Ashley Everett is one of Beyonce’s beyond beautiful dancers who recently etched their names into Black history with their afro-puff and beret-filled Super Bowl Halftime Show–which surprised and thrilled audiences around the world.
But Ashley got the surprise of her life when she was performing this weekend in St. Louis when her boyfriend, to her and everyone else’s surprise (except Beyonce’) came on stage, grabbed the mic from B, and proposed to her in front of tens of thousands.
But the way he did was so smooth. Take a look at the videos below:
And of course, she said “YES!”
But the best part was that right after he proposed, she composed herself enough to finish the choreography for “Single Ladies”.
Probably one of the most nervous and stressful nights for her soon-to-be husband and her, Ashley is no stranger to the stresses of maintaining what the entertainment industry perceives to be the perfect body.
On tours, night after night, she performs next to the flawless Queen King herself. It’s obviously expected that Everett and the other dancers look as immaculate as Bey in their matching leotards
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But it’s really all about inner-confidence, Everett says, because everyone’s body is different. It’s an undying self-love and confidence that keeps her going despite any antiquated industry standards such as having an hourglass figure.
“Sometimes, you’re not dark enough. Sometimes, you’re not light enough. You’re not skinny enough,” Everett tells BlackDoctor.org, recalling her experiences as a dancer. “I’ve learned how to feel confident in my own skin.”
The 33-year-old has dealt with societal ideals about body image since she was a young girl. Born in northern California, Everett always knew she wanted to be a dancer. She grew up doing ballet, which, she says, is super, strict about weight.
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“They [ballet instructors] will ask you to drop weight so quick it’s not even funny,” Everett says. “They just expect you to be a twig.”
At 16, she moved to New York to pursue her dreams as a professional dancer. She auditioned with Beyoncé at 17, and the rest is history.
To maintain her figure nowadays, she challenges her body with crossfit, yoga, hiking, stretching and karate classes or outdoor beach workouts when her schedule is free of four- to 14-hour rehearsal days. This variety in exercise is beneficial even as a professional dancer, she says, because muscles can quickly get use to a routine and hit a plateau.
“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.”
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