|
Madonna Live: The Drowned World Tour - Jamie King, Alexandre Magno, Debra Brown
JAMIE KING
Jamie King is one of the most innovative Director/Choreographers working in the entertainment industry today. Recognized for his unique to turn new performers into polished stars, Jamie is also known for elevating even the most established artists including George Michael, Mariah Carey, Diana Ross, and Elton John, to a new level of live performance and music video presentation. A master at creating and staging dance sequences, King has worked with established directors John Baptiste Mondino, Mathew Rolston, David Lachapelle, Wayne Isham and Joseph Kahn. Jamie has earned the respect of renowned television producers Don Mischer, Jeff Margolis, Ken Ehrlich, and Quincy Jones. Over the past three years, Jamie King and his team at KING PRODUCTIONS, have choreographed, and directed for an impressive array of clients including Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Shakira, and most recently, the queen of pop Madonna.
It all started in 1993 when Jamie began a three year collaboration with “Mr. Purple Rain” himself, Prince. “He was my teacher”, explains King. “Prince taught me about staging, lighting, editing, and most importantly the fusion of music and movement.” The success of this partnership was acknowledged in 1995, when Jamie received an Emmy Award Nomination for the Prince Tribute performance on The American Music Awards. This achievement caught the eye of the biggest names in the music business and led to several successful projects with Salt-n-Pepper, En Vogue, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Michael Jackson. In 1996, Madonna called upon Jamie to co-conceptualize and choreograph her cutting edge music video, “Human Nature”, which earned him the nominations for an American Choreography Award and MTV Video Music Award. “The craziness was just the beginning”, remembers King. Following in the footsteps of one of his idols, Debbie Allen, Jamie was commissioned to choreograph the 68th Annual Academy Awards. The experience would make him the youngest person ever to receive this honor. Once again, King was presented with an Emmy Award nomination. Jamie later collaborated with director Kenny Ortega on the Super Bowl Half Time extravaganza featuring Diana Ross, choreographed and hosted the MTV series The Grind, and choreographed “Tarzan Live!”, a stage production for Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Expanding his experience beyond the U.S. market, Jamie quickly began working in Europe and Asia with the Japanese performer Anri, British pop stars Louise, Jimmy Ray, and former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell.
In 1999, Jamie was asked to create and choreograph Ricky Martin’s show stopping performance of “The Cup of Life” at the Grammy Awards. This earned the evening’s only spontaneous standing ovation and transformed Ricky into a cultural icon. It was during this eventful time that King decided to expand his career by transitioning into Artistic Direction. For the next two years, King became known as the man to who Martin turned for designing and overseeing all TV performances and music videos. But, the highlight of Jamie’s year would be the opportunity to direct Ricky’s groundbreaking “Livin La Vida Loca” World Tour. With the overwhelming success of the tour, King was presented with offeres to direct and choreograph for artists Mya, Japanese super-group Dreams Come True, Blackstreet, Bryan Adams, comedian Ellen Degeneres, and Britney Spears. With teen superstar Britney Spears, Jamie would direct the 2000 World Tour “Oops I Did It Again”, choreograph the music video “Stronger” and conceptualize the pop diva’s spectacular 2001 American Music Awards performance.
Later that year, Madonna once again called up King to co-conceptualize and choreograph her music video “Don’t Tell Me”. However, the Material Girl surprised Jamie by asking him to direct her promotional world tour as well. “ It was the chance I was waiting for”, confides King. “I had a feeling she was gonna do a major world tour in the future, and I knew only one thing: I had to direct it”. Jamie’s work paid off. The new video received an MTV award nomination for best choreography, marking the second in a row for the duo. The promotional tour turned out to be an enormous success and by June 2001, Madonna’s “Drowned World” Tour, directed by Jamie King, became a reality.
Simultaneously, KING PRODUCTIONS co-created, wrote, and directed “Storm”, a Latin influenced live show for Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. “The experience of live stage is so fulfilling”, explains King. “I’d love to do it again.” In the future, Jamie King looks forward to continuing with current pursuits, as well as further defining his creative voice for the Broadway stage, television production, and feature films.
ALEXANDRE MAGNO
 Alexandre Magno arrived in the United States in 1986 after receiving numerous awards for dance and choreography in his native country Brazil. His unique style and abilities quickly set him apart from other dancers and choreographers and gained him respect within the industry. He soon began to appear in numerous film, TV and video productions. Alexandre's film appearances include "Somebody To Love," "I'll do Anything," and "The Band Played On" for HBO. TV and video credits include "Moonlighting," “15th & 16th American Music Awards,” “62nd Academy Awards,” and the “Arsenio Hall Show” with Gladys Night. He has worked with Michael Jackson, Cher, Paula Abdul and Gloria Estefan just to name a few.
