LN alumna, a professional dancer, joins Jojo Siwa’s D.R.E.A.M. tour

Credit: Taylor Timmerman

Jojo Siwa (center) and her dancers, including Loy Norrix alumna Taylor Timmerman, stand with an arm raised high in front of the crowd at a show on the D.R.E.A.M. tour. The stage is decorated with bows, hearts and pink screens.

Josephine Velo, Executive Director
June 10, 2022

Some people wake up everyday only to sit still behind a desk at their 9 to 5 job, but that isn’t the case for LN alumna of 2015, Taylor Timmerman.
Timmerman was one of the seven dancers that performed on stage with former Nickelodeon star, Jojo Siwa, during her D.R.E.A.M. tour that wrapped up on March 12, 2022, with shows in Houston, Minneapolis, Cleveland, New Orleans and more.

Backstage, Siwa and the dancers show some excitement with big smiles on their faces. Many of the dancers are wearing matching green t-shirts and high-fiving. (Credit: Taylor Timmerman )

Although it might sound like luck, Timmerman has been dancing since she was three and graduated from Western Michigan with a BA in Dance. Prior to college, she trained at the Center Stage Dance Studio in Battle Creek and attended competitions throughout high school.“I always knew I wanted to be a professional dancer, but it felt like a faraway fantasy that nobody was actually able to attain,” Timmerman said. However, she’s been able to make it happen.
Timmerman moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to become a professional dancer and performed at Lollapalooza with rappers Young Thug and Gunna.

 

Standing on stage, Timmerman strikes a pose. Behind her are rows of empty seats before a show. (Credit: Taylor Timmerman)

When it came to the D.R.E.A.M. tour, “I got the gig by attending an open-call audition. One thousand dancers attended and only myself and one other girl got booked,” Timmerman explained.
Most days on tour began with a new city outside the tour bus doors after a night of driving. Call-time was around noon for Timmerman to get her makeup done, and after that a time was set for everyone to head to the stage.

Taylor Timmerman and Jojo Siwa pose together for a quick photo wearing matching tie-dye sweatpants. Siwa also has a D.R.E.A.M. Tour t-shirt on. (Credit: Taylor Timmerman)

“Jojo would have to rehearse a song, then all the dancers would have to do one dance just to feel out the space before showtime,” Timmerman said. The stage would be set, hair would be styled, and dinner with a pre-show workout would take place.
The opening act hit the stage at 7 p.m., with Siwa performing 21 songs afterwards, 19 of which included dancers.
From pink bomber jackets (Timmerman’s favorite costume) to bedazzzled baseball uniforms, the costumes were just what you would expect at a Jojo Siwa tour: fun, bright and super-unique.

Jojo Siwa and dancers atdn backstage at a show. On the left sit some of the different costumes used onstage, like sparkly pink jackets and bejeweled denim. (Credit: Taylor Timmerman )

After shows, Timmerman would stay up and hang out with Siwa and the other dancers to burn off the adrenaline, then shower, pack, get on the tour bus, and repeat. A 5-star hotel room would be their home in whichever city they were in on days when there weren’t back-to-back shows.
For Timmerman, this lifestyle is a dream.
Timmerman said, “If I told myself 10 years ago that I would go on tour as a professional dancer in a sold-out headlining arena, I wouldn’t believe it. I would think you’re lying. Sometimes I look in my camera roll and see pictures from a few months ago and still ask myself, ‘how is this my life?”’
When it comes to advice, she has a lot to share, especially for anyone interested in professional dance.

Siwa sings on the right, while two dancers are lined up on the left facing the crowd with the energy. The crowd is packed with young kids, some pumping their fists, other mouthing along, smiling, or recording. (Credit: Taylor Timmerman)

“It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but it’ll all be worth it. You really just have to live it, breathe it…There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs,” said Timmerman.
Even if professional dance isn’t on your horizon, the wisdom and experience Timmerman has collected on tour remains true in any area of life.
“10 years ago I was a sophomore at Loy Norrix, and I truly had no idea what my life was going to look like after high school.” Timmerman said. “I keep a journal of my life, majorly about dance, so I can see how far I’ve come.”