0 0. Recently, he started working with Megan Thee Stallion as both choreographer and creative director, elevating the rapper’s stage presence and infusing her performances with political urgency, as he did for her October debut on Saturday Night Live. Wonder Girls has Beyonce's choreographer to help them with the dance steps for their latest album. Grooming by AJ Crimson. In other words, he needed copyright protection. There are certain hit songs that are almost inseparable from the dance moves that go with them. Yahoo Life. (Since then, some of Hecht’s clients have done so; others that were rejected by the Copyright Office are in stages of appeal.). Why … It makes use of staccato bounce-based hand claps, Morse code beeps, an ascending whistle in the background, and a punchy organic beat. “It would be wonderful if choreographers could band together with some collectivity to get what they deserve.” None in the United States manage rights for choreographic works, but several across Europe do — and they cover choreography in music videos. “Being involved in my community and standing up for what is right is very important to me,” says Megan. The choreography for the song is based on a style of dancing known as "J-Sette." “It’s like the choreography world is just warming up to this stuff,” says Hecht. For real? “And credit [on social media] does not come with ownership. i tryed my best [= please no negative comments =\ Bankhead's choreography includes Normani’s “Motivation” video, a tour de force of dance that burnished her solo clout last year. Single Ladies and WAP Choreographer, JaQuel Knight Seeks To Empower Black Women by Esther Ogundipe November 17, 2020 November 17, 2020 Leave a reply 19 Choreographer JaQuel Knight created that dance for Beyoncé when he was just 19 years old — and this summer, he did it again with the routine for the monster hit by Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, “ WAP .” For Knight, “every movement has a purpose, and it’s about the music but also about the full package of what the dance is interpreting,” says Shakira, who worked with him on her Super Bowl halftime show this past year. Hecht, Knight and Pelloni decided to begin by registering the choreography in the “Single Ladies” video — by now widely acknowledged as an iconic piece of art in its own right, and one that could clearly demonstrate what a copyrightable commercial choreographic work looks like. “There is this notion throughout much of the Black community that the law can only be used as a tool to exploit people, and there’s this notion that copyright is inherently racist and biased,” says Howard University’s Mtima. Taking a break from the harsh realities of inequality covered last week and shifting my focus toward an emerging choreographer who is taking the commercial dance world by storm. Still, he knows that every artist might have an inner Sasha Fierce. “And that’s just not true. A lot of the moves in "Single Ladies" are a variation of the basic moves at the beginning of the song. Yet, “Mike WiLL Made-It is making millions, millions [as producer of ] ‘Formation,’ ” reasoned Knight. "I Can't Stop Me" (stylized as I CAN'T STOP ME) is the title track of Twice's 2nd full album "Eyes wide open". He has worked with Beyoncé since he was 18, when his mentor, dancer and choreographer Frank Gatson Jr., brought him in to choreograph for her groundbreaking “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” video. Let's talk about your move to copyright some of your work, which is uncommon for choreographers — and incredibly involved. ... Wonder Girls enlists "Single Ladies" choreographer. "It's to protect the creator from these huge corporations that come in and take advantage," he says. ... Knight landed his breakthrough gig at 18 years old for Beyoncé's iconic video "Single Ladies". This article originally appeared in the Nov. 7, 2020, issue of Billboard. No, the point of copyrighting isn't to protect us from [people] doing the dances at home. We've seen how the media portrays Black women — they just continue to question and continue to put them down. “But now it’s like, how can we polish it?” Her dancing had been twerk-centric for quite a while, so Knight focused on how to take that to the next level. Hear the radio version at the audio link, and read on for an edited transcript. Inside "Single Ladies" choreographer JaQuel Knight's quest to copyright his dances. For most of the 20th century, choreographic works could only be registered if they demonstrated a clear narrative and could thus be categorized as “dramatic works” — which left out most anything outside traditional ballet. “I don’t want to hit steps every day for the rest of my life,” says Knight. Billboard is a subsidiary of Valence Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. “The way in which he navigates such dominions is his choreography — his artwork.”