each walk away with at least $500,000 from their salaries,’ a source says – and that’s before you consider the impact of the ‘Swift effect’ on their own celebrity and future job prospects.
So, just who are these handsome chaps dancing their way across the globe and straight to the bank? Often drawing comparisons to ‘Red White & Royal Blue’ actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, the Slovenia-born hunk has rapidly become the most renowned among Swift’s team. ‘Jan is swooned by fans everywhere,’ an insider says. ‘He has become a star and is certain to be a force in the industry after this tour.’
But he’s not just a pretty face – among the dancing troupe, he is said to be known for ‘keeping morale up’. As a competitive dancer and choreographer in Slovenia, Ravnik gained national attention through various competition wins – including bagging the prestigious ‘Best Dancer of Slovenia’ award twice – before moving to Los Angeles in 2018 to further pursue his career. There he performed alongside the likes of Bruno Mars, Lewis Capaldi and DJ Khalid – and was even chosen for Mariah Carey’s 2020 ‘Christmas Special’ for Apple TV.
The previous year he had travelled to Las Vegas with Paula Abdul for her six-month residency, before Swift finally scouted him to join her troupe in January last year. Ravnik’s current relationship status is unclear. But while he keeps the most personal details of his private life off social media, he certainly enjoys updating his fast-growing fanbase (543,000 Instagram followers) with behind-the-scenes snaps from the Eras Tour and, of course, plenty of topless selfies.