{"id":308,"date":"2022-02-25T16:31:52","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T17:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/robiky.com\/?p=308"},"modified":"2023-10-17T00:32:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T00:32:36","slug":"beyond-the-super-bowl-dance-artist-athlete-taja-riley-is-demanding-better-treatment-for-dancers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/robiky.com\/index.php\/2022\/02\/25\/beyond-the-super-bowl-dance-artist-athlete-taja-riley-is-demanding-better-treatment-for-dancers\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Super Bowl: Dance Artist-Athlete Taja Riley Is Demanding Better Treatment for Dancers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eight mandatory rehearsals. One nondisclosure agreement. Zero pay. These were a few of the specifications laid out in a casting call for dancers to be a part of the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. After news got out that some dancers would be working as volunteers, and receiving no real benefits besides the exposure opportunity of a lifetime, Taja Riley<\/a> was one of many who decided to speak up about how off-putting and disrespectful this offer felt, as well as how accepting jobs like this keeps dancers underpaid and underappreciated.<\/p>\n

Just in time for the most-watched sporting event in the country, Riley successfully spearheaded a movement (on behalf of as many as 400 performers) to ensure that all dancers for the halftime show<\/a> got fully compensated for their time and energy. For dancers in the community and supporters of the movement who helped spread the issue far and wide, this news felt like a game-winning touchdown\u2014the type that calls for a celebratory dance! But the work doesn\u2019t end there. It\u2019s just one part of a continuous conversation.<\/p>\n

Speaking up about the mistreatment of professional dancers is nothing new for Riley, a self-proclaimed dancer artist-athlete who, since the early quarantine days, has sparked some important conversations about the realities of the industry on social media. \u201cWe need to start educating people on the state of our community, in addition to being clearer with dance jobs about how our time, energy and influence should be valued,\u201d says Riley, who uses she\/he\/they pronouns.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Taja Riley \ud83d\udd79 AKA \u201cT.K.O\u201d (@tajariley)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n