You may not be familiar withRichy Jackson, but you definitely know his dance moves.
Or performing on stage atMiami,Chicago,Pittsburgh, andLondon Pride.
Or during a taping ofAccess Hollywoodwith Mario Lopez.
Jim Mullin
Its also the kind of out-of-this-world choreography that Jackson is known for.
But JoJos like, Im going to do it my way.
Going beast-mode set the tone for the rest of the dance.
I was like, This dance has to look completely different from what was on the yacht.
The yacht was very just pop, feminine, strong.
I have to leave Earth.
I have to leave Earth and go somewhere else.
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Jackson recognizes that not everyone will understand his choreographybut thats kind of the point.
So Im always willing to step outside the box.
Glamour:Where did your love for dance come from?
Richy Jackson:Ive been dancing since I was probably three.
Grew up watching Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, Janet Jackson, Madonna, all the greats.
I was a drummer since fourth grade to throughout high school.
I was in marching band, so band was a huge influence in my life.
On top of that, I was in an old dance group called Mack Ten.
Just nowhere near dance.
I didnt know enough about the dance community and how it worked as a professional dancer.
I was so blown away.
She was like, What?
And I was like, If he can do it, I can do it.
How do you make that transition?
The best part about it was taking my time.
I danced for Missy Elliott, Usher, Christina Milian, Jessica Simpson, NSYNC.
And then from there I started to assist.
I assisted three different choreographers to just learn my craft.
I wanted to learn.
And when they did that, it allowed me to create what happened with Katy Perry.
That was a huge video for her.
I worked with Nicki way early and Ive been with Gaga since 2007.
I met JoJo when she was nine and reunited with her when she was 15.
Ive been with her since, God, its been six or seven years now.
What is it like to see one of your dances go viral?
I love to see how it affects people and how people react to it.
I like to see people always sending me clips of it or seeing how crazy the clips have gotten.
I kind of chuckle on the inside because I dont go into it choreographing with that in mind.
Especially with JoJo, I went into it saying, Ive got to create the Karma dance for her.
I love creating signature dances for songs.
I just love that.
Thats whats a little special about Thriller by Michael Jackson.
Thriller is my favorite video of all time.
As soon as you see them do the dance, you know what it is.
You dont need the words of the song to know thats the song.
Ive always been inspired by that.
Do you feel like social media has changed the way we approach choreography and dance?
Back in my day growing up, you only saw the best of the best.
Social media has allowed us to see that anyone can dance at this point.
And every punch in of dancer.
Doesnt have to be at a professional level.
It could be comedy, it could be a joke, but it could still go viral.
Its allowed everyone to participate in a new way.
But there is still a difference in a TikTok dance versus a Karma dance, in my opinion.
TikTok dances are all about being cool and really simple, which is fine.
Its the mix of it all, and thats what I love about pop choreography.
Some people might think with your dancing its meant to go viral and its a stunt or something.
Every Halloween, someones doing a breakdown of Thriller, theyre doing the choreography.
But it is about, at least for me, those signature moves being created for songs, purposefully.
Your artists have passionate fans who pick up your choreography.
Do you get blown away by their dance covers?
Its not just happening on your phone.
And some of them, most of them, can actually really dance.
My favorite is the fanGaga plucked from the crowdand he did all the choreography with her and the dancers.
He knew all the steps.
It was so crazy.
I was like, How do you know everything?
The transitions, when we walk.
How did you come up with the Karma dance move?
This was the first time we could actually go for it the way we wanted to without restrictions.
And it was all about turning heads.
We wanted to turn heads.
I choreograph on the spot and I literally did it.
And she was like, What?
And I was like, Everyone, walk with me.
And you slam and you stomp and you slam and you stomp.
And we worked on that section for about 20 minutes, just getting the right vibe.
It just took off from there.
You choreographed on the spot.
Is that standard for everything you do?
I like to work in the moment.
Its like creating art in the moment or molding something.
You have to mold it.
I create in the moment.
I get inspired by the people who are in the room, but definitely the artist.
And with Karma, I just loved it.
Listen, who wouldnt want to one day work with Janet Jackson?
Who wouldnt want to one day work with big names that we all grew up on?
But to be completely honest with you, Im also extremely inspired by artists that no one knows yet.
Im extremely inspired by helping to bring up the next generation.
Im extremely inspired by everyone saying, Who is that?
And then I was like, Oh my God, its so and so.
Were in a pop boy drought.
Its so funny because I have literally said that.
You guys, Im telling you right now, its time for the pop boy.
I am with you.
Just know that there are some things in the back pocket that Im trying to make happen.
But you and I are on the same page with that.
I agree with that 100%.
If I can have that privilege to help bring that pop boy to the world, I will.
Thats my next goal.
If I find him, I will hit you and be like, Okay, I found him.
When can we do the next interview?
