Choreographer's Collage
Mandy Moore’s star just keeps rising. She’s best known as a choreographer and judge on “So You Think You Can Dance,” but she also takes her unique style to students around the country, teaching at the JUMP convention and L.A.’s Edge Performing Arts Center. Dancers and audiences alike can’t get enough of her playful, intricate, fluid style! Whether she’s creating rocking eighties jazz pieces or bringing tears to our eyes with narrative contemporary numbers, this is one choreographer we love. Read on to find out what inspires Mandy to create her phenomenal pieces.
Jillian Meyers, freelance dancer and teacher with Monsters of Hip Hop:
“Jillian dances in such a way that it makes me want to create more movement to keep her moving.”
Jiří Kylián’s “Black and White“ series:
“Before seeing the ‘Black and White’ ballets, I never knew partnering like that existed. I realized they were partnering the way I move as an individual: I like to go through space and get crazy to see what kind of shapes I can create, and they were doing it with two people! I knew then I wanted to learn how to do that.”
Skydiving:
“I love skydiving! Flying is always an inspiration.”
Mia Michaels’
Hometown Glory on Season 4 of
“So You Think You Can Dance”: “I loved Hometown Glory and the way Mia was able to pull emotion out of the dancers’ bodies. It wasn’t about a prop or a crazy concept, but beautiful dancing that created an amazing feeling.
The Company of “Wicked.” Photo by Joan Marcus
Wicked:
“I am a closet Broadway person. Wicked rejuvenated my love of Broadway with all its bells, whistles and fun stuff onstage.”
Dancers:
“I am always inspired by the dancers in front of me. I was especially moved by the dancers I worked with on Celine Dion’s Taking Chances tour.”
Staying Alive:
“My piece Sweet Dreams was inspired by Staying Alive, my favorite movie of all time. I think I was born in the wrong decade: I was supposed to be in that 1970s movie doing those moves. Sweet Dreams was my shout-out to hard, amazing, hot jazz.”
