The Girls From DanceTown Perform at the 'Halftime' PremiereLet's get loud!

There’s nothing quite like the showbiz energy radiating off a single-file line of talented child dancers making their way to the stage. It’s an almost unimaginable level of excitement for 4- to 5-foot frames sporting fringed leotards, sleek middle parts and costume jewelry to contain. But if anyone can understand the power of that energy, it’s Jennifer Lopez, who hired a troupe of young dancers from Miami’s DanceTown Family for her 2020 Super Bowl halftime extravaganza. They helped make the electric performance of “Let’s Get Loud” one of the most memorable parts of the show. 

Two years later, fans get to revisit the spectacle in Halftime, a documentary about Lopez’s career; her work as a triple-threat singer, dancer, and actor; and, of course, her Super Bowl halftime show. The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, and, while the audience at New York City’s United Palace theater got their fair share of surprises while watching, there were also some in store for Lopez herself. After the credits rolled, the DanceTown Family crew took the stage for an encore of their halftime performance — albeit on a much smaller stage, but with just as much energy as that Sunday two years ago.

The DanceTown Family dancers, whose ages mostly range from 7 to 12, flew to NYC from Miami just one day ahead of their performance, going straight from the airport to an hours-long rehearsal at Ripley-Grier Studios. For most, an itinerary of home-airport-plane-airport-rehearsal-sleep-dancing for J.Lo would be exhausting, but, for these young performers, it was a thrill — they were even doing the choreography in their seats while the band practiced for Tabitha D’umo, one of Lopez’s creative directors. 

“Three thousand people are going to be in this audience, watching a film,” D’umo told the dancers, singers and musicians in attendance. “When the credits are rolling, the screen is going to magically come up — [Lopez] has no idea. And then we’re going to re-create that special moment at the Super Bowl for her.”

No pressure or anything.

Valeska Valencia, one of the dance moms who chaperoned the group in NYC, says that kind of pressure is no sweat for the DanceTown Family. Her son, Zachary Roy, is 13 and has been dancing since he was six. Roy was part of the premiere performance, though not at the Super Bowl — for that performance, Lopez specifically wanted to cast girls. Valencia says her son and the other dancers who didn’t participate in the original show were thrilled for their peers, and the premiere performance was a chance for everyone to share in the excitement. 

“They get to relive that magical moment,” Valencia says. “Even though all of them may not have been part of the original, they bring that energy. It’s contagious.” 

Valencia also says that a huge part of what makes this group so special is their instructor, Manny Castro, the founder of the Miami-based dance studio (which he co-owns with his wife, Lory). Castro has been teaching dance for 35 years. 

“Manny Castro trains these kids to be professionals,” Valencia says. “He trains them to do all styles… salsa, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, you name it. When they get that call, they’re ready.”

The Students of DanceTown Perform the Cha Cha | 'Halftime'You're representing all the little girls of the world.

And when Jennifer Lopez calls, you have to be ready. Castro says that Lopez became aware of his studio and dancers after he brought various groups to audition for World of Dance, a dance competition TV series she starred in and executive produced. As fellow Miami residents of Latin descent, the pairing made sense when it came time for the Super Bowl. 

“Jennifer saw the Latin ballroom, salsa and jazz work we do,” Castro says. “We are a very special group, and we do very special things when it comes to dance.”

Seeing Castro at the Ripley-Grier rehearsal studio, it isn’t difficult to envision his role in helping make this group so special. While he’s teaching, his tone is firm and serious; he comes off as the kind of teacher who leaves little room in the class schedule for horsing around. But between run-throughs, Castro instantly softens and smiles. As passionate as his students are about dance, he’s just as passionate about watching them shine. 

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“This means so much for [the dancers],” Castro says. “It’s like reliving the Super Bowl — it’s a dream, but it’s a double-dream for them.”

Despite having just run through physically challenging salsa choreography for “Let’s Get Loud” and a “Born in the U.S.A.” cover, Adriana Gonzalez, 12; Isabella Chi, 12; and Amanda Carpenter, 9, all beam, poised as they recount what it was like to meet the icon they’ve been obsessed with their entire lives. 

“I've always listened to her. I've always watched her in amazing movies,” Chi says. “It was crazy to be there and see her. It was insane to be with my friends and have that moment with everyone. I was so scared, but luckily, I was there with everyone, and [Lopez] is a very comfortable person to be around. It felt like home.”

All three dancers enthusiastically agree that working with Lopez was a super affirming, comfortable experience; the star’s maternal energy certainly comes off in the Halftime documentary as well. It’s clear how much these young talents admire her work, her story and her presence as a highly visible Latina influencing culture. Of course, they also love her music, with “Jenny from the Block,” “El Anillo,” “Get Right” and “Papi” topping their personal playlists. 

“J.Lo's been my idol for a long time. I always listen to her music. She always gets me to dance,” Gonzalez says. “People like her are the people who got me into dancing. Getting to do this project was amazing. I couldn't believe it was happening. It felt like a dream.”

Carpenter, whose laser-focused mini-dynamo energy makes her impossible to overlook on the dance floor, agrees. 

“When I found out that we were dancing with J.Lo [at the Super Bowl], I couldn't sleep. I thought it was a dream,” Carpenter says. “I’m like, ‘Amanda, Amanda, wake up!’ But it was real.”

Of course, Carpenter says she didn’t want to waste too much time in dreamland, despite the fact that she was just 7 years old when she performed on the Super Bowl stage. 

“I was way more excited than nervous, but I was nervous because I’ve never been dancing in front of, like, billions of trillions of people,” Carpenter says. “I’m like, ‘OK, I got to get my act together,’ while having fun.”