How in the world can a Super Bowl halftime show with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J Blige, and Eminem already be a disappointment? By being exposed as a multi-million dollar production unwilling to pay everyone participating in making the halftime spectacle look good.
Last week, accomplished dance artist Taja Riley caused a stir on Instagram by posting a series of text messages and emails showing information about dancers being asked to go through long rehearsals and participate in the halftime show as unpaid volunteers. One private text message came from the wife of someone who had knowledge of show producers reaching out to dance agency Bloc LA to recruit dancers for the unpaid opportunity. An email screenshot shows all volunteer participants must adhere to the schedule of 72 hours of rehearsals over nine days. The most telling of the messages shared was a text message from a Bloc LA dancer claiming the show’s casting manager asked specifically for “predominantly African American movers” to work for free. These revelations have since mired the highly-anticipated performance in controversy.
