At age 8, ShanDien Sonwai LaRance’s father made it a point for her and her two brothers to train together every day at a recreation center in Flagstaff, Arizona. Different-colored hoops sprinkled the floor as the LaRance children prepared for their hour of after-school training in Native American hoop dance. Although she wanted to go downstairs to play with her friends, her dad affectionately said “Practice now, and one day, this dance will open doors for you.”  He was right. Through hoop dance, LaRance has become an advocate for Indigenous communities, sharing her Native American culture with the world. She […]

Christopher Scott. Photo by Sophy Holland, courtesy Universal Pictures. When Christopher Scott became the choreographer for the film Wicked, he wasn’t in a meeting or on a phone call. He was at the home of his longtime friend, the film director Jon M. Chu. Chu simply handed Scott a hat decorated with the Wicked logo and said, “Are you ready?” That’s how Scott knew it was real, he says, “And then the journey began. And it was one of the craziest journeys of my life.” According to Scott, the path to Wicked started 16 years ago, when he worked with […]

On Sunday, November 17, the World Choreography Awards hosted its 14th-annual event in Los Angeles to celebrate the innovative, original dance works of some of the world’s most talented choreographers in television, film, music videos, commercials, and digital content. Here are the winners: Motion PictureFatima Robinson, associates Adrian Wiltshire and Tia Rivera: The Color Purple Television Award Show/SpecialParris Goebel: Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Television Reality ShowTessandra Chavez: “The Kelly Clarkson Show” CommercialsParris Goebel: TRESemmé Television (Episodic)Jon Boogz, associate Malaena Eagle: “Blindspotting” (for “Routines: The History / San Quentin Blues”) ​Digital Content (Independent)Robbie Blue: “Dance Dance Shimmy Celebration Extravaganza” ​Music […]