. "Single Ladies" also incorporates a lot of movements found in other Hip Hop dances. By Deborah Searle. Beyoncé's official video for 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)'. Those who specialize in them seldom succeed at anything else. You may not be familiar with the names JaQuel Knight and Sean Bankhead, but there’s a very good chance you know their work. All the single ladies, all the single ladies All the single ladies, all the single ladies All the single ladies, all the single ladies All the single ladies, now put your hands up. We’re getting used and abused.”. “No one was taking Megan lightly before I came into the picture,” says Knight. And Knight doesn’t just give them moves — he sharpens every aspect of their performances. Up in the club, we just broke up I'm doing my own little thing He decided to dip and now you wanna trip 'Cause another brother noticed me. He teaches you how to flick your wrist when you’re hitting that last chorus onstage,” says Chris Anokute, founder of artist-development firm Young Forever and a former Motown Records executive who worked with Knight on Larsson. Joner Hall (winner of Beyonce's "Single Ladies Dance-off on the Rachel Ray Show) doing the single ladies video dance!!!!! All Rights Reserved. There’s very little case law on copyright and choreography, and a slew of Los Angeles entertainment lawyers told Knight’s manager, Mary Pelloni, that she and Knight would at best face an uphill battle trying to register his work. Choreographer JaQuel Knight is on a mission to copyright his dance routines. ... Meg Thee Stallion (he choreographed the WAP video), regularly works with Beyonce, and choreographed “Formation,” “Single Ladies” and “Homecoming.” He also worked on several videos for the Lemonade and Black is King visual albums. Why did you think this is something a choreographer should have? Set Design by Ali Gallagher at Jones Management. Copyright Office’s associate register of copyright and director of registration policy and practice. Relevance. “So how can I share this knowledge with everyone else, and start to build something even my kids can live off of? (Now, it’s typically in the four figures, moving into a five-figure fee for a whole project.). “He teaches you how to walk. Midway through her hit “Savage,” Megan paused as the sound of gunshots rang out, then stepped forward, her head bowed, while two recordings played: an excerpt from Malcolm X’s iconic 1962 “Who taught you to hate yourself?” speech, and activist Tamika Mallory calling out Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron as “no different from the sellout Negroes who sold our people into slavery.” Then Megan took the mic with an urgent message of her own: “We need to protect our Black women, because at the end of the day, we need our Black women. hide caption. While the first measure is in 3 4, it is set in common time 4 4 except for a change to 3 4 for one measure before the final chorus. It's definitely the joy, though. And he and Hecht deposited with the Copyright Office both the Labanotation score for “Single Ladies” as well as the video, providing an extra level of proof that both the original concept and the dance in the video itself are his work. Today, choreography still feels a bit like the Wild West of copyright. “Now, even Megan’s like, ‘What the fuck? He also wanted to incorporate J-setting, a movement style Knight knew in which dancers perform in a lead-follow format, similar to marching band majorettes. He’d teach her a bit each day, then sit down and talk about how they wanted the dance to make women feel. Reporter. He has worked with Beyoncé since he was 18, when his mentor, dancer and choreographer Frank Gatson Jr., brought him in to choreograph for her groundbreaking “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” video. JaQuel Knight photographed on October 9, 2020 at Wilhardt & Naud in Los Angeles. And while the exact details — including who would pay, how much and how he’d enforce his rights against those who don’t — are still being figured out, Knight’s mission could be revolutionary for the wider dance community. Thousands of fans flocked to Britney Spears’ Las Vegas residency to witness her bust out the same “I’m a Slave 4 U” dance break she has been doing since 2001. And if it hasn’t been done, how can you dream of it?” One of the people most stunned by Knight and his team’s success registering “Single Ladies” was, in fact, his mentor and co-creator, Frank Gatson Jr., an industry veteran who danced in Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” video. During “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” the artist’s choreographer and the tour’s creative director John Silver asked dance captain Ashley Everett to marry him. Knight’s movement is undeniably sexy, but always on the artist’s own terms: A woman dancing his choreography looks like a queen, even when she’s twerking in a position that might seem to defy gravity. Being not only a choreographer but a creative director, I'm the one who envisioned the the performance from start to end — I sit down and walk Megan through the show. “A culture, a mood, a visual statement.”