Jan Ravnik (, born 13 May 1995) is a Slovenian professional dancer and choreographer. He is best known for being one of Taylor Swift's backup dancers during the Eras Tour and a professional dancer on the American television program Dancing with the Stars.
Life and career Jan Ravnik was born on 13 May 1995 at the municipality of Bohinj in Slovenia. He first started dancing at the age of six and engaged in training by the age of eight.
Ravnik was a competitive dancer, winning multiple National, European and World champion titles. In 2015, he won first place in the show dance solo members and modern solo members categories during the IDO World Show Dance Championship held in Mikołajki, Poland and Riesa, Germany, respectively. His talent was recognized by the Slovenian Olympic Committee, which honored him with the Best Trainer/Choreographer award. He was also awarded twice as the Best Dancer of Slovenia. In 2018, he moved to the United States and now lives in Los Angeles.
Ravnik toured and performed with several musicians, including Paula Abdul, Bruno Mars, Khalid, Lewis Capaldi, Luis Fonsi, Dean Lewis, and Helene Fischer. In 2022, he performed as one of Mariah Carey's backup dancers during her Merry Christmas to All! concert tour and appeared on Mariah Carey Christmas: The Magic Continues. Prior to this, he was chosen to be one of Katy Perry's dancers during her Las Vegas concert residency but later declined since it required him to forgo all his other professional projects during that time. From March 2023 to December 2024, Ravnik was a key member of the dance ensemble for the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's sixth concert tour, and also appeared in its accompanying concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. During this tour, he became viral due to his performance during the song "Lavender Haze".
In addition, he appeared on the 97th Academy Awards and booked shows on , , America's Got Talent, The X Factor, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. In July 2025, he was a guest choreographer and hosted masterclasses at the 2025 Dance World Cup which took place in Burgos, Spain.
2025–present: Dancing with the Stars On 28 August 2025, he announced on Good Morning America that he would be joining as a professional partner for the thirty-fourth season of the American dance competition television series Dancing with the Stars, becoming the first Slovenian to become a professional partner in the show. During the full cast announcement on 3 September, Ravnik was paired with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck. They were eliminated on week seven and came in ninth place.
Season Partner Place 34 Jen Affleck 9th 35 Tatyana Ali TBD Season 34 Celebrity partner: Jen Affleck Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result 1 Salsa "Nuevayol" — Bad Bunny 6 6 12 No elimination 2 Quickstep "Take On Me" — a-ha 8 7 7 22 Safe 3 Cha-cha-cha "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" — Carl Carlton 7 6 6 19 Safe 4 Jazz "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin 7 8 8 23 Safe 5 Viennese waltz "Rescue" — Lauren Daigle 8 7 7 29 No elimination 6 Foxtrot "As Long As You're Mine" — Cynthia Erivo & Jonathan Bailey 8 8 8 32 Safe 7 Contemporary "Look What You Made Me Do" — Taylor Swift 8 8 8 32 Eliminated Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon "Murder on the Dancefloor" — Sophie Ellis-Bextor "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" — Fergie, Q-Tip, & GoonRock 2
Season 35 Celebrity partner: Tatyana Ali Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result 1 Jive "Knock on Wood" — Amii Stewart 4 4 4 12 Safe 2 Foxtrot "What Was I Made For?" — Billie Eilish 6 6 6 18 Safe 3 Quickstep "Maneater" – Hall & Oates 7 7 7 21 Safe
Notes
Dancing results European championships Year Age division IDO Dance discipline Place 2007 Junior Show dance solos 6 2008 Show dance solos 7 2010 Show dance solos 4 Show dance duos 2012 Adult Show dance duos 2013 Modern duos 5 2015 Show dance solos
World championships Year Age division IDO Dance discipline Place 2007 Junior Show dance solos 8 2009 Show dance duos 6 2010 Show dance solos 13 Show dance duos 13 2012 Adult Modern solos 6 Modern duos Show dance duos 2013 Modern duos 2014 Show dance solos Modern solos 2015 Show dance solos Modern solos 2016 Modern & contemporary solos Show dance solos
Filmography YearTitleRoleNotes2022Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!Himself, dancer2023Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour2025 - presentDancing with the StarsHimself, professional dancer202597th Academy AwardsHimself, professional dancerTaylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a ShowgirlTaylor Swift: The Eras Tour - The Final ShowTaylor Swift: The End of an Era2026The Secret Lives of Mormon WivesHimselfSeason 4; one episode
Music videos YearSongArtistRef2023"Karma"Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice2024"I Can Do It with a Broken Heart"Taylor Swift2025"The Fate of Ophelia"
References