Teya Wild: Onstage at the AMAs, BET Awards, and More.
There are dancers who completely embrace the tradition of centuries long productions and music within a formal setting; then there are those like Teya Wild. Make no mistake, she has the same talent and dedication as the aforementioned dancers but she’s simply more modern and adventurous than most. Her talent and spirit have caught the eye of many a choreographer and artist, leading to her work with some of the biggest names in the industry and Wild’s achievement of manifesting some of her career dreams. Every artist is a dreamer, the undertaking of such a career demands it. Teya’s acclaim and opportunities seem to expand exponentially with each year. A victim of her own success, Wild is often tasked with the decision of whether she’ll appear in a film or on stage next to the most celebrated and famous music artists of the day. It’s a great problem to have but still agonizing for someone like this Canadian dancer who seems determined to do it all.
There may be no better example of the evolution of music than “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X. After gaining popularity on the social media app Tik Tok, it shot up the Country chart of Billboard before the magazine removed it stating that the Country/Rap blend was not qualified for the Country chart. The song returned stronger than ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart, setting a new record for nineteen weeks at number one. Featuring a sample from industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails and singer Billy Ray Cyrus on the song’s remix, “Old Town Road” sparked a new wave of acceptance and integration by music fans whose tastes don’t often intersect. When Lil Nas X & Billy Rae Cyrus were invited to perform the tune at the 2019 BET Awards, Teya was booked as a featured dancer without even the need for an audition, a result of her preeminence in the dance community. This performance marked a true moment of togetherness for the music world and the public during a contentious period in the US. Displaying the choreography work of Dondraico Johnson (Ghostbusters, Footloose), Wild is seen prominently next to Billy Rae Cyrus during this momentous performance. Teya notes that as a woman of black decent, performing at the BET Awards was one of the highlights of her entire career.
The GO 2 TALENT AGENCY, which handles many of Wild’s auditions, sent her to the 2018 American Music Awards to dance with host Tracee Ellis Ross as she opened the award show with her performance. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFT2CrXxsCg). Having a talented dancer like Teya in the opening number sets a tone of excitement for the show and pulls the audience and celebs into a space where they feel free to let themselves go. The dancer recalls looking out and seeing Cardi B dancing, a huge indicator that even the incredibly talented artists in the room were moved by the music and performance. Wild also counts her experience at this year’s American Music Awards as particularly meaningful for her. She was chosen as a lead dancer from more than five hundred who auditioned to appear alongside Taylor Swift, Halsey, and Camilla Cabilla for a special performance in which Swift received her Icon Award. Teya comments that Swift really did her homework dance-wise and performing with her was a real pleasure. There was an undeniable woman’s moment for this performance as Teya recalls, “It VERY much felt like girl power having all three artists up there singing and dancing with us. This job was actually my favorite job of 2019! I look forward to the next time I get to work with Taylor Swift.”
As one of the most sought after dancers in live music performance, film, and television, Teya’s calling card is exceptional versatility. Whether it’s for an event like the 25th anniversary of the 1993 film Hocus Pocus (starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker) where she appeared alongside Dove Cameron, Jordin Sparks, & Sofia Carson, or next to a literal Icon Award winning artist like Taylor Swift, Teya Wild has the ability to somehow be both malleable and standout in any setting. It’s easy to understand why so many famous artists and celebrated choreographers seek her out when the dancer herself explains her stance on committing to the music and project she appears in as she informs, “It’s one thing to dance to the music but a whole other ballgame if you can become one with the music and how it flows; relating the movement to what the lyrics are saying. I feel dancers should also train in acting, in order to tap into the proper feeling and communicate it to the audience rather than simply feeling it internally. It takes years of training and traveling, working with different people around the world to understand all the ways to emote that. I approach each job differently, depending on the choreography to execute the emotion in the best possible way.” Pushing the boundaries of dance and its union with other artistic performance areas continues to place Teya Wild in the situations where her admirers are comprised of the general public and some of the most famous individuals in entertainment.