. We need to protect our Black men, because at the end of the day, we’re tired of seeing hashtags of our Black men.”. Those cases were largely withdrawn because, in March 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an unrelated case that a claim of infringement based on a registered copyright requires first securing that registration. You have this close artistic partnership with Megan Thee Stallion, and you were intimately involved in creating the performance that she gave on Saturday Night Live just a month ago, which combined music with a message to "Protect Black Women." So why was it important to you to get copyright protection? He could help change not just what recognition and compensation look like, but maybe also the arcs of his fellow choreographers’ careers. Inside "Single Ladies" choreographer JaQuel Knight's quest to copyright his dances. That’s how any of us get anywhere. Knight landed his breakthrough gig at 18 years old for Beyoncé's iconic video "Single Ladies". His blend of influences ranges from African dance — in which the hips and upper torso often move in different rhythmic sequences — to classic musicals. “It’s potentially as important as the revelation that Ray Charles negotiated back ownership of his masters. “They carried themselves well and had high standards,” recalls Knight, still sounding a bit in awe. So much of what makes choreography universal and ubiquitous now is social media. I think now is the time that we recognize choreographers as the gatekeepers of culture.” With Pelloni and Hecht, he wants to help his colleagues (including those with whom he co-choreographed routines) register and ultimately license their work, and in the process, maybe prolong their own careers beyond their prime dancing days. Their first client is already waiting in the wings: Sean Bankhead, a friend of Knight’s who has known him since high school in Atlanta, when they were members of rival dance crews. JaQuel Knight: There's a part where... you clap your hands and your arms go around your head, and you kind of stick your butt out like your grandmother would do when her favorite part of her favorite song would come on — she'd make that good ol' stank face. That feeling is my grandmother all day. “To this day, he says he came to make sure I noticed him, not to get the job,” recalls Gatson. There’s no exact line denoting how many building blocks it takes for a work to stop qualifying as new and copyrightable — and at any rate, the Copyright Office’s examiners evaluate choreographic submissions as coherent, whole works. As a choreographer for Beyoncé’s 2016 “Formation” video, Knight’s powerfully defiant movement helped usher in her politically engaged Lemonade era — and generate hundreds of millions of YouTube views. Barbering by Kelly J. Glusovich. It has been credited with starting the "first major dance craze of both the new millennium and the Internet", triggering a number o… It's to protect the creator from these huge corporations that come in and take advantage. Though surprisingly few in the dance world take advantage of it, choreographic works are protectable under copyright law in the United States (and most countries), and choreographers can submit theirs for registration with the U.S. “Moments where I remind myself of my grandmothers, of talent shows with my cousins, marching band, everything I’ve done wrapped into one.”. Gatson had a choreographic reference in mind, which he had discussed with Beyoncé before Knight got involved: a Fosse routine called “Mexican Breakfast” that featured three women dancing in a line on a bare stage. yeh i fink the darker one i s a mannn luk at the hands lol nd legss. For a Black creator in an industry that has long appropriated Black culture — and who often works with the industry’s most influential Black female artists — the score represented something bigger, too. After all the work, all the pain, all the troubles they deal with, they steadily continue to rise up and show out. “To get onstage again after being shot in your feet? November 12, 2020. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The end product showcases what would become Knight’s stylistic signatures. “This is potentially a seismic event in this space,” says Lateef Mtima, the founder and director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice and a professor of law at Howard University. Still, his freestyle at the audition impressed Gatson. Tell me about how you incorporate video, music, movement, stillness and speech to create something that is more than just entertainment. Do Not Sell My Personal Information “But that won’t be a comfort to YouTube,” says one intellectual property attorney who works in the music industry. Amazing! on the weekends prove essential and, indeed, inescapable in the South have energy can... 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