Arts Vanity: The Best Choreography I’ve Ever Seen

Over the years, the Crimson’s Arts Board has published an array of pieces ranking our favorite television shows, our favorite music albums, and even our favorite cultural moments. However, no piece has ever delved into the realm of choreography. While there are certainly countless options to choose from this year alone, I have taken the creative liberty to rank the best choreography I have ever seen — and likely attempted to learn — during my 22 years of life.

10. ‘Junior Female Best Dancer Dance-Off’ at The Dance Awards, Choreographed by Tate McRae (2015)

In 2015, Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Tate McRae was crowned the “Junior Female Best Dancer” in New York by The Dance Awards. Part of this competition included a dance-off between the top 10 contestants, in which each dancer improvised on the spot. McRae performed a beautiful, improvised dance to the song “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles, showcasing her ability to match the tempo changes in the music, whether that be through suspended leg extensions or fast turns and leaps. Winning the title was also no easy feat, as McRae competed among other dance legends, including Maddie Ziegler from “Dance Moms.” However, she performed with such elegance and grace that even her fellow contestants standing behind her on stage seemed mesmerized by McRae’s artistic choices.

9. ‘Thunderstruck’ by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Choreographed by Judy Trammell

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are probably the most iconic NFL cheer team. They have several TV series documenting their rigorous audition process, including Netflix’s own “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.” Over the years, their performance to the song “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC has become their signature dance — one that they perform at every home game. “Thunderstruck” requires an extraordinary level of precision and technique, enabling the dancers to not only create stunning lines with their individual movements but also execute flawless formations as a team. To me, the most impressive aspect of this dance is their synchronization, as well as their ability to travel exactly five yards every four counts at the start of the routine. After the Netflix documentary was released, fans began creating their own videos of the routine on TikTok, showcasing the extent to which this choreography resonates with them.

8. Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson’s ‘Disney Night Samba,’ Choreographed by Jenna Johnson (2024)

Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars” proved to be one of the most popular seasons yet, with 6.36 million people tuning in to watch the season finale. The sixth episode of the season marked “Disney Night,” and one of my favorite performances was “The Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson’s samba to the song “Trashin’ The Camp” from “Tarzan.” Johnson’s thoughtful choreography encompassed the lively spirit of “Tarzan” well. Furthermore, especially for a non-professional dancer, Graziadei performed with so much enthusiasm, creating an exciting show for viewers. The moment around 45 seconds into the dance went viral on TikTok, prompting creators on the platform to recreate this dance. One video by @dance.floor.diaries, which garnered over 370,000 likes, even advocated for the pair to win the Mirrorball trophy based solely on that section of the choreography — and ultimately, the pair went on to win the season after a few more weeks of competition.

7. ‘Roller Coaster’ by Chung Ha (2018)

K-pop is probably best known for its live performances, in which the artist typically has a set series of choreography that pairs perfectly with the music. While I couldn’t quite confirm the choreographer for “Roller Coaster” by Chung Ha, this song certainly has one of the catchiest dances I have ever seen in the K-pop industry. Every move serves a purpose within the larger context of the music, yet the choreography is still simple enough for the artist to perform it well while singing live. For me, the use of levels in the choreography stands out the most, as I’ve rarely seen singers take such a risk. Other K-pop idols have also performed this song and dance routine, such as South Korean-Canadian singer Jeon Somi, highlighting the widespread popularity of this dance.

6. ‘It’s ok I’m ok’ by Tate McRae, Choreographed by Sean Bankhead (2024)

When Tate McRae first performed her then-unreleased single “It’s ok I’m ok” at her concert in Madison Square Garden, fans went wild. And it wasn’t merely because of her exciting new song, but rather the dynamic dance break that the performance featured. Unlike in the K-pop industry, it’s rare for songs in the U.S. to feature such iconic choreography. However, McRae — a talented dancer in her own right — skillfully matched the high energy of her backup dancers, revealing to her fans who were previously unaware of her dance talent the true origins of her artistry. Much like many of the other dances on this list, people have recreated her dance break on TikTok.

