The new Hulu reality series “Playground,” with Megan Thee Stallion as an executive producer, is equal parts dancing and drama. The show’s namesake is Playground LA, the Los Angeles dance studio owned by Kenny Wormald and Robin Antin that serves as a frequent backdrop for viral class videos. “Playground” follows a group of the studio’s standout dancers as they navigate Los Angeles’ cutthroat commercial dance scene. There are rivalries, situationships, and real-deal auditions for Tinashe and Megan herself—all packaged in a format reminiscent of early-2000s reality shows.
Dancer and choreographer Dexter Carr, one of the show’s stars, took a moment to talk all things “Playground.”
Prior to filming “Playground,” were you a fan of reality television?
Oh, 100 percent. To this day, I’m a reality TV junkie.
So, was filming this show what you expected? Did the cameras change the dynamic in the studio?
It was basically like what I expected. They wanted it to be authentic. On any given night in class at Playground LA, you’re going to see people doing extraordinary things with their bodies; the cameras just captured what we always get to see.
Having our private conversations filmed didn’t actually amplify anything. We’ve all known each other for years, and we just committed. We had a meeting before filming where we were like, “Are we really going to do this? It could get a little ugly.” But we have so much love for one another and are so passionate about what we do, so we were totally down for the world to see the realness.
How was Megan Thee Stallion involved?
We were all freaking out when we found out she was holding an audition. She was so honest and genuine. She really wanted to speak to these artists about more than just being backup dancers for her. She wanted to know about their artistry, how they’re pushing themselves to be better people, to make an impact on the world.
Why do you think it’s important for mainstream media to showcase the dance industry?
Often, dancers are told to “shut up and dance.” If you’re a background dancer, you’re told to never talk to the artist. If something goes wrong in rehearsal, you just brush it off and deal with it later. Even on a platform like TikTok, people are choreographing these dances, but the people profiting off of the moves are never the original creators. So when we were brought on this show, we didn’t know if people would love it or hate it—but we did know that people would get to see what we do outside of the studio, that they’d hear our voices and opinions, and that they’d know where we stand.
Is there anything else you want audiences to know?
If you’re watching the show, watch it with an open heart and open mind. We don’t always handle everything perfectly—there are some moments that I’m not super-proud of—but everything is real, and it happened, and all we can do is grow and learn from it.
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