You might have had the chance to walk into your high school gym (or even a special venue) for prom this year, but that wasn’t the case for everyone. Some teenagers who saw prom canceled due to COVID-19 safety precautions (and even those who didn’t) celebrated their high school years with Olivia Rodrigo during her virtual Sour Prom at the end of June.
The event featured a pre-party Q&A and performances of hit songs from Olivia’s debut album Sour. For a majorly angsty breakup album, it sure was the perfect backdrop for virtual dancing and wearing your best at home. These weren’t just solo performances, though. Sour Prom featured a full set that included a football field, a full marching band, and backup dancers.
One of those dancers was none other than Showstopper’s own Taylor Quinn. Taylor is a choreographer, a teacher, and a Showstopper star. We caught up with her to find out what it was like to be on Olivia’s squad and how Sour Prom came together.
“Olivia is simply so sweet, cool, and of course, talented,” Taylor said. “While we were filming she was actually singing live the entire time. She is such a natural performer. I truly believe this is what she was made to do.”
Sour Prom was choreographed by Monika Felice Smith with Jen Apter and Leah Lagrange, but did you know that the cheerleaders were choreographed by Allyssa Sniff? Allyssa, also on Olivia’s squad, just so happens to be Taylor’s best friend. In an Instagram post about filming, Allyssa revealed that most of the dancers on set were not cheerleaders, but that didn’t stop them from taking over the field. “We learned this entire piece [“good 4 u”] of choreo with jumps, kicks, ripples, tumbling, and varying parts in an hour on the track in the sun and didn’t wrap until 3AM,” she said.
“Of course, during those hours our bodies are usually sleeping,” Taylor said about the early call-time. “Before each take, me and a couple of the other tumblers would look at each other and say ‘This is for the kids,’ and just saying that phrase out loud brought out a new energy in our bodies and minds, and we were able to do it again.”
Sour Prom was a dream for Olivia’s fans and teens missing out on prom alike. It seems like it was just as thrilling for the people behind it, too. “This job was a dream come true,” Taylor said. The “good 4 u” performance was the first time that Taylor got to be a flyer, balancing on the hands of two other cheerleaders. “It was definitely scary at first, but then it became fun, and I actually hope I get to do it again one day!”
It was early, hot, and intense, but Sour Prom was unforgettable for everyone involved. Taylor told us that she had as much fun with the production team as she did with her fellow dancers. “We truly had the greatest people on set with us.”
Watch the Sour Prom performance of “good 4 u” below. Can you spot Taylor in Olivia’s cheer squad?