Alexandre's choreographic credits include National and World tours for: Plus One 2002 "Obvious Tour," Madonna's 2001 “Drowned World Tour” (for which Mr. Magno has received both an Emmy and an ACA nomination), and Madonna's 1993 “Girlie Show Tour”. His feature film credits include: "Somebody to Love" (staring Rosie Perez), "Liquid Dreams" (that won critical acclaim for choreography at the 1991 Cannes Film festival), and "Lord of Illusion" a Clive Barker film. Television credits are a segment for "In Living Color," in which also he directed the dance segment, "Brasil 500 Anos" (Globo TV), "The Golden Eagle Awards" (Nosostro TV), co-choreographed with Paula Abdul The 62nd Academy Awards, and "Just a Dream." A video for Donna Delory.
Alexandre's stage work include composing, directing and choreographing "Rendezvous Liaison" an original Ballet conceived for The '98 World Tour commissioned by the famous Parisian "Lido Show," 2000's "Love Vs. Hate" an original Ballet commissioned by JDLA, 1999 Japanese Tour for the Master of Illusion "Franz F." (Fuji TV), The 20th anniversary production of "Hair," and was Feature guest Artist along with his dance company "Personna Dance Theatre" to perform in the opening Ceremony/Gala show of the largest dance festival in South America "The 16th International Dance Festival of Joinville" (Brazil); after performing, Mr. Magno was paid tribute and awarded by the (Latin America & Brazilian Dance Society) a Special Homage Award for his achievements in Dance. Alexandre's unique styles and theatrical ideas have leaded him to produce his own shows as well. To do this he formed Personna Production Co., successfully directing 5 shows in the Los Angeles area. Most recently produced, directed and choreographed the powerful show "With Passion." All of which confirmed Magno's uncanny abilities to mix drama and movement in a way new to the Hollywood scene.
Alexandre's choreography combines lyrical, funk, jazz, flamenco, Brazilian Afro, hip-hop, ballet and modern in a style all of his own. His work stands out because of his artistic integrity and insistence on being the best he can be.
http://www.Magnodance.com MSA: 323-957-6680
DEBRA BROWN
 Renowned choreographer Debra Brown, working with a troupe from the unique and inimitable Cirque du Soleil, will enliven the 74th Annual Academy Awards® with a tribute that celebrates a yet to be announced aspect of cinema. "It will be an exciting interpretation," promises Brown, who is often praised for her innovative use of contortionism, gymnastics, and aerial choreography. Anyone who has seen Brown's inventive and often gravity-defying work with Cirque du Soleil will attest to its startling artistry.
For the award-winning Brown, however, one of the biggest challenges in choreographing this routine for the Oscar® Awards is not overseeing the dangerous and difficult aerial feats. Rather, it is communicating with the members of the troupe-of the 30 Cirque members who will perform that night. For the majority, English is a second or even third language. "I do use an interpreter, but mostly we rely on visuals and trust to work together. We are creating our own language through movement," says Brown. She has incorporated these varied cultural influences into her work over the past 15 years, while working as principal choreographer of Cirque and lending her expertise to other projects.
Brown got her first glimpse of Cirque du Soleil after she literally sneaked under the big top in Vancouver and caught the show. At the time, the Canada-native was gaining a reputation for her avant-garde work with local dance troupes and the Canadian gymnastics team. A year later, in 1987, Brown joined the acclaimed Montreal-based circus as its principal choreographer. Her talents were quickly recognized. Theater critic Bruce Weber of The New York Times called "O" which Brown choreographed in 1998, "high-spirited, semisurreal and visually arresting - in other words, very Cirque." Among other accolades, she received the prestigious Bob Fosse Innovative Choreography Award in 1997.
In addition to choreographing eight shows for Cirque during her tenure, Brown has worked on operas, music videos, and touring performances. Last year, she created and guided Madonna's aerial feats for the Drowned World Tour. "Madonna wanted to learn how to fly for the show and we had to be precise about her timing in the air," says Brown, who outfitted the singer with a harness and sent her skyward.
She also worked alongside the band Aerosmith, choreographing their video "Jaded" and their energetic performance for the American Music Awards. Brown's novel choreography for the opera-including her signature use of
bungie cords-has been showcased in premieres at New York's Metropolitan Opera with Luciano Pavarotti, Chicago's Lyric Opera, and the Theatre de L'Unite and Arts Nova in Paris.
Her eclectic resume is, no doubt, an outgrowth of her attitude towards her craft. "I don't look at movement as being stylized. I don't see myself as a choreographer of any particular type of dance," says Brown, who is constantly striving to reinvent the language of movement. Her latest celebrated effort involved working with the 2000 Canadian Olympic Synchronized Swimming at the summer games in Sydney, Australia. Currently, Brown is the creative force behind a movement troupe she founded called Apogee, which has performed at such high profile events as an AIDS benefit hosted by Elizabeth Taylor in Los Angeles and the official NFL Superbowl Party in 1997. The troupe is presently developing a new show.
|
Pressroom Home
Pressroom Home
