Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour troupe: Meet the six male dancers whom pop star ‘relies’ on and pays handsomely
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Of late, Taylor Swift has emerged as a brand unto herself through her record-breaking concert, the Eras Tour.
At its fourteenth month of counting, the billion-dollar mega show is just growing bigger day by day. While Swift is undoubtedly the star of her shows, her choicest crew members have also come to enjoy their fandom.
As Swift is currently touring the world, so is her entourage of 50 truckers, crew members, and 15 hand-picked backup dancers.
Though the majority of the pop star’s crew members are females, the dance troupe boasts six very talented male dancers, who have emerged as stars in their own right.
A source close to the six male dancers of Taylor Swift’s group recently shared with Daily Mail, “They cannot go anywhere without being swooned at by adoring fans,” before adding, “They are recognized almost everywhere they go.”
The source also added that over the course of these days as a close unit, the dancers have come close to Swift. It is learnt that Swift even confides in them as friends and often takes advice for her relationship with Travis Kelce.
“She relies on them, just as much as they rely on her,” added the source.
The insider further said that Swift’s dancers often share with friends that they feel they have “got the golden ticket” and are on “an adventure of a lifetime” after bagging their role with Eras Tour.
View this post on Instagram
Indeed, they are also making a staggering amount as their salaries. While it is known that Swift is making an eye-watering $13.6 million per show, her generosity for her employees is also well-documented.
The source spilled, “They will each walk away with at least $500,000 from their salaries,” apart from the imminent effect of the stardom brought in by dancing alongside Swift.
Here is a look at the six handsome male dancers who have danced their way into fans' hearts through their Eras Tour roles.
Whyley Yoshimura, 35
Also Read: Taylor Swift's BF Travis Kelce teases plan for having babies on 'Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?'
Yoshimura is a Native Hawaiian, raised on the island of O'ahu. He is a model and dancer by profession.
After starting his career in dancing, Yoshimura landed dancing gigs with pop stars including Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. However, after landing his gig with the Eras Tour, he is consistently seen shaking a leg with Swift.
View this post on Instagram
Also Read: Jelly Rolls recalls he was 'at a loss for words' during his first awkward meeting with Taylor Swift
Raphael Thomas, 35
Another 35-year-old dancer from Swift’s troupe is Raphael Thomas who first performed with the megastar during her VMA duet performance with Nicki Minaj.
Thomas recently revisited the memory as he wrote on Instagram, “Looking back at this experience, God was surely cooking up something for the future ahead."
The dancer also enjoys a joint dance performance with Swift in her Eras Tour rendition of ‘Tolerate It’.
View this post on Instagram
The Jamaican native has an impressive resume of being the backup dancer for stars like Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, John Legend and Beyonce.
Kameron Saunders, 31
The 31-year-old dancer Kameron Saunders has another connection with Taylor Swift apart from being one of her 15 dancers. Fans of Swift have long pointed out that Kameron is the brother of Travis Kelce’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Khalen Saunders.
Before landing his role at Eras Tour, Kameron worked as a backup dancer for Lizzo. In March last year, before the commencement of the Eras Tour, he took to his Instagram to announce the news to his fans.
View this post on Instagram
He wrote, “I can finally announce that I am one of 15 dancers (the only plus size) on the Eras world tour with Taylor Swift.”
He also enjoys a special set with Swift during the performance of Swift’s 'Bejewelled'
Jan Ravnik, 29
The Slovenia-born dancer Jan Ravnik has become one of the most renowned dancers of Swift’s team for his impeccable skills and commanding stage presence.
An insider recently shared with the outlet, “Jan is swooned by fans everywhere,” before adding, “He has become a star and is certain to be a force in the industry after this tour.”
View this post on Instagram
It is also said that the dancer is known for “keeping morale up” in the group. Before landing his Eras Tour gig, he not only won the Best Dancer of Slovenia award twice but also performed alongside Bruno Mars, Lewis Capaldi, and DJ Khalid.
He was also a part of Paula Abdul’s Las Vegas residency troupe before joining the ‘Lover’ singer’s entourage.
Kevin Scheitzbach, 23
The 23-year-old young dancer Kevin Scheitzbach forms one half of the dancing duo ‘FlowXS’ with his brother Michael.
The Toronto native previously shared in an interview that they were bullied in their childhood for their love of dancing.
View this post on Instagram
However, they continued with their passion for dancing and started appearing on shows and competitions before landing roles in movies such as Disney's 'Sneakerella'.
Sam McWilliams, 19
The youngest among the six male-member troupe, Sam McWilliams, gained prominence in the dancing sphere through his TikToks. He later got a break on the hit-show 'So You Think You Can Dance' in 2022.
View this post on Instagram
His participation in the show led him to meet the choreographer of Eras Tour, Mandy Moore, who became instrumental in preparing the teenager for the coveted role.
He has also performed alongside Bebe Rexha and Meghan Trainor.
More from MEAWW