Lady Gaga is no stranger to elaborate choreographies, and she gave us one of her biggest hits with “Just Dance”, but does that make her a great dancer?
Lady Gaga can dance, but it’s up for debate how good of a dancer she is. Her music videos feature many impressive dance moments, but she’s more focused on her vocal performance during live shows.
Lady Gaga’s Dance Routine
Many of Lady Gaga’s biggest hits are dance-pop songs with an offbeat vibe, and she busted out some impressive moves while performing them. Her music videos often include a flashy choreography and dozens of backup dancers, and that’s where she really shines.
Music videos take countless hours of preparation, giving the singer enough time to get the choreography just right. She’s also allowed to do multiple takes, leaving little room for mistakes, especially since the music is added in post-production.
Live shows are an entirely different beast because she has to focus on singing, as well. Lady Gaga admits that being a good dancer is not her main priority and she’s more focused on sounding amazing.
“I was really, really good at piano, so my first instincts were to works so hard at practicing piano, and I might not have been a natural dancer, but I am a natural musician. That is the thing that I believe I am the greatest at,” she told MTV.
It’s difficult for singers to manage their breathing during elaborate dance routines, but that’s not Lady Gaga’s only concern. Her live shows often include quirky outfits, high heels, and enormous wigs that make it difficult to move freely.
Lady Gaga’s dance routines probably wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for a horde of backup dancers. The “Poker Face” singer is always surrounded by talented dancers, who distract us from the fact that her own dance moves are pretty simple.
Lady Gaga’s Choreographers
Lady Gaga made her debut in 2008 with the chart-topping single “Just Dance”. This song set the tone for the first chapter of her career and became the unofficial party anthem of the late 2010s.
She went on to release several visuals with even more impressive choreography, including “Poker Face”, “Bad Romance”, and “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé. Laurieann Gibson used to be Lady Gaga’s no. 1 choreographer until 2011 when they parted ways due to creative differences.
Richard Jackson, who’s been collaborating with Gaga for years, took the reins after Gibson left. In addition to working on her videos, Jackson was in charge of choreographing her tours and several notable live performances, including her show at the 2017 Coachella.
Jackson discussed Gaga’s creative process with Hollywood Reporter shortly after the “Stupid Love” video came out. He revealed that she always works at a different pace and has a great work ethic, but puts full confidence in him when it comes to the casting process.
“We’ve worked together for so long and she tells me, ‘I know you’ll put the best people around me.’ She’s always been very trusting of her team, loves walking into a rehearsal, and then finally meeting whomever we’ve cast,” explained Jackson.
Lady Gaga’s Love for Dance
Lady Gaga may not be the best dancer out there, but she clearly enjoys this activity. Her very first single was dedicated to dancing your worries away, and she went back to her roots with her latest studio album Chromatica.
When she first announced this record, the singer said that she wants people to dance and feel happy once it comes out. She described the process of making it as her way to “dance through the pain” since she spoke about important issues while keeping the tone upbeat and light.
Music videos for “Stupid Love” and “Rain on Me” showed the world that she still enjoys elaborate dance routines. She clearly puts her heart and soul into each performance, and her passion is more impressive than her technical dance skills.