Catch the Bieber Backup Fever

January 10, 2011

Anyone with a radio, computer or—let’s be real—a pulse knows Justin Bieber has serious star power. But did you know his dancers are hot on his heels? Commanding thousands of Twitter followers and teaching master classes across the globe, Justin’s backup dancers have become stars in their own right. “The fans are so diehard—it gets crazy,” says Nick DeMoura, one of Bieber’s dancers. “When we go to the mall with Justin, it causes riots! They scream our names when they see us.”

This month, the dancers will join Bieber on the big screen in the release of Never Say Never, the dance-filled 3-D concert flick directed by Step Up’s Jon Chu and choreographed by Hi-Hat. Get the scoop on this dynamite dance crew before they hit the big screen.

Michael Vargas

Hometown:
Tracy, CA

Dance life before Bieber:
Music videos for Missy Elliott, Omarion and Boomkat; flicks like You Got Served and Bewitched; commercials for Sunkist, Toyota and Coca-Cola

Fun fact:
This seasoned B-boy earned his nickname “X-mas Tree Mike” from choreographer Marty Kudelka and the other Justin—Timberlake!

After losing a Ping-Pong match to Timberlake, he was dared to jump off a wall holding a Christmas tree, and the name stuck.

Nick DeMoura

Hometown:
Boston, MA

Dance life before Bieber:
Movies including Step Up 3D, Dance Flick and Prom Night; music videos for Natasha Bedingfield and Jessica Ferguson; commercials for T-Mobile and SQUARD 81; TV shows such as “Lincoln Heights” and “Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll”

Fun fact:
A former DS Future Star Award recipient, Nick has taken his talents abroad by teaching classes in Taiwan, Denmark, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen, London and more. True to form, his first gigs with Justin Bieber were in Paris!

Marvin Millora

Hometown:
Richmond, VA

Dance life before Bieber:
Concert tours with The Cheetah Girls, Jesse McCartney and Nick Cannon; industrials for Disney, Red Bull and Nickelodeon; MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” and the ABC show “Dance Machine”

Fun fact:
Marvin got his start as a professional in high school dancing at Kings Dominion theme park. He then went on to study dance at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts and scored a scholarship at Hollywood’s EDGE Performing Arts Studio.

“The whole ride with Justin has been amazing—to see an artist really start from nothing and go to the top. We’re not just his backup dancers; we’re like Justin’s family, entourage and crew.”
—Marvin Millora

Anthony “Kanec” Carr

Hometown:
Bronx, NY

Dance life before Bieber:
Flicks including Fame, Hairspray and the Step Up series; awards shows such as the Academy Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and The Teen Choice Awards; music videos for JoJo and Gnarls Barkley; tours with Usher, JoJo and Missy Elliott

Fun fact:
Kanec trained at the School of American Ballet, and he sings, performs and teaches with NYC hip-hop crew, AmountBoyz.