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Vincent Paterson returns to The MJCast, joining Elise Capron and Q for a listener Q&A. Paterson, who first appeared on the show in 2017 (on #TheMJCast064), is an iconic director and choreographer whose career has spanned across film, theater, pop music tours, TV, commercials, and much more. Within the MJ fan community he is, of course, best known for his work with the King of Pop. With Michael Jackson, he played a central role in creating some of the most memorable moments in pop culture history, from the short films for “Beat It” and “Thriller”, where he was a lead dancer and also assistant choreographer, to working on the short films for “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Speed Demon”, “Dirty Diana” and “Smooth Criminal”, (for which he developed Michael’s unforgettable “lean” move), and, later, the “Black Or White” and “Blood on the Dance Floor” films. He also worked on the live performance side, directing the Bad World Tour, the 1988 Grammys performance, the MTV 10th Anniversary performance, the Super Bowl, and more.
Paterson’s resume extends far beyond Michael Jackson as well. He has worked closely with Madonna, George Harrison, Van Halen, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Lionel Ritchie, Whitney Houston, and many more. His choreography in major motion pictures can be seen in work such as “Evita”, “The Birdcage”, “Hook”, and “Dancer in the Dark”, just to name a few.
In 2022, Paterson published his memoir, “Icons and Instincts: Choreographing and Directing Entertainment’s Biggest Stars”, which details his fascinating journey through dance, stage, screen, and beyond.
Paterson is widely recognized as one of America’s greatest choreographers, and the team feels so privileged to have had him on the show back in Season Three for a career-spanning interview, and now, to have him return for a focused discussion around questions sent in from fans.
The MJCast thanks everyone who contributed questions — we wish we could have included each and every submission in our chat! (Note: The hosts had to consolidate some questions for the sake of the flow of the conversation. Also, at the time of recording, Vincent had not yet seen the biopic, so those questions could not be addressed. Thank you for understanding.)
This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.
Questions:
1) Jacksongirl2300 (Instagram): Hi, Vincent. First, it was really good to meet you at the “This Is Thriller” event in October 2024. I would love to ask the five W’s on your introduction to Michael
2) Charlie Carter (Facebook): During the filming for the Beat It music video, how much interaction did you have with the “gang” members and how would you describe the atmosphere between them? Were there any moments where you thought it might kick off?
3) MJsBADdie (X): Why didn’t the dancer on the left in the Beat It video know the choreography?
4) Dane Thomson (X): How did they come to choose the arrangement of the zombies during the Thriller dance? Particularly the two ladies to Michael’s left and right. They stand out really well. Do you know the intention behind it if there was one?
5) Cindy Messina (Instagram): Beside the zombie teeth from Thriller you showed us at This is Thriller, did you keep anything else from the set of any of the other projects you were part of?
6) Paul Dwyer (Facebook): I’ve heard conflicting stories around the “LEAN” in the smooth criminal video. Were wires & harnesses used? Or was it those patented shoes? I presume you & MJ worked on the choreography for an amount of time before the shoot. How did your choreography inline with that iconic move? When was that move conceived?
7) MJsBADdie (X): What parts of the Smooth Criminal short film did Michael conceptualize? Was the spin on the table Michael freestyling or movie magic? What parts of the choreography did Michael tweak to fit his movements?
8) Connor Jake Elder (Instagram): Hi Vincent, I’m a huge fan of your work. Your collaborations with Michael inspired me to start dancing at five years old, and I haven’t stopped since. I’d love to ask: In Smooth Criminal, there’s that incredible moment where the music stops, the cat walks across the piano, Michael lets out the “oooh,” and the performance builds into the final “Annie, Are You Okay?” crescendo. It feels intensely emotional and almost primal. Did Michael ever explain what he was trying to express through that sequence?
9) Porter Wolff (Instagram): Michael Jackson’s original concept for Smooth Criminal was a western—did he ever discuss that idea with you?
10) Bucatini6 (Instagram): I’ve seen photos of Robert DeNiro visiting the set of Smooth Criminal and I’ve read that perhaps Fred Astaire all visited? Undoubtedly MJ’s outfit was a homage to Astaire- Do you have recollection of these visits? Thank you.
11) Etebeye (Instagram): Hi, Vincent. Your book is a must-read for everyone in performing arts! Your collaborations with Michael are a masterclass in creativity. The MTV10 Will You Be There performance I feel doesn’t get enough props when it’s one of the most artistic and intricate choreographies Michael’s ever done. Could you please walk us through how that piece was developed?
12) Gratian Dimech (X): I’d love to know more about the BOTDF shoot. Such a simple but amazing piece. What was it like directing it with Michael?
13) Leah Thompson (Facebook): Can you please tell us any treasured memories from the blood on the dance floor choreography and video?
14) Luma (X): How was the process of Michael learning salsa to the Blood on the dance floor video?
