Hip Hop Heart
Any dancer can string steps together, but according to Luther Brown, it takes so much more to be a choreographer.
Founder and owner of Do Dat Entertainment, Brown has worked with such artists as Brandy, Mario, Diddy, Alicia Keys and Sean Paul, to name a few, and was the choreographer behind the hit film “Honey” starring Jessica Alba. He has also been a featured choreographer and judge on “So You Think You Can Dance Canada.”
Brown, who is of Jamaican decent, grew up in Toronto and has helped bring urban dance into mainstream culture through film, music videos and concert series. As a result, he is one of the most sought after choreographers in North America.
Between beginning work on a Brazilian film and developing the next generation of artists, Brown was able to find time to sit down with Dancer and discuss his process, his views on choreography, and offer us a few tips for success in the world of hip hop dance.
Q: How did you start dancing? A: I started dancing watching my uncles and cousin dance. I was about 5 years old. It was basically street dance. My cousin would frequent New York and would always come back and show us what he was learning. Most kids from the hood, we didn’t have studios or classes like that. I also got a lot from the movies I was seeing–anything Sammy Davis Jr., anything Fred Astaire–I was on it and I would start to imitate it. Then in high school, I was in charge of a lot of different dance groups, and in university as well. It was my outlet. Later, I created Do Dat Entertainment–that was my project.
Q: What was your first choreography gig? A: In those days, we were in with a lot of DJs at clubs. We would always perform at the biggest club functions. I didn’t consider myself a choreographer; I was just putting together shows with my friends, not realizing these were my first choreography jobs. We would be the main crew that opened everything. One of my best friends was a singer, Julie Black. So, she became a huge hit in Toronto, and a lot of artists saw her show and wanted me to work with them.
Q: Who are some of your favorite artists that you have worked with? A: My favorite artist…it’s so hard to choose! Well, number one is Janet Jackson. Her’s was the first album I bought when I saved my lunch money in junior high. So to be able to work with her was great. Working with P-Diddy was definitely cool, Brandy, Faith Evans.
Q: What makes these your favorite artists? A: Well, all these people were trailblazers. I grew up listening to them. Between Faith Evans and Brandy’s arrangements, I was a fan way before working with them. My dance crew, whenever we would perform it would be to these artists’ music. To be able to work for them was a dream come true.
Q: Say an artist approaches you with a project. How does it go from an idea to a finished product? A: You get the call from the artist, you get the music, then you figure out what direction the artist wants to take (sometimes the artist just wants development for them, meaning giving them direction on how they move and perform, even if there is no dancing in the video). And then you start putting it all together and then onto the dancers and artist.
Q: What inspires your movements? A: For me, definitely the music. When I listen to a song, sometimes it’s the beat that drives it, but sometimes it’s what the song is about. Also, what the concept [for the project] is. For example, if the theme is soldiers, you listen to the song and listen to the beat, then you can make it make sense from that. For example, I am doing “So You Think You Can Dance” and I have to work with a couple; so, the first thing I do is listen to the music. The whole vibe for this one [piece] is that they are “big money makers.” So all the steps for me now have to be very big and need to feel like everything is exaggerated and confident. Since this is a couple’s routine, I need to think “What makes a fly guy, what makes a fly girl?” You have to put yourself into the character of what you are trying to do. And sometimes you don’t even need these themes and concepts, you just need to just dance. The song dictates where you need to go. I’m working on a movie next month with a Brazilian crew, so I know I need to put some samba in there, and put some type of groove in the hip hop routine.
Q: What differentiates good choreography from bad choreography? A: Good choreography makes sense. Bad choreography doesn’t make sense. That’s as simple as I can put it. For example, you look at Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and it just makes sense: there is a “rhythm nation” that is a whole army of people, and they were giving you “army” and giving you clean movements. They weren’t just in army suits giving you flowy [movements]. The look matched the song [and] matched how they were moving. People think choreography is just steps. Steps are steps. What makes a choreographer is knowing how to make those steps make sense.
Q: I was reading on your website about your coining term “hip hop soul.” What does that mean? A: What I mean is that it’s the way that you feel when you dance–it comes from your soul. If you see a show that I do, you aren’t just going to see a lot of arms, or a lot of placements. My movement comes from my heart. As cheesy as it sounds, that is my hip hop soul.
Q: What is one of the most challenging things about being a choreographer? A: One of the most challenging things is to stay consistent without watering down your style. Sometimes when you get commercial jobs, the music isn’t what you want, or the direction is not where you would go. But to be successful, you need to find a way to balance it. You have to find a way to keep “you” in it.
Q: What is some advice you have for people who are interested in becoming successful in the commercial dance field? A: First of all, you have to know who you are. It sounds very corny, but those are the things that make you special, that make you stand out. On top of having to do everyone else’s choreography, taking classes to expand your dance vocabulary, and learning how to pick up choreography quickly. You have to have some sort of personal style so that you stand out in a room.
Q: What do you look for in an audition, or on “So You Think You Can Dance”? A: You have to be able to catch the choreography, have personal style, be able to freestyle, and also be able to connect with the audience. For a show like that, it’s just you. You are not dancing behind an artist–you are the artist! A lot of dancers can’t switch gears like that. You have to be able to become an artist and work the camera and work the audience. That is what will keep you on the show.
Q: What advice do you have for emerging choreographers? A: Continue to be inspired. Take your time and develop a style that is your own, and not just what you have been learning. Choreography is much more than just making up steps.