This year’s Super Bowl was watched by more than 120 million people in the United States; This number was almost as large as the number of people who watched the moon landing. During the halftime show, Sean Bankhead was dancing right behind R&B superstar Usher. “It was a really intense sensory experience,” says Bankhead. “It was hot, muggy, sweaty and smelled like a football game.”
Bankhead, 35, officially hung up her dancing shoes a few years ago to focus on choreographing for the likes of Missy Elliott, Normani, Katy Perry, FKA twigs, recent Grammy winner Victoria Monét, and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion (2021 Grammy performance). He planned WAP) but couldn’t turn down the chance to dance with Usher, one of his childhood heroes. “I messed up a lot of times. We performed on real grass and some pieces were missing. But it was a rush.”
They are not ashamed of their bodies. They love their sexuality. And I’m there supporting them
It’s been quite a year for Bankhead so far. In addition to the Super Bowl, he choreographed Lil Nas X’s controversial J Christ video and Canadian singer Tate McRae’s performance in Britain. “I had a great time in Britain,” she says with sarcasm from Atlanta. “British awards shows are so much more entertaining than American awards shows. I had no idea! “There was a big party and everyone was very drunk.”
Bankhead is a man of today, but in some ways his style is reminiscent of the music videos he grew up with in the ’90s and 2000s: Michael and Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Britney Spears; He remained in class until he was 16. “I didn’t even know what a choreographer was. “I was so amazed by what I watched on TV.”
His education came from going to clubs. Snap music was a big deal in the Atlanta hip-hop scene; Catchy songs like Soulja Boy’s Crank That came with their own dance routines. “I would call myself a hitter,” he says, borrowing a baseball term for versatile hitting. “I went to gay clubs and saw the ball culture up close. I would go to ‘law’ clubs and learn how to do the ‘plain wit, rock wit’ dance. I would go to white clubs, hang around like Britney, learn my pop style, then go to reggae clubs and learn how to do dancehall and Afrobeats. “I always followed the party.”
All of these influences are reflected in his dance work, but he is also a trained percussionist. “So I can create rhythms with my body or create my own rhythm. People say, ‘Wow! Where did this rhythm come from?’”
At first, it seemed impossible to make dance a career. At the audition he was “a young, skinny kid and at the time they were looking for passionate masculine dancers”. So he started posting his own choreographies on YouTube. There’s one above titled Beyoncé Tour Submission – Bankhead didn’t wait to be asked, she just put herself out there. “I was very hungry and ambitious. “I would create it hoping someone would see it.”
Choreographers no longer earn any income when we create a viral dance that will blow up a song. I charge a flat fee. I might owe millions
It worked after all. These days, Bankhead works with some of music’s biggest artists, including Beyoncé. She choreographed the Up and Bongos videos featuring Megan Thee Stallion for diamond-selling rapper Cardi B. Both have stunning dance routines but they’re also unapologetic meatfests with bikini-escaping curves and plenty of booty; The movements are as clear as the lyrics. Does Bankhead ever have that conversation: How sexy, so sexy?
“We don’t,” he says. “Actually, it’s usually something like, ‘I want to show more hips, and I want to show more crotch.’ They are not ashamed of their bodies, they love their sexuality. “I’m there to support them, too.”
He insists that Cardi B, whose acting is so confident and a little scary, is really “so sweet, so kind, the shyest person.” She says the same about herself. “I’m very reserved, very calm. “But then you see my work and you think, ‘She must be a gorgeous diva.'”
Bankhead worked with rapper Lil Nas X on the “creatively bold” video for his song Industry Baby. Set in a prison, it featured a nude dance routine in the showers (tastefully pixelated). This was the last scene of the two-day shoot on an outdoor set. “It’s crazy, it’s freezing, it’s three in the morning,” he recalls. “People were slipping and falling. I stripped down to my underwear and was jumping and screaming to make them feel more comfortable.
Bankhead has a talent for capturing a viral moment. The #OnMyMamaChallenge he created on TikTok with Victoria Monét has been watched more than 150 million times. Visuals and choreography “can make or break the music,” he says. So do choreographers get enough credit? “Yes and no. It’s time for us to be financially was recognized. Songwriters will get paid for the rest of their lives if they write a hit song. But choreographers don’t get any residual income when we create a viral dance that makes the song pop. I charge a flat fee. “I might owe millions.”
That’s partly why Bankhead is now looking to build its own brand. They have plans for TV shows and fashion collaborations. You can expect to see him in front of the cameras soon. If there’s one thing Bankhead has learned, it’s that nothing happens unless you put yourself out there.