(FORTUNE Magazine) – I moved to New York four years ago to be a professional dancer. I have a degree in fashion design, and I thought this would be fun to do while I was trying to become a dancer. Basically you get there and look over the clothes to make sure you're familiar with the closures--buttons, zippers, etc. Sometimes they're in random places. We also scrape the shoes, tape the tops--all the little secrets so the models don't fall down on the runway or their tops don't fall off them.

It gets stressful back there. You're preparing for this one show that's live, and you have to dress the models in less than a minute. I like being behind the scenes and meeting the designers and seeing what's new. Generally the models are really nice. Occasionally you get a few divas, but I think that's the case anywhere you work. --Interview by Julie Schlosser