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?
Jan Ravnik, 29
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.
Sam McWilliams, 19
Just four years ago, McWilliams was an ordinary teenager in Oregon posting playful dance videos to TikTok – before he got his first real break on the hit-show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ in 2022.
While he didn’t win, on set McWilliams met choreographer Mandy Moore, who later developed all the dances for Swift’s Eras Tour. His success also saw him perform with singers Bebe Rexha and Meghan Trainor.
When not touring the world, he enjoys family time with his mom and two older sisters, Kaylee and Emma.
Kameron Saunders, 31
Born and raised in St. Louis, Saunders danced backup for Lizzo before he got his Eras Tour gig.
He made the triumph announcement to his 592,000 followers on Instagram in March last year: ‘I can finally announce that I am one of 15 dancers (the only plus size) on the Eras world tour with Taylor Swift.’
Fans were quick to point out that Saunders is the brother of Travis Kelce’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Khalen Saunders.
Saunders has bolstered his already sizeable following while on tour with Swift, not least because of his solo routine during the song ‘Bejewelled’ and for having the only speaking line in the entire show (during ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ he says ‘like ever’ in the local city’s language).
Growing up, he enjoyed attending dances classes with his mother, before eventually enrolling at a performing arts high school.
After graduating from University of Missouri with a degree in fine arts, he moved to New York City in 2019 and taught at leading dance studios.
Being plus-sized, Saunders thought that performance roles would be hard to come by, instead focusing on choreography.
‘It wasn’t until the past two years, at now almost 30 years old, that I realized I was hiding. I was using choreography as a crutch to not pursue my heart’s desire to dance and perform because I didn’t think I could or deserved it,’ he recalled in 2022.
Whyley Yoshimura, 35
A Native Hawaiian, Yoshimura was raised on the island of O’ahu. But, after graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modelling and dancing.
Success came quickly – and he was soon dancing for Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and, most consistently, Janet Jackson.
However, the Eras Tour is no doubt his biggest gig yet.
When he is not dancing, Yoshimura enjoys surfing.
Raphael Thomas, 35
Thomas first performed with Swift in 2015 as a backup dancer in her VMA duet performance with Nicki Minaj.
‘Looking back at this experience, God was surely cooking up something for the future ahead,’ he wrote recently on Instagram, sharing a memory of the performance with fans.
Fast forward nine years and Swift has given Thomas a special spot in among her Eras Tour troupe: During her song ‘Tolerate It’, Thomas and Swift sit across from each other at a table, depicting a relationship that falls apart in a joint dance performance.
Born in Jamaica, Thomas says dancing is in his blood. He has described his home country as ‘the land of drums, movement, and Reggae rhythm.’
Thomas’s family moved to New Jersey when he was four years old.
As well as Swift, he has performed with Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, John Legend and Beyoncé.
Thomas is also a gifted painter.
Kevin Scheitzbach, 23
Scheitzbach is a professional dancer and choreographer originally from Toronto, Canada.
After high school, he moved to Los Angeles, where he now lives with his older brother Michael. Together they form the dance duo known as ‘FlowXS’. They specialize in jazz funk and street dance.
In a 2023 interview, the brothers revealed that they were bullied because of their love of dance when growing up.
Nonetheless, they began appearing in local showcases, competing and winning competitions, before teaching their own classes at studios.
This work led to bookings on various TV shows and eventually in m
