With a comfortable stroll, Sean Bankhead entered Evolution Studios dressed in a black Nike tracksuit. It was January and the Atlanta-based choreographer had just completed a day of rehearsals in Los Angeles. He smelled the stuffy studio after a day of classes and dance sessions and commented, “It smells just like I remember.”
Evolution is its territory; She has danced in the space throughout her career for classes and rehearsals. She now enters the studio with high-profile credits to her name and great anticipation for what might come next.
In recent years, Bankhead solidified his name as a leading entertainment choreographer, choreographing for artists such as Lil NasX, Missy Elliott and Victoria Monet – who recently won a Grammy Award. Earlier this month, she danced on camera again for Usher's performance at the 2024 Super Bowl and choreographed Cardi B's “Duck Plumper” commercial that aired during the game.
Whether you recognize his work or not, Bankhead has been behind some of the most memorable moments in pop culture. As it did? “Paint your own pictures,” Bankhead said.
“Don't always try to feel like you need to follow in someone's footsteps because they've made it their story,” she added. “Their trip is their trip and your trip is your trip.”
As the new year begins, he hopes to tell more of his own story.
Bankhead, 35, began his journey at a young age. He remembered dancing at his grandparents' house as a child and teaching dances to his brother and cousins at Christmas. He attributes his love of dance to music videos (especially Michael Jackson videos and award shows, the same realm in which he thrives today).
“I've always been a natural promoter,” he said.
It wasn't until he was 16 that he intentionally worked with choreography. She was on the dance team, step team, and drums in high school. Although she enjoyed choreographing dances at the time, she couldn't imagine it as a career.
“I never thought of this as a job,” he said. “I didn't know I could dance, be creative and make a name for myself.”
It found a home at Dance 411 studios in Atlanta. It was there that she began creating her signature style, full of high-energy movement inspired by Atlanta culture, with the support of studio owners Sindy Guerrero and Nefertiti Robinson.
“It was like a safe haven for me and a lot of my dancing friends,” Bankhead said. “We didn't know what we wanted to do with our lives, but we knew we loved dancing and wanted to have a sense of community and family, so we went to Dance 411.”
Atlanta culture is a big inspiration for Bankhead. While exploring his movement style in high school, he was surrounded by snap-era artists like D4L and Soulja Boy.
“The entire Atlanta dance community has always been ahead of its time in creating trends and fads,” he said.
As he grew up, he went to parties and clubs where popular dance moves developed and thrived. Dances created in the South, including Dougie, Walk It Out, and Stanky Legg, influenced the choreographer Bankhead is today.
She showed off her own creative moves on YouTube as a teenager and had a brief dance career, acting in films such as “Hannah Montana: The Movie” and “Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming.”
Nowadays, Bankhead is known for being reserved and busy, working on fashion music videos. Each project is filled with an energy that he perfects through an alter ego full of confidence, softness and aggression.
“My style is like my Sasha Fierce, if you will,” she said, referring to Beyoncé's alter ego. “It's a place that I take advantage of and that I don't feel naturally. Sometimes it's elegant and sexy and sometimes I'm fluid and original and very Atlanta.”
His diverse artistic personalities can be found through his work. “Cardi B”BongosThe music video is full of wide, sensual movements, filling the screen with twerking and strong formations. NormaniWild side”incorporates a mix of moving frozen moments and lively group choreography. “Monet”in my mom” is a tour de force video filled with sharp, precise choreography that draws on the attributes of black internet culture, HBCU culture, and the music video aesthetic of the early 2000s. More recently, Bankhead used flirtatious and sharp rhythms in “j christ”to enhance a provocative message of inclusion within Christianity.
Each work is completely different (except for a unique rhythm that he carries from project to project as his “signature”, which he has not explained publicly), which makes it difficult to believe that they were all made by the same person. But for Bankhead, that's the definition of a good choreographer.
“A real choreographer doesn't walk into the room and tell you what to do,” he said. “A choreographer highlights who you are as an artist and every artist is different. “Their music is different, their style is different, their energy is different, their dance capabilities are different and I take my time to be specific in highlighting who they are as artists.”
Bankhead balances his artistic sensibilities with accessible rhythms and dance moves.
“Growing up watching music videos, you'll be able to watch the music video and you'll be able to replicate all of these iconic choreographies,” he said. “I camouflage those moments among a lot of madness.”
Think of these moments as parts of choreography that the whole family can do. It adds a level of connection between the artist and the audience. His methodology has proven to be successful as many of his choreographic feats are trending on TikTok, including viral sound of Bankhead shouting out tracks “Bookie bookie boo” and “Lean” for her choreography on “Cardi B.”Above.”
In 2022, all his hard work led to three MTV Video Music Awards nominations for Best Choreography for “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas “Side.” by Normani with Cardi B. However, he still doesn't feel like he's “made it.”
Next, she hopes to create work that highlights her own story.
“I think being a choreographer, you're always helping other people, you're always creating their dreams,” he said. “I still have a couple of things that I personally want to say with my own story and my own creativity, without having to hide behind an artist.”
Next year, he feels like he'll be entering intimidating territory, even after taking the stage again at the Super Bowl.
“I'm looking to surprise myself,” he said.
