Sean Bankhead got cut from Usher's tour at 19. Almost 15 years later, he came out of retirement and danced next to Usher at the Super Bowl.
