Miley Cyrus' VMAs Dancer Hollis Jane Reveals Tears and Feeling Degraded After Performance

Just when you think we're done talking about Miley Cyrus and the VMAs, her backup dancer Hollis Jane, who was in one of the teddy bear costumes, spoke out on her blog this week about her experiences sharing the stage with Cyrus. In the entry, she called her participation in the performance "one of the most degrading things I felt like I could ever do."

She also answered questions on a Reddit AMA in which she revealed that "Most of it was pretty planned. They both knew in rehearsals exactly what they were going to be doing. Robin seemed very onboard and even suggested some of the moves. That being said, his wife and son were there the entire time... "... and that "When we were rehearsing and she wasn't there, the choreographer would step in for her and she goes "and she's gonna stick her tongue out like this" and did it."

She also noted "Everyone knew exactly what she was doing. Her mom was in every rehearsal I attended. She had a prop foam finger she practiced with. I remember someone in management saying "Lady Gaga is going to get out there and be too artsy. Let's get out there and show the audience how to have fun!"

On her blog, she writes:

I recently have come under a lot of heat for a comment I made on a friend's Facebook status about Miley Cyrus' SNL appearance. Essentially, my LP friend said that little people actors should take note of how our other little person friend played his guitar for her performance, rather than dance behind her in say...a plant or food costume. A lot of the LP community commented on the status and a debate began on LP performers and the types of "gigs" we are hired to perform for. Long story short (pun absolutely intended), I decided to comment with the following:

I was a bear in Miley Cyrus' VMA performance and it was my first time doing anything like that...anything where I was being used because of my height, not because of my talent. And I will be the first one to tell you that standing on that stage, in that costume was one of the most degrading things I felt like I could ever do. I realize not everyone shares my opinion and I might just be young and naive, but I feel like the acceptance of this kind of treatment has got to stop.

However, I have been presented with many other opportunities. I was in Miley Cyrus' 2013 VMA performance as one of the background bears. I had never done anything in a costume with a mask like that before. I mean, I dressed up as a Pink Power Ranger when I was in Kindergarten and I had a mask on but, I digress... I had never been in a performance where I was purely meant to be gawked or laughed at. I will never forget that performance because it is what forced me to draw my personal line in the sand. After our first dress rehearsal in the costumes with the crew, publicists, performers etc watching us, I walked out of the Barclay Center shaking and crying. Thankfully, my best friends, Kelly and Kerri, happened to be NYC to visit me. They were waiting for me and I walked up to them and broke down. I love being the center of attention, but that was something different. I was being stared and laughed at for all of the wrong reasons. I was being looked at as a prop...as something less than human.

For the full entry, click here.

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