Ashley Everett, Beyoncé.Photo:Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock; Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock; Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Beyoncé’s hitRenaissance Touris gearing up for its highly anticipated run in the States, but there’s one person who fans won’t see in formation.
“I’ve been dancing my entire life,” says Everett, 34. “I was one of the little girls in ballet class who was paying attention and loved it.” Then, at age 17, she landed the gig of a lifetime.
“I was dancing atAlvin Aileyand I thought my dance journey was going to take me the modern, contemporary route. I randomly went to an audition and got asked to be a part of some [Beyoncé] music videos. That led to tour and then it just kept going. It was a dream come true.”
Ashley Everett.Rich Fury/Getty
Rich Fury/Getty
Thinking back to her first videos with Beyoncé —“Get Me Bodied” and “Greenlight” off of the star’s 2006B’Dayalbum — “It’s so funny,” says the dancer. “I remember on set everyone was like ‘You guys kind of favor each other, are you cousins?’ I was like, ‘Not that I know of!'”
Ebony Williams, Beyoncé and Ashley Everett in ‘Single Ladies’.Sony
Sony
Fast forward to the present, Everett says she recently realized that it’s time to start making it work for herself. “Obviously working with Beyoncé has been incredible and I’ve learned so much from her,” she says. But, she adds, “all of my adulthood has been spent working with her.”
She continues: “I feel like the pandemic was super transformative for me. It was the first time I was able to sit down and stay home and pour into me, fill up my cup. I’m not getting any younger and now I’ve been able to dive into other ventures and opportunities that I’ve always wanted to explore. It’s a new journey — the renaissance of Ashley Everett essentially.”
Ashley Everett.Jon Leo
Jon Leo
Everett considers herself a multi-hyphenate these days. “I’ve been a part of a couple television shows,The Masked SingerandGood Trouble. I have a Home Goods and a Nissan commercial out right now, and my biggest one that just came out isPepsi with Bad Bunny, which is super cool.”
As for what Queen Bey had to say about Everett signing off from the Renaissance tour, the dancer says the internet chatter of drama between her and the star isn’t true. “She made it clear and known that she supports me in anything I do,” says Everett, “So that is clear and known.”
Still, Everett — who isn’t sure if she’ll catch a Renaissance show yet — says she’ll miss the fun times. “I have really fond memories, especially in the earlier days. Like before she wasmarried and before childrenwhen she would hang out more and we would party and go on yachts and things like that,” she says. “We used to do a lot of that in the earlier days.”
In those days, even work felt like play. “When we were shooting the ‘Heaven’ video she asked me to be like her costar and said, ‘What’s on your bucket-list? Let’s do those things,” recalls Everett. “So I wrote a bucket-list and we tried to do everything we could on it.”
That said, it wasn’t always fun and games. “TheFormation tourwas tough,” said Everett. “We rehearsed a lot. We rolled straight out ofSuper Bowland went straight into tour.Coachellawas tough, too, because there were so many people. The more bodies, the harder to move as one. That experience was grueling.” Even so, she says, “The memories are instilled in me forever.”
Beyoncé, Ashley Everett and another dancer perform at Coachella in April 2018.Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
And so are the lessons she’s gleaned from one of the most famous women in the world. “Beyoncé is a sponge, that’s why she’s so incredible,” says Everett. “In a dance setting she loves to get behind the person who she just feels has the authenticity, the feeling. She’ll get right behind them trying to find the groove. She is a super hard worker.”
Working with the star, she says, “was like my college. I’m so grateful.”
source: people.com
