Making Moves for Mac Miller

Before leaving for Argentina, I got a last minute invitation to head to Pittsburgh with Rex Arrow Films to set choreography for the new Mac Miller video. I was amped at the prospect of working with Rex Arrow Films again after our collaboration on the new Theo Martin's video (which should be dropping shortly, I'm told). I met Mac about two years ago with Rex Arrow/Hype Wolfson on the set of his video for Got a Clue and was looking forward to working with him all grown up. Rex and Mac have come a LONG way since then and it's been super exciting to watch them both develop as artists and gain the recognition they both deserve. The energy on the shoot was unlike anything I've seen in all my dancing years. Everyone involved knew the potential we were working with and senses were heightened. I had 4 hours to teach the dancers some moves and then it was a whirlwind 48 hours of all day/all night filming, an exhilarating and at times really stressful experience! I'm primarily a modern dancer and choreographer and if you know anything about that world, its pretty much the complete opposite of being on set. The process for making and performing modern dance is often long and emotional and once the performance is over, it's like it never happened at all! It's so fleeting and sadly, there's hardly ever good footage captured. (This Photo belongs to Rex Arrow Films)

Working on set isn't like that. It's high pressure over a short period of time. Once all the choreography is made and taught to the dancers, sections are filmed from every possible angle, and then it's out of the choreographer's hands completely! The director takes over and makes something new with the material you've provided. It is nice to be able to step back and watch what happens, even though after hours of shooting it can be hard to see only seconds of your work spliced in. Still, there is something very rewarding about working with so many constraints, trying to come up with movement that is both creative and that also fits the needs of the video, and then just letting go. When the whole world is my oyster, as it is when I make my own work, sometimes the limitless possibilities make it hard to move forward. This simply isn't an obstacle on a video set, especially one with such a tight time crunch. You get in, work your a$$ off for two days and don't have time to over-think every little thing. You run from the set to catch an 11:00 pm bus back home in time for your cousin's engagement party and everyone stares as you board with neon body paint all over you and a semi-permanent afro left over from shooting. 30 hours later, your on a plane to Buenos Aires. BAM!

Three weeks later, I am seeing the fruits of the labor fully realized, and it's a pretty damn amazing sight. Yesterday the video was the #2 most blogged video after Lady Gaga! I think I just realized what my next goal is ; )


Special thanks to Mac, Rex, Noam, JON CHEN, Erin, Karen, Bethany, and my four lovely dancers for making this experience so rich and rewarding.