This article originally appeared in the Spring 2026 Backstage Issue of Showstopper Magazine.
Backup dancers are the heart of every concert you’ve ever screamed through, cried over, or livestreamed at 2 a.m. But behind the sparkle of tour life are long rehearsals, tough travel days, constant conditioning, and a level of teamwork most people never get to see. So what does the job actually look like? We talked to dancers who’ve worked with artists like Laufey, Elyanna, Thomas Rhett, BTS, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber to find out.
Training for the Moment
Before the tour buses and stadium lights, dancers spend months preparing. For Brooke Maroon, who’s danced for artists like Elyanna and Thomas Rhett, getting ready for a tour is practically its own job. “Even if rehearsals are eight hours every single day, I still have to train on my own,” she explained. “I have to be working out and stretching,” she said, because the kind of stamina you need on tour isn’t something you build overnight. Brooke has learned that weight training and intense cardio are non-negotiable. “Performing in stadiums all around the world takes a different kind of strength, she shared, and places like Denver—with its high elevation—will “be the hardest show of your life if you’re not in the best shape.”
That physical preparation goes hand in hand with mental flexibility. Concert dancers have to switch quickly between styles, formations, and staging notes. Gabe De Guzman, whose resume includes BTS, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber, explained that the job requires a rare mix of precision and individuality. “You need to be able to execute choreography the way it has been given,” he said, but you also need to “look like a unit with the people you’re dancing with, while still maintaining star quality and celebrating your individualism.” Blending in without disappearing is a skill dancers work on constantly, long before they ever step onto a stage.
The Final Countdown
There’s a window of time—usually the week or two before leaving—when everything becomes real: packing, rehearsals, nerves, and tying together the last pieces of normal life. Brooke uses that time to build a sense of home while traveling. She tries to “find little routines [she] can have on the road.” Sometimes it’s a fresh journal, incense to make hotel rooms feel cozy, a puzzle, or a new game. “Tiny rituals,” she explained, help her feel grounded when everything else is constantly changing.
She also takes her pre-tour health incredibly seriously. “I build my immune system up as high as I can,” she said, because sating healthy on the road is its own challenge. Without access to home-cooked meals, dancers rely on whatever is available, and it’s easy to lose balance. “Making sure that I am cooking and taking care of my body with nutrition as much as I can before I leave is so important.”
Preparing mentally and physically doesn’t guarantee an easy tour—but it gives dancers a foundation to fall back on when things get intense. It’s the difference between keeping up and falling behind. As Brooke put it, “Going on tour is so much fun, but it will definitely push your limits.”
Daily Life on the Road
Touring looks glamorous on social media—matching outfits, scenic views from hotel balconies, and post-show adrenaline—but the day-to-day is a cycle of routines designed to keep dancers ready for every show. Wake up, travel, rehearse, sound check, perform, sleep, repeat.
For Bostyn Brown, who’s on tour with Laufey, that routine is equal parts thrilling and challenging. “It might not look intense from afar,” she said, “but we are pouring our hearts out on that stage and our bodies are not always keeping up.” Even choreography that looks soft or fluid puts pressure on the muscles. Even choreography that looks soft or fluid puts pressure on the uscles when performed night after night, especially under lights and after long travel days.
Bostyn is learnign how to care for her body in new ways as she gets older. She explained that she’s “not as elastic as [she] used to be,” and understanding which parts need extra warming up has become essential. Recovery days—especially the ones spent with physical therapists–are her favorite. “I’m so thankful we have professionals who come in to work on our bodies,” she said, and they give dancers advice on avoiding injury that becomes invaluable mid-tour.
But what Bostyn loves most isn’t the choreography or the travel—it’s the people. “My favorite part of being on tour is my friends,” she said. Sharing “this once-in-a-lifetime experience with such rad people” makes every sore muscle worth it.
Adrenaline and Adapting
There’s a lot of excitement leading up to a tour, but nothing compares to the adrenaline of a live show. Dancers rehearse to perfection, but once the music starts, anything can happen. Brooke said dancing live feels special because “you get to connect with people in the crowd.” Making eye contact with someone who’s singing every word is one of her favorite moments. “They light up and you can have fun with strangers.”
Live shows aren’t controlled environments, but that’s Brooke’s favorite part. “The show isn’t always going to be ‘perfect,'” she explained. Microphones shift, props malfunction, earpieces glitch, and dancers have to switch it up instantly. “Thinking on your feet and being able to adapt is one of the most exciting things,” she said. It’s what separates a good dancer from a great one—the ability to keep the show going no matter what happens.
At the end of the day, concert dance is about showing up with your full heart and trusting that all your training will carry you. The lights, the chaos, the quick changes—none of it matters as much as the joy of performing with people who love it just as much as you do.