TV Academy Celebrates New Choreography Peer Group With Derek Hough, ‘La La Land’s’ Mandy Moore
The best choreographers in all of showbiz waltzed down to the Saban Media Center on Thursday night to celebrate the the Television Academy’s creation of a peer group for choreographers. Mandy Moore, of “La La Land,” and Derek Hough, from “Dancing With the Stars,” were among the choreographers in attendance.
The event, curated by the omnipresent Moore, consisted of a delightful variety show where different choreographers and dancers showcased the array of talents that coexist under the choreography umbrella. Anthony Morigerato, known for “Dancing With the Stars,” put on a stellar tap dancing display with a live jazz band accompanying him. Rich + Tone Talauega, choreographers of Netflix’s “The Get Down,” presented dancers showing off multiple styles, such as vogueing and breakdancing that was followed by a sneak peek of the show’s second season. Choreographer Kathryn Burns also shared the different dance styles used in her show, The CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
The other dance exhibitions were intermingled with short interviews with accomplished choreographers, such as Kenny Ortega and Fatima Robinson, who spoke about their careers and their artistic processes.
Moore, who has also been choreographing “So You Think You Can Dance” for 11 seasons, spoke about the importance of finally getting a peer group in the Television Academy. “To me this is the start of a community of creators and choreographers that are now unified and have a home,” she said. “Now we can start to tackle issues that are inside our community and we can start to share who we are with the industry a little bit more.”
Hough echoed the excitement about the peer group. “It’s kind of about time. In the last decade, dance has really been put in the forefront and there’s so much choreography in television right now, not just in reality competition shows, but in sitcoms and film and TV,” Hough said. “It’s everywhere, and I feel that choreographers have a huge part in creating these moments on television and deserve that sort of recognition.”
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