Jenna Dewan recounts how well Janet Jackson treated her backup dancers
Los Angeles, April 2
Hollywood actress Jenna Dewan says that being one of pop icon Janet Jackson's backup dancers did not come with the "hierarchy" often apparent with touring musicians.
The 45-year-old actress recounted the experience on the March 31 episode of the podcast Dinner's on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, reports people.com.
"Janet taught me a lot of things about just life, but also being in this business, she remembers everyone's name that she's worked with," Dewan, who began touring with Jackson at age 18, recalled.
Dewan added: "She remembers every dancer - where we're from. She knows our life. I mean, she ... brings us into her life and not many artists are like that with dancers, you know, there is a real sometimes feeling of: you're the dancer."
She continued: "You're at a different hotel than we are at, or you're not as good as the singers or the backup singers ... there was like a hierarchy, but she did not have that."
Dewan said that Jackson treated her dancers like "family," adding: "If you are on her team, you were on the tour, you were part of her family. We had spa nights. We were always at the same hotel as her. I mean, it was just like really little things that, as you get older in this business, you start seeing, well, not everyone's that graceful."
Dewan has shared memories from her time touring with Jackson in the past, posting a carousel of throwback photos and videos on Instagram in 2022, showcasing her incredible dancing skills while sharing the stage with the iconic performer.
"TBT to living out one of my biggest dreams," Dewan started the heartfelt caption.
She added: "I had one goal and one goal only when moving to LA... and that was touring with the legend herself."
"I not only had one of the most incredible experiences of my life touring with Janet but she also showed me just how powerful a woman can be while still having unwavering kindness and respect for everyone around her," the Supergirl actress added. "Truly an experience of a lifetime. I love you @janetjackson !"
During a 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Dewan credited Jackson with her career.
Said Dewan: "I kind of owe everything to Janet. She was my dream job, she was my first big dance job and because of her, I met certain people who then led me to others, then led to acting then led to here."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Respect! This is the kind of work culture we need everywhere, not just in Hollywood. Treating everyone with dignity, remembering names... these "little things" make a huge difference. Janet is a class act.
While this is a nice story, I sometimes feel we put celebrities on too high a pedestal for basic human decency. Shouldn't treating your colleagues as equals be the norm, not the exception worth celebrating? Just a thought.
As someone who has worked as a crew member on sets in Mumbai, I can totally relate to the hierarchy Jenna mentions. It's so rare to find a star who breaks that wall. Hats off to Janet Jackson!
Powerful woman with unwavering kindness – that's the perfect combination. In our culture too, we value strength tempered with grace (like Maa Durga). Janet Jackson seems to embody that. Great read!
"Spa nights" with the team! 😄 That's so cool. It reminds me of how a good team leader in any office or project treats everyone like family. Success is always a team effort. Janet understood that from day one.
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