A choreographer is to a dancer what a speechwriter is to a president. "Everyone assumes that artists come up with their own moves. Michael Jackson doesn't choreograph his moves," reveals Luther Brown, "people can dance and do the same shit all day—but it takes the choreographer to come and put it all together."
Brown grew up in Jamaica watching American musicals starring greats like Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr., Mickey Rooney, and the Nicholas Brothers. "I was totally inspired by that," says Brown, "and then hip hop came along with Electric Boogaloo and Ozone and Turbo, and I just got trapped by that."
Brown choreographed routines for Jully Black. During this period he was traveling to New York weekly. "I used to be on Hype William's sets," says Brown, "and after making certain connections, I got some gigs." Some of these gigs include the choreography for the movie Honey, Alicia Key's 2002 Grammy Award performance, and Lindsay Lohan's performance at MTV's 2004 Iced Out New Year's Eve. Brown has also worked around the world with Nike, Li'l Kim, Brandy, Diddy, Mario, Shawn Desman and other big wigs.
Dance based reality television shows, movies, and videogames document how dancing is currently at the forefront of youth culture. "The fact that every household can know that hip hop exists is a big accomplishment", says Brown.
It is arguable that programming like So You Think You Can Dance is giving hip hop legitimacy for certain audiences that once viewed it as lowbrow and subversive. Luther believes that "the fear of hip hop comes from the rawness of it and the fact that it is not necessarily founded in the libraries. A lot of it comes from the streets and the clubs—which are always taboo. Back in the day a lot of these dances like the Twist and all these different movements happened in the streets and back alleys...places that we weren't supposed to be. That's where everyone gets free."
In films like Style Wars, Grease, Footloose, and Rize dance is portrayed as rebellion born out of repression. "I think 90% of dance in America came out of repression," says Brown, "that's how Krumping started—all the kids in the hood trying to do something to get out."
Dances like Krumping can exude pain and frustration, but also a strong sense of sexuality. The lascivious nature of certain dances like Stripper Dance is controversial. High school dances in Halifax were recently banned because of the popularity of the dance, but, at the same time, stripper aerobics are also offered at gyms. Brown is also torn on the issue, "I don't think it's a great thing that all these little girls want to be strippers because it looks cool in videos, but when you see what some of those girls do, it's not just shaking your ass—it's a whole fucking technique."
Brown is serious about technique and ensuring that his dancers follow it. He has created an industry standard called a buff-line, which, for choreography, is the equivalent of a musical scale. "When I say get into buff, I mean get into position," Brown commands. Brown's believes that a good dancer has to "have soul...you have to be clean, as in you execute the moves like I'm teaching them. There is nothing worse than dancers who remix your steps and your vision is not realized."
Brown's choreography and dancers form his agency, Do Dat Entertainment, were recently featured in the Choreographer's Ball in Toronto. Brown stole the show with his rendition of Omarion's "Ice Box". "The lyrics, ‘ice box where my heart used to be,' was representing where I was in a lot of places in life," says Brown. Describing the dynamics of the piece Brown says, "One person was going to be constant throughout the whole thing and people come in and out of the person's life, but at the end of the day, the person stays there. Shit comes in and out...gigs come in and out."
For more information on Luther Brown go to www.dodat.com and www.myspace.com/apathamusic.
The Third. |
