The Washington Post - 20.10.2019

BY ANN HORNADAY IN COLTS NECK, N.J. SEE SPRINGSTEEN ON E8

INSIDE

What happened

when a journalist

tried to help a

sick Rio boy? E2

MUSIC: Local pop band Shaed’s

dream is about family. E11

VIDEO GAMES: An ex-refugee is

now making peace games. E 16

KLMNO

Arts&Style

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 , 2019. SECTION E EZ EE

MICHAEL S. WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST

The Boss

as auteur

Forget the music and Broadway. Was

Bruce Springsteen born to be a filmmaker?

“A

hh, it’s early!” Shortly after 9:30 on a warm autumn morning,

Bruce Springsteen walks into the cozy kitchen­sitting area of

Thrill Hill, the recording studio nestled into a corner of his

Monmouth County farm. “For the first interview of my 70s,

it’s early!” ¶ A few days after turning 70, Springsteen looks tan and fit as he

settles into a leather slingback chair, stretches his arms and runs his hands

through brush­cut hair the color of steel shavings. This is the same room

where “Western Stars,” a movie based on his recent album of the same

name, was in postproduction over the summer, with co­director Thom Zim­

ny editing at a nearby dining table as he listened to Springsteen working on

the score in the next room. The movie had its world premiere at the Toronto

International Film Festival in September; it opens in theaters on Oct. 25.

BY SARAH L. KAUFMAN IN LOS ANGELES

A

t age 12, dancer Taylor Hatala was tour-
ing with Janet Jackson. At 16, she has
reached an even higher perch. With 1.2
million Instagram followers, Hatala is one of
the top dance influencers. She’s part of a new
generation of performers who are redefining
how the world sees dance.
And it’s no longer in the background.
To uring as a backup dancer for an artist like
Jackson or Justin Bieber used to be a commer-
cial dancer’s d ream. Now, t hat kind of work is a
steppingstone to an even bigger prize: a robust
social media account.
Dancers who break through on Instagram,
YouTube and TikTok, the relatively n ew a pp for
short videos, can reap personal, artistic and
financial r ewards far b eyond the paychecks for
executing someone else’s m oves and pounding
the stage behind a pop star. Internet popularity
can be a dancer’s e ntree to choreographing and
starring in her own viral videos, traveling the
world as a guest artist and teacher, and inking
lucrative brand deals and endorsements.
“It used to be that your résumé was a sheet of
paper that you would hand in at auditions,”
says Hatala, who specializes in hip-hop and is
known as @tayd_dance on Instagram. “Now
it’s our social media. My Instagram is my
résumé, and my Twitter is my résumé....
People say, ‘ We s aw y our Instagram, and t his is
why we wanted you.’ ”
Unlike many dance influencers, who live in
SEE INSTAGRAM ON E14

Dancing in the digital age

For young performers/influencers, it’s all about getting social media followers

JESSICA PONS FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Taylor Hatala, 16, is a social media dance influencer, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram.