Charm La’Donna

“Personally, I was just motivated. I knew what I wanted. I saw my dreams and I didn't want anything to steer me away from that.”

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Average Work Week

If you’re lucky and you work hard enough, some version of your dreams come true. But if you’re even luckier and worked just that much more, you might wind up with a poetic piece of symmetry to prove how far you’ve come. As a preteen, Charm La’Donna remembers shedding tears over not being able to afford tickets to see Britney Spears in concert. A decade later, 30 year old La’Donna has choreographed two of Spears’ music videos and part of the pop star’s live show.

Now the general public may not know La’Donna, but if you’re interested in choreographing dance for a living, you should. She’s worked with Pharrell, Jamie Foxx, Selena Gomez, and most notably, Kendrick Lamar. La’Donna was the only woman dancer on Lamar’s 2018 tour and choreographed his memorable performance from the 2018 Grammys. That’s the finished product, though. Watch the video below to go inside La’Donna’s “lab” and hear about her process of auditioning, rehearsing and collaborating with larger-than-life artists.

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My Advice

It’s all about knowing what you want and going for it. Use the social media platforms available to you today. Start doing research. I was an assistant for about 6 years so I could learn under the best, in order to be the best. I used to choreograph for any and everything — even small talent shows, it didn’t matter. I just wanted to perfect my craft.