5. ‘I Love You’ by The Studio, Choreographed by Kimmy Matich (2016)

A slightly biased but necessary take, “I Love You” by The Studio is a performance I watched the senior team of my dance studio perform when I was in seventh grade. This dance helped inspire a lot of my own choreography today — for instance, I never realized how powerful intentional props could be until I saw how the red rug was used throughout this dance. I appreciated how every interaction between the rug and dancer served a clear purpose in the storyline, and I enjoyed the use of various choreographic tools, such as ripples, to enhance the performance. These strategies made the few moments of unison a powerful visual for audiences like myself to witness. Every time I watched this performance live, I dreamed of one day creating a choreographic masterpiece that could rival this one — and hopefully, someday, I’ll have the opportunity to make it a reality.

4. ‘Suicide Hotline’ by ‘Dance Moms’ (2016)

As a devoted “Dance Moms” fan during my childhood, I eagerly tuned in to each episode to catch the new dance of the week. While I loved upbeat dances like “Boss Ladies,” I always appreciated dances that had a meaningful backstory. In season six, episode 29, Kalani Hilliker, Nia Sioux, Kendall Vertes, and Brynn Rumfallo performed “Suicide Hotline” at a dance competition to the song “Hold On” by Extreme Music. This dance also used props in an extremely intentional manner, with three black phones on a table and a singular red phone.

My favorite part of this dance is when the music created a suspended moment, and Hilliker performed a beautiful back leg extension on top of the table before falling effortlessly into the arms of the other three girls as the beat dropped. This moment was so powerful that even their dance teacher Abby Lee Miller could be seen clapping and smiling in the background after this portion of the piece.

3. ‘Wicked’ Dance Scenes, Choreographed by Christopher Scott (2024)

The recent film “Wicked” has garnered a ton of attention from the media, even leading the Crimson’s Arts Board to name the “Wicked” marketing sixth on our list of the top 10 cultural moments of 2024. While the musical-to-film adaptation has received widespread acclaim for its acting, directing, and compositions, its choreography has also earned its share of the spotlight. The “Wicked” movie’s Instagram account has even started sharing videos in which choreographer Christopher Scott teaches some iconic dance sequences, including the choreography from “Dancing Through Life” and “What is this Feeling?” Once again, fans have taken these moves to the TikTok platform to share their love for the choreography.

2. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’s Viennese Waltz, Choreographed by Mark Ballas (2022)

In season 31 of “Dancing with the Stars,” Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas performed an elegant Viennese waltz that received perfect 10s from all four of the judges. The piece opened with Ballas releasing a balloon into the sky — an act he later revealed to be cathartic, as it was his way of expressing the emotions surrounding his wife’s miscarriage. The pair delivered an emotional performance to Joji’s “Glimpse of Us,” leaving both the viewers and judges in awe. After the waltz, judge Len Goodman told the pair, “It literally took my breath away.” This waltz even inspired Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold to recreate it during the past season of “Dancing with the Stars” for the show’s 500th episode. In my opinion, this is undoubtedly one of the best dances the show has ever seen — and one day, I hope to follow Nedoroscik and Arnold’s footsteps by creating my own rendition of this astounding piece.

1. Sean Lew and Kaycee Rice’s ‘World of Dance’ Qualifiers Performance, Choreographed by Sean Lew (2018)

At the very top of my list is Sean Lew and Kaycee Rice’s “World of Dance” Qualifiers performance in season two. Immediately before the two perform, judge Ne-Yo could be heard saying, “Ooh, this is going to be really good or really bad,” referring to the piece’s unique start, which featured both dancers blindfolded. Despite not being able to see one another, Lew and Rice were able to dance flawlessly in sync to “Silence” by Marshmello and maintained a seamless connection through both physical touch and movement.

According to a behind-the-scenes video Lew posted on his YouTube channel, the pair learned the choreography in a mere 15 days. What makes this piece even more remarkable is the sheer complexity and nuance woven into the choreography, especially considering it was created by teenagers. I feel strongly that no words can do it justice, so if there’s one performance to watch from my list of favorite choreography, I highly recommend this one.

—Outgoing Arts Chair Allison S. Park welcomes recommendations for other amazing choreography at allison.park@thecrimson.com. She might even take on the challenge of learning the dance herself.