Anything goes in Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” Official Music Video
This music video opens in an archetypal ballet image — dancers lining up the barre to stretch. We see Swift pop her head up and begin singing, establishing the carefree spirit of the song and the video: be you, no matter what the “hatahs”, “playahs”, and “fakahs” say. Move through the world like you, even if you don’t look like most everyone else doing it. The video progresses to feature all sorts of dance styles, from break dancing to contemporary dance to a “pom” cheer form.
This multiplicity of dance styles demonstrates the attitude of eclecticism and openness in today’s dance world; for better or worse, “anything goes” — so long as it’s thoughtfully constructed, delivered with hard work and care, and authentic to the creator. Both the song and this ethos converge in a belief that there are so many ways to creatively move through the world — the only wrong answers are to be negative and not yourself. The white, off-white backgrounds of the shot also bring to mind the sense of a blank slate; fill it with what you will, it’s all good.
Swift sticks out in the corps of ballerinas, wearing a cat sweater and shaking her hips in a White Swan costume. She awkwardly steps in imitation of a hip-hop dancer, and a following frame has a “b-boy” spinning on his head. With a group of contemporary dancers (all dressed in grey tones), she side-eyes them all as they all cluster close — “umm, you all are weird…”. Yet she keeps dancing with them. Ultimately, it’s all fine.
In a moment of silliness and playfulness with these contemporary dance folks, she throws up a sash, and a few frames later it falls over her head and shoulder. Soon we see one contemporary dancer’s gorgeously lifted and long leap. That contrasts Swift’s later leap, with a pom streamer, that’s — shall we say — less than high, long, and graceful. But she seems to enjoy the leap, and that’s what matters.
The technical command of these dancers and Swift’s moving along with them — in an, a-hem, less technically trained way — are both enjoyable elements. They somehow meet in a way that works. Watching it, I laugh with Swift’s antics in one frame and then stand in awe of the technical ability and lovely aesthetic in another. Moving quickly from frame to frame also parallels the experience of being involved with the dance world in the twenty-first century — from contemporary to jazz to hip-hop, it all circles all the time, and it all works out somehow.
Further scenes show us booty-shakin’ gals in short jean shorts, a “pom” group with streamers, a big brass band, and a group of cheerleaders. With futuristic-styled “animators” (versed in animation, hip-hop dance style) dressed in black, Swift wears a glittery gold getup with big gold glasses. The cheerleader bases throw her up and she halfway-does a “High School Musical” type leap in the air, with a “sure, I guess?” expression on her face. Back with the ballerinas, in the full White Swan costume she pretends to play a trumpet. It’s not wrong if done with joy.
That seems to be the clear message of the last frames — Swift dancing with many average people, in everyday clothing, grooving out as their own selves. They’re all enjoying themselves and each other, confident in their own skin. Our culture could use more of that. The ending has Swift slowly, awkwardly curtsying (or at least that was the intention) — until she falls on her butt. But it’s all good, because she brought joy and authenticity. “Shake it Off”, in the song and the video, shows just how special acting by that ethos can be.
