Paid vs. unpaid dancers is still a source of controversy for the Super Bowl LVI halftime show

Los Angeles Times

This week, SAG-AFTRA made it clear that professional dancers on stage will be paid and nonprofessional dancers on the field will be volunteers who won't be paid. But last year during The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show, paid dancers were on the field dancing along with unpaid dancers. For last year's Super Bowl, according to what dancer and choreographer Kahdre Walker told the Los Angeles Times, paid dancers received $712 for show day and $45 per hour for their rehearsal time, as well as a $30 per diem and a $250 COVID stipend if a dancer was asked to report to a clinic for a test on a nonwork day. Unpaid dancers, said Walker, sat in stadium bleachers for up to two hours in the cold while waiting to rehearse as their paid counterparts spent that time in green room. Dance artist and activist Taja Riley said the best solution is to pay everybody who adds value to the Super Bowl halftime show. Because there will always be people willing to work for free just to have the exposure and the line on the resume.