Dancer Megan Batoon is proving to be a modern-day Renaissance woman
Megan Batoon is a talented dancer, seasoned actor, and viral YouTube star who somehow manages to juggle three different careers with complete ease. You can just call her a modern-day Renaissance woman.
Batoon first found fame by posting samples of her choreography online and infusing her videos with a sense of light-hearted humor. Her infectious personality paid off, and ever since her YouTube channel's inception Batoon has been able to branch out to different genres, showcasing everything from her favorite beauty products to healthy food tutorials to her signature, original dances. And with over 38 million video views on YouTube alone, it's clear to see that her fans can't get enough of her.
And die-hard followers of Batoon are sure to be obsessed with her newest series "Making Moves," which follows the story of an aspiring dancer who attempts to make it big within the digital dance scene. Set with high-octane dance routines, the nine-episode series packs a serious punch.
We recently spoke with the viral performer about her time on set of "Making Moves," how she started her social media career, and more! Ahead, find out how Megan first discovered her love of performing, what pushed her to become a professional dancer, and how she decided to translate her choreography to YouTube.
YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives on Megan Batoon!
When did you first discover your love of performing?
Oh my gosh -- I was so young. I remember doing 4th of July dances with my cousins every year and by the time I was 18 I really decided to pursue it professionally.
When did that switch go off for you where you realized that you wanted to be a dancer full-time?
Well I had to be convinced first of all that I could do it professionally to begin with. I was doing all star cheerleading for quite some time and that was my life. My coach truly did convince me to pursue dance because I didn't think I could dance for my life -- I thought I was super bad and that I had no rhythm. She ended up convincing me to dance when I was 16. I was actually a pretty natural dancer. Then after, I auditioned for "Step Up Revolution" and after that movie I saved up money to move to LA and really strike it when the iron was still hot to see if I could get into any other movies, music videos, tv shows, really anything that could make dance a career. So when I was 20 I moved out to LA and really pursed everything with full force.
How did your dancing career translate to social media?
I started YouTube to put out my class footage anytime I would substitute a dance class in Florida. I would put up the end of the class to get my choreography out there. Around that time, it became really popular to do the concept choreography dance videos where people would be dramatically acting, then do their dance, and then cry at the end. So I wanted to take that in a different route since I'm not that dramatic of a person, but I do like to joke around. So I started making dance videos where I would incorporate sketch comedy as the introduction and exit scenes. I loved doing that! Once that started taking off, I began to dabble into the world of personality videos and I guess it just worked. People felt comfortable watching it and felt that I was relatable. I don't speak English that well on camera so people can really understand that everyone, including myself, messes up. Once fans started resonating with those personality videos, I just decided to run with it.
How do you find the balance between creating dance videos and creating lifestyle or personality ones?
The dance videos take such a long time because you have to find a song you like -- both the melody and the lyrics -- and then you have to create choreography which takes me 5 or 6 two-hour sessions in order to complete one piece. Then you have to figure out the concept to it, if you have dancers you have to teach the dancers, and then you have to find a location, edit the footage, and upload it. And you have to do this all yourself. So I usually put up a dance video every three to five months and everything in between is a bit easier because it just comes off the top of my head. I have a loose idea of what I want to do and I just let whatever happens happen on camera. That's a good thing for me. I have two YouTube videos a week that are very lifestyle driven and guided by whatever's happening that day. And then I put all my creativity and my dancing abilities into the more produced videos every now and then. People really look forward to those dance videos when they do come, because they are a bit more seldom.
YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET for more exclusives on Megan Batoon!
More from AOL.com:
Fashion influencer Chriselle Lim is poised for world wide web domination
Meet the former Miss USA turned fashion blogger, Alyssa Campanella, who is dominating NYFW
YouTube star Michael Buckley talks his famous YouTube channel, his favorite video to make and more!
