Harry Styles’ Grammys Backup Dancers Detail Technical Difficulties Behind Performance

Harry Styles‘ dancers are speaking out after his Grammys performance of “As It Was” was criticized Sunday night after running into a handful of technical difficulties. The culprit, the dancers say, was that the turntable they rehearsed on for 10 days was suddenly going the wrong way once the performance kicked off during the 65th annual awards show.

“We rehearsed for 10 days getting down these beautiful formations and sliding off the table in a roll-off and just making this incredible, morphing, cool artistic s**t and Harry did such a good job integrating into it,” one of Styles’ dancers, Dexter, said on TikTok. “This whole time we were practicing it with the turntable turning counterclockwise. It was difficult and it was frustrating making those patterns while something’s moving and having all this spatial awareness. At dress rehearsal, it was gorgeous, it was amazing. We get on stage for the performance, the performance starts, and the turntable starts going the wrong way.”

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While Dexter said that the dancers tried to get the attention of the technician under their breath to let them know that the turntable was going in the wrong direction, it was too late.

“To switch all those patterns around on the spot, having not even walked in that direction, it sounds easy,” the dancer continued. “Since it’s circular, it pulls you in different directions and is such a special type of balance. We got accustomed to one way, and it was the opposite way. So, luckily we worked together and did our best and got to one cool formation in time for the overhead shot but had to change the rest.”

While social media had its fair share of reactions, even calling the performance “low-key” for the otherwise high-energy Styles, Dexter said both the 29-year-old singer and the dancers did their best to put on a great performance with the hand they were dealt.

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“Harry did his best to be able to walk and reverse everything while he was singing and reverse his entire duet,” Dexter explained. “Unfortunately, news outlets didn’t know what was happening, so they called it lethargic or boring or whatever, but it really was that we’re just trying to f**king stay standing.”

One video, taken by an eagle-eyed fan, even shows Style signaling to the technician that the turntable was going the wrong way.

@timmy.styless

One of the back up dancers explained that the whole time they rehearsed As It Was, the turntable was moving in one direction but when the actual performance started, it was moving in the opposite direction and they had to adapt LIVE on the spot. #harrystyles #grammys

♬ original sound – ✿ Dannie ✿

The moment was also a scary one, with another one of the Album of the Year winner’s dancers saying there was nothing they could do to stop the freaky moment.

“What you don’t know is that the moment the curtain opened, and it was time to perform, our turntable started spinning in reverse,” said dancer Brandon Mathis in a video shared Monday. “Backwards. Freaking all of us out on live television, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. In real-time, we had to troubleshoot and try to do a complete piece in reverse. Talk about professionalism.”

@cutiepopsie

My biggest respect goes to dancers!! But omg… Everything is so messed up😞😞 #harrystyles #harrystylesgrammy #asitwas #grammys #onedirection #louistomlinson #liampayne #niallhoran

♬ original sound – cutie poopsie

Despite the technical difficulties, Styles pulled off an epic night, taking home trophies in the Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year categories for Harry’s House.

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Following the ceremony, Styles addressed his win backstage in the Grammys press room.

“I think, a little overwhelmed at the moment,” he told a reporter when asked how he is feeling following his big win. “I definitely wasn’t expecting to get this. I think being nominated for stuff like this kinda really feels like the winning part, being recognized by your peers and stuff. It’s obviously incredibly nice to receive this. I don’t think it’s the reason any of us in the room do it. I’m so, so grateful that they thought our album was worthy of it. And I think more than anything, it just kinda feels like validation that you’re on the right path.”

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