Photography: Alissa Rose
Going from performing with Rihanna to strutting her stuff for 125,000 fans at Coachella for K-pop girl group Blackpink still feels like a dream to Kiwi dancer Maddison Barnett.
“It was such a pinch-me moment because it’s Rihanna!” says Maddy, the daughter of New Zealand league legend Richie Barnett.
“Then to go straight into Coachella with all these Kiwi dancers was so cool.”
Such moments are still surreal to Los Angeles-based Maddy, 25, but one of the best parts is the body confidence she now feels on stage.
“When I was young and immature, I wanted to be the thinnest and wasn’t giving my body the nutrients it needed,” confesses Maddy, who’s of Ngāpuhi descent.
“I’d work out twice a day and count my calories like I was insane. It was over the top. “My family knew I was obsessed. My dad’s really fit, so he likes that I care about my body, but it got to a point where my perfectionism was taking over. If I could talk to my 16-year-old self, I’d say, ‘Girl, just be healthy and enjoy life!’”
By 19, Maddy had adopted a healthier approach to eating and exercise, but in a job that’s focused on appearance, she admits to still facing testing days.
Maddy’s journey from LA to the world stage
She says, “It’s hard when I feel bloated or it’s that time of month and I have to go on stage in a bikini. I’ve experienced body dysmorphia because my job involves staring in the mirror and judging myself. “That can be mentally tough, but there’s so much talk of body positivity now, which has impacted me in a great way. Now I just want to keep my body healthy.”
In 2022, Maddy relocated to LA, moved in with her US dancer boyfriend Dayne Sempert and started spending $100 daily travelling to dance classes. She was thrilled when she booked a gig with Colombian rapper J Balvin at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards in NYC.
“New York’s one of the coolest places ever, and I was dancing with fellow Kiwis Shyvon Campbell and Jessica Toatoa, which made me comfortable. Some people move to LA and don’t book a job for years, so I was lucky. Since then, it hasn’t stopped!”
Her proudest moment yet
After touring with Blackpink in 2023, Maddy was appointed dance captain for the group’s tour last year. Embracing a leadership role was both exciting and full of pressure, but she loved learning from singer Lisa, whom she also danced for at the Fifa World Cup opening ceremony in June.
“She pushes us to be better and there’s this insane switch when she gets on stage,” gushes Maddy.
“She goes from this loving, caring, goofy character to being so locked in. Seeing that is inspiring.”
Maddy also adores Blackpink singers Jennie and Rosé, who both previously lived in Aotearoa.
“It’s nice hearing their accents! They talk about New Zealand all the time. They love it.”
Family comes first for Maddy
She’s also danced with Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars and country queen Lainey Wilson. Of J.Lo, Maddy says, “She’s always pushing herself and doesn’t settle. She gives motherly energy as she cares about us putting our best foot forward – and she loves Kiwis!”
Having learnt from the best in the biz, Maddy’s now passing her lessons on, teaching dance at Millennium Dance Complex and hot Hollywood studio The Playground LA.
She says, “The owners are iconic – Kenny Wormald from Footloose and Robin Antin from the Pussycat Dolls. They’ve built a whole community.”
Community is key given how much Maddy misses her family. It’s extra-hard being far from home while her Aussie-based brother Jay, 22, fights a rare form of cancer. In December, Maddy flew to Queensland for two months to support league player Jay.
“He’s doing good,” she says.
“This kid’s unlike any other! He’s the strongest person I know and has been handling chemo well. He’s giving it his best fight and that’s what a Barnett does.”
Finding strength in love and family
While it’s challenging “putting a smile on” while Jay undergoes treatment, he’s supportive of her career. And she’s grateful to have Dayne, 25, to lean on. The two hit it off while dancing for Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai in 2020. After reuniting during Jolin’s 2021 tour, Maddy visited Dayne in the US, but Covid restrictions then kept them apart until Maddy’s big move.
“We’ve done two Blackpink tours and Coachella together, which was cool. Sometimes it’s not easy because it’s not normal for couples to work, travel and live together, not leaving each other’s sides!”
And while her dad’s yet to visit Maddy, her mum Carrie and grandma Norma Gardiner proudly watched her dance for Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G in Spain.
She grins, “That was so special. I cried the whole time. When someone who loves you is in the crowd, it hits differently!”
