Taylor Swift’s Star Dancer Claps Back At ‘DWTS’ Haters ‘Trying To Stay Relevant’ After Elimination

Haters are going to hate, but Taylor Swift‘s former dancer, Jan Ravnik, is going to shake it off!

The dancer reacted to a thought from an expert who claimed he had no business competing on “Dancing with the Stars” as a professional, as he merely benefited from his affiliation with the singer.

Jan Ravnik was on duty behind Taylor Swift when she belted out memorable tunes on the grand stage at over 100 shows for her recently concluded “Eras Tour.”

The dancer responded to comments from “DWTS” alum Maks Chmerkovskiy on a podcast, saying he should not have bothered coming on the show.

Ravnik was eliminated alongside his dance partner, Jen Affleck, on Tuesday, and he told reporters he had nothing to say about the distasteful comments from the alum.

“I have no comment on that. Look, I got all the love on this show. All the praise from the judges also, like everyone gave me so much love,” he noted to Entertainment Tonight.

Ravnik added that Chmerkovskiy’s delivery of his criticism was inappropriate and borne of ill intent to stay relevant, something he would never do.

He insisted he had no business spreading hate or receiving it, so he would let sleeping dogs lie. However, his dance partner, Affleck, does not necessarily share the same perspective, as she jokingly raised her fist in an attempt to fight.

The ballroom dancer dissected Ravnik’s appearance alongside his wife, Peta Murgatroyd, on her podcast “The Penthouse with Peta.” During the discussion, Murgatroyd and her husband went back and forth on the latest Wicked night episode.

As reported by The Daily Mail, the podcaster opined that Ravnik should be considered to have not understood the execution of the foxtrot technique, perhaps due to his level of experience.

Chmerkovskiy, however, held a very different opinion, insisting that Ravnik was in the wrong place at the absolutely wrong time. In his words:

“I’m sorry. Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing with the Stars. There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd.”

He described Ravnik casting as a square peg in a round hole, stemming from the fact that he danced with Swift on her tour. At the end of the podcast, Chmerkovskiy and Murgatroyd concluded that “hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”

The dancer is more than just his moves on stage with the “Opalite” singer; he has a rich resume of past performances to back it up. The Blast confirmed that Ravnik’s client list includes household names in the music industry, such as Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Khalid, Luis Fonsi, and Paula Abdul.

That is not all, the dancer also clinched the prestigious “Best Dancer of Slovenia” award twice before relocating to Los Angeles in 2018. He had also caused a frenzy earlier in the year in the dance community when he performed an excellent routine to Kelly Clarkson’s cover of “Happier Than Ever.”

Insiders said his long-standing friendship with choreographer Mandy Moore, who also choreographed Swift’s tour, earned him a slot on “DWTS.”

When Swift drew the curtains on her record-breaking tour, the crew of the massive project took to social media to eulogize the artist and reflect on what a wild time they had running the show with the talented performer. 

Ravnik was one of those who hopped on Instagram with a heart full of gratitude and respect for Swift and his longtime pal, Moore, for “setting a bar so high” and challenging all the dancers to do more. 

As shared by The Blast, Ravnik described the years dancing behind Swift on stage at the tour as the best two years of his life, adding, “We’ve created memories, we’ve shared laughs and tears along the way. I am not the same person I was 2 years ago.”

He also revealed that he kept a relic from the performance- the purple ladder he famously used during his impressive dance season to Swift’s “Lavender Haze” from her “Midnights” album.

Sources close to the dance show affirmed that they parted ways with Savchenko due to cheating allegations from his former girlfriend and dance partner, Brooks Nader. As soon as he was out the door, producers did not hesitate to find a worthy replacement and saw Ravnik as the ideal candidate for the job.

Savchenko and Ravnik might be two completely different people, but insiders claim they share a few qualities, including their great looks, charming personalities, and dance moves that entertain the audience.

Insiders noted that Ravnik’s addition to the show was a genius move and probably one of the best additions in years. Savchenko, before his alleged removal from the show, had danced with the likes of Lisa Vanderpump and Jana Kramer.

He debuted on “DWTS” in 2013, starring in season 16, before returning full-time in 2016 for season 23 and becoming one of the most successful male professional dancers on the show.