Kaylor Family One-Shots

Planning the Shake It Off Music Video

Taylor's P.O.V

It's a beautiful day in Nashville, the sun is finally out after a two week period of rain. It's been making life really difficult but there is nothing that doesn't bother me about Nashville. I've been here for the last month perfecting the album drop for a months' time but for me I'm also getting ready to release a music video for my first single Shake It Off. I'm so excited about the song and I've worked out that I want to involve the fans as much as possible so I'm going to try heaps of different forms of dancing. One night in L.A my friends were all at my house listening to the album and that's when we thought up the idea of the music video. Everyone submitted ideas about different forms of dancing that I could do that would be totally embarrassing and one of the main ones was twerking. Cara suggested it thinking that it would look hilarious for a tall white American with no ass to be twerking in a music video draped with heavy jewellery and wearing bootie shorts. That idea made everyone crack up laughing so I knew that I had to do it.

Another idea that everyone seemed to be keen on was modern interpretive dancing. It was Karlie and Lily that loved this idea, we enjoyed looking up different videos on modern dancing and it was strange to see the anguish that modern dancers would use. It was very clear that I would never be a good dancer, let alone a good modern dancer. I decided very early on that I would need to get assistance and have a lot of help on these dances and I was lucky in the respect that some of my dancers from the RED tour were good dancers that specialized in modern dance and so that helped me. I called up my dancers Caitlin and Rhys who were amazing at their craft and they came into a studio in LA that management had rented out and we were able to go through several moves and select some that I would be easily able to butcher at a later stage when we began recording the video. When I showed Caitlin and Rhys some of the ideas for costume they told me that it wasn't quite what modern dancers wear, I had the idea of wearing a series of fancy leggings and tank top but I am assured by Caitlin that it needs to be more figure hugging and that the boys would need to wear compression shorts.

The next idea of dancing came from Karlie and it was mentioned because it's her favourite type of dance. Ballet. Ballet was something that requires a lot of skill and technique which is something that I do not have. In the beginning it sounded fun to attempt but the day that I arrived for the music video and I saw the other ballerina's that were all elite and professional and I felt extensively out of place. The moment that I arrived on set I immediately went to the dressing room and grabbed my phone and called Karlie. "Karlie I don't know if I can do the ballerina part,"
"You'll be fine Tay. Just breathe you know what to do and we've done the training part of the video and you know exactly what you're doing so just go and be social and beautiful and you'll be fine." I breathe out as Karlie reassures me. "What if I can't do that?" I whisper and Karlie sighs,  "Look I've got a meeting in half an hour but I'll come by afterwards. Is that okay?" Karlie questions as I nod and confirm with her that it sounds good. She confirms that she will be there as soon as she can and that knowledge gives me the courage to go and at least introduce myself and become friends with those who are being paid to help out with the video.

As I get comfortable with the ballerinas and they start to talk about their routines I begin to feel more comfortable and within a few hours I'm dressed and we're beginning to start shooting. As we start I notice a familiar blonde standing behind the monitor watching closely and it eggs me on to be better, to do better and to show how awesome that I can be. I know that Karlie has given up parts of her day to be here with me and I appreciate it. The rest of the shoot goes well and I'm looking forward to the next few days where we'll be planning for the fans to come in. Just like the secret sessions that I'm planning I can't wait and it's a nervous excitement because I can't say for sure whether these fans will tell the tale of my music video or whether the will keep it to themselves.

The next few days are stressful but exciting. The fans are all amazing and they all dance like me which instantly puts me at rest. I can't believe that a song about me wanting to be myself when others don't want me to be it going to have dancing that reflects the true me. If people could see me dancing around my kitchen, singing in the shower and using a hairbrush to practice my singing they'd all be shocked. It doesn't surprise my friends anymore because they've often walked into dancing competitions in my kitchen where I act out different characters. This was especially bad during the last season of GLEE when I rocked out to nearly every song. I love music in general but I've loved GLEE since it first started and even in its last season it doesn't stop me from still rocking out.

Even once the music video is finished and I've had the support from my friends across the journey I'm so proud that I've accomplished a video that means that shows how people don't want me to be myself but in them showing that they don't approve I'm just going to be myself more and more. If people don't like it then I don't care. I can't wait for my album release and I can't wait for all of my other fans to see this video. I love it and I don't care what anyone else says.