Celebrating Five Female Trailblazers in Commercial Dance for Women’s History Month
- Second Act
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
By The Second Act Team
As a young dancer, when not in the studio or practicing double pirouettes in the middle of the kitchen floor, many of us were stationed in front of the television, attempting to mirror the dance moves of our favorite music videos or movie scenes. With stars in our eyes and chart toppers playing loudly, we would get lost in the high-energy, visually-engaging talent on our screens.
This Women’s History Month, we’re pleased to spotlight five female commercial dance trailblazers who created some of our favorite routines and inspired so many of us to pursue dance as a career. Whether through inventive choreography, the introduction of underexplored genres, or their representation in the field, these five women have left their indelible mark on the commercial dance space.
Paula Abdul
At just 18, Paula Abdul began her professional dance career as a Laker Girl for the Los Angeles Lakers. As head choreographer of the Laker Girls, Paula was discovered by The Jacksons and went on to choreograph their “Torture” music video and The Jacksons Victory Tour. From these early projects, Paula choreographed for a number of stars, including Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Dolly Parton, as well as for “The Tracey Ullman Show.” Paula’s film credits include Can’t Buy Me Love, The Running Man, Coming to America, and Jerry Maguire.
Her illustrious career has earned her two GRAMMY Awards, three American Music Awards, two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography, five MTV Video Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards as Favorite Female Music Performer and five Juno Awards.
With six number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, Paula was also a successful solo artist in her own right. Most recently, she joined New Kids on the Block for their 2024 The Magic Summer Tour, which she helped to choreograph. Maintaining a choreographic throughline throughout her career, Paula’s continued success remains a testament to her strong dance foundation.
Tina Landon
Tina Landon began her career as a Laker Girl under the mentorship and direction of Paula Abdul. Her breakout role came when she was cast as a principal dancer in Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” music video. Beginning with Janet Jackson’s “If” music video and The Velvet Rope World Tour, Tina’s choreographic style has been categorized by her high-energy choreography and early integration of house and hip-hop styles. Her work spans choreography for Britney Spears, Rhianna, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, and other high-profile artists.
Tina has been nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards, receiving an MTV award for Best Choreography for Michael and Janet Jackson’s “Scream.” She received an American Choreography Award for Mya’s “Case of the Ex” and an Emmy nomination for Janet Jackon’s The Velvet Rope World Tour.
Now, co-founder and master teacher at The Break Thru Experience, Tina works with young competition dancers on everything from technique to execution, providing valuable mentorship for young dancers navigating careers in the music industry.
Fatima Robinson
Fatima Robinson began dancing when she was just five years old. As she grew into her late teens, Fatima became a regular fixture at the hip-hop clubs in Los Angeles. It was at one of these clubs that she was seen by John Singleton and recruited to be an extra in Boyz N the Hood. Not long after, Fatima was tapped by John to choreograph for Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time.” Alongside Michael Jackson, Fatima’s choreographic roster includes routines for Mary J. Blige, Bobby Brown, Fergie, Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell WIlliams, and more.
Fatima additionally has a number of stage credits including serving as the director of choreography for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, choreographing NBC’s live television production of The Wiz Live! and choreographing the halftime shows for Super Bowl XLV and Super Bowl LVI.
Fatima has been nominated for three primetime Emmy Awards and eight MTV Video Music Awards, including wins for Best Hip Hop Video for “My Humps” and Best Choreography in a Video for “Hey Mama.”
Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba began her career as one of the original Fly Girls on the series In Living Color. In this role, Carrie Ann was one of the first Asian Americans to perform contemporary dance on national television. Complementing her successful dancing career, Carrie Ann choreographed a number of primetime shows, including American Juniors, Dance Fever and TV Land Awards. As the population of reality TV skyrocketed, Carrie Ann became a household name as one of the longest standing judges on Dancing with the Stars.
In recognition of her breaking barriers as part of the AAPI community, Carrie Ann was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2015.
Mandy Moore
Working under Carrie Ann Inaba, Mandy Moore was hired to assist with auditions for the first season of So You Think You Can Dance. She later choreographed for the show in her own right beginning in season 3. Her television credits include American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and Glee. Mandy’s iconic choreography can be found in Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning films such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and La La Land. Her stage work includes some of the world’s largest stars, having choreographed for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and the 2024 Academy Awards "Just Ken" performance.
In 2017, Mandy made history as the first person to choreograph for the Golden Globe Awards, Academy Awards, GRAMMY Awards, and Emmy Awards in the same year. She’s received 14 Primetime Emmy nominations, including two wins for Outstanding Choreography for Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, respectively, and one for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
As a member of the Choreographers Guild board, the Television Academy Board of Governors, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mandy uses her voice to seek fair compensation and support for current and emerging choreographers.
The paths these women have carved for themselves in the commercial dance industry not only speak to their immense talent but to their love of and dedication to dance as a discipline. Their ability to inspire the next generation of dancers, however, is the key to their ongoing legacies. They’ve not only paved the road for some of today’s most prominent names in commercial dance, but have empowered countless young dancers to follow in their footsteps.
At Second Act, we share this willingness to mentor as one of our core values. We’re honored that our mission of helping guide dancers in their pursuit of a new career through direct mentorship and the support of a like-minded community is in such excellent company.
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