15) D. | magicmikelegacy (X): In blood on the dance floor Michael dances salsa. Is there any other genre of dance that Michael could do besides his own pop/hip hop style that we mostly saw him do.
16) Porter Wolff (Instagram): Can you talk about the 8mm version of the Blood on the Dance Floor video?
17) Eddie Santos (email): Did you guys end up doing two versions of the blood on the dance floor short film?
18) Lisa Croft (X): Seeing how hard Jaafar physically trained for the role, what was Michael’s warm up/workout routine to stay fit to dance? Curious, since there is no footage of Michael ever exercising or working out.
19) Rini (X): What was your and Michael’s process for creating the main choreography? Was it a lot of freestyling and seeing what stuck?
20) Sydney Caree (X): MJ would often take a routine home and rehearse it before the next rehearsal, is there any moment(s) where he changed something in the choreo or added something to it after practicing?
21) Yoann Bomal (X): Are the movements in the choreographies meant to tell a story?
22) MJsBADdie (X/Twitter): What choreography was the most fun to perform?
23) Carol (X): What’s his fave MJ vid he choreographed? Are there any MJ vids he wish he could’ve choreographed, but didn’t get the chance to?
24) Etebeye (Instagram): Why did Michael prefer to dance in loafers even at rehearsals and didn’t those hurt after hours of dancing? And, in the 90s, who paid better, Michael Jackson, Inc. or Madonna, Inc.?
25) Porter Wolff (Instagram): Were there any music video concepts that were planned but never came to fruition?
26) Monique Kinnest (Instagram): If he could choreograph any MJ song, what would it be?
27) Porter Wolff (Instagram): If you had the chance to direct a short film for a song that never received one, which song would you choose, and what direction would you take? (I personally believe Dangerous would have made a great “sequel” in theme to Smooth Criminal, the choreography from the live performances are amazing)
28) Lisa Croft (X): What does he think of the recent Bob Fosse – Michael Jackson discourse on Twitter?
29) Yoann Bomal (X): Did Michael like Bob Fosse’s films beyond just the dancing? Because they’re sometimes quite harsh and very sexual.
30) Gareth Morton (Facebook): What is your opinion of the Beat It gang scene in the Michael biopic?
31) Yoann Bomal (X): What does he think about the “Beat It” sequence from the Biopic, what’s real & what’s not?
32) MJsBADdie (X/Twitter): How was it seeing Jaafar as Michael when you were on set?
33) Sydney Caree (X): I’m assuming you have seen the biopic (if not why), what rating would you give it and which scene was your favorite?
34) Karina Polina-Saliba (Instagram): I have seen the BTS footage for Michael and I saw you actually had the chance to see the making of the concert scenes with Jafaar. You were there with other past collaborators like Jennifer Batten, Greg P, Jonathan the drummer and others. How did it feel like for you seeing familiar faces again and seeing the recreation of those iconic concert moments? Did you also provide any input at all? Or were you just invited out of courtesy? 🙂 Lastly did you watch the movie and what did you think of it?
35) Cindy Messina (Instagram): Were you involved as a consultant for the Michael biopic? Have you received an apology from the Estate or anyone from the Jackson family regarding the premier?
36) Simon Barré-Brisebois (Threads): Have you ever gotten any involvement in the making of the Michael Jackson biopic? Were you interviewed by the director and his crew and did you meet the actor who portrayed you? If yes, what did you speak about?
37) Anne (X): Bjork famously wore a dress with MJ on it to the Golden Globes and MJ asked Bjork a question during a web chat. It seems there was a mutual appreciation. Did Bjork ever mention MJ while you did Dancer in the dark? Also do you think there were similarities between them as artists?
38) Deidre Jericho (Instagram): My questions for Vincent are: 1. You worked with Michael across multiple creative eras, but I’m curious about the quieter moments between the spectacle. Was there ever a moment where you really saw the weight he was carrying as a person, not just Michael Jackson the icon? AND 2. And now that a new generation is rediscovering him through clips, memes, biopics, and social media fragments, what do you think people still fundamentally misunderstand about who he was?
39) Porter Wolff (Instagram): What are your thoughts on the estate and how it has managed his legacy since his passing? Projects you liked, disliked? What would you like to see them do?
40) Camilla Mæle Ruud (X): What do you wish the world knew about Michael that would give them a better understanding of who he was?
41) Maksim_mikivic (Instagram): What is your favorite memory or what do you miss the most?
42) Mammo Jess (Facebook): What is your most treasured memory with Michael?
43) Samantha Gardiner (email): if you could go back and re live one moment from working with Michael what would it be and why?
44) Jacksongirl2300 (Instagram): What are you up to nowadays?
Additional Links
• TheMJCast Episode 64: Vincent Paterson Special, our deep-dive interview with Vincent.
• Vincent’s website.
• Purchase link for Vincent’s memoir, “Icons and Instincts: Choreographing and Directing Entertainment’s Biggest Stars”.
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