“The guys who are on tour, they’re looked at as eye candy,” Everett says. “So they need their muscles and their six packs. Part of their daily routine has to be the gym as for women, too.”
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Diet is a whole other beast. On tour, it’s hard to eat right, Everett says. After a show on tour, which typically ends close to midnight, certain restaurants aren’t open. The only option is bus food – a cup of Ramen noodles, hot pockets or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
“We try to pick out healthy things, but it’s limited,” she says.
And when people are asked to drop weight, the first thing they usually cut are carbohydrates. But that doesn’t work for dancers. Carbs fuel their exhausting rehearsal days, Everett says.
“When I’m home or when I’m off tour and in one place longer than a day, it’s easier for me to make healthier choices,” Everett says. “I decided since I do love food and I’m not like a vegan or super strict on my diet, I just try to [eat] everything in moderation.”
READ: My Story: “My Body Doesn’t Feel Like A Prison Anymore”
Diet, along with any body image standards and stereotypes, makes the industry pretty cutthroat, according to Everett. That’s just the reality of it all, she says.
With social media, however, it seems that many things are changing. For one, Everett says, it’s cool to have a butt these days. It’s also cool to have natural hair instead of a perm or weave.
Through it all, Everett says it’s important to have tough skin.
“I’ve learned through my years of experience that you can’t take [things] personal. If you take it personal, it’ll really start getting to your head and breaking you down,” Everett says. “What’s right for the job is what’s right and I’m not always going to be perfect and the right fit for it all. And I’ve accepted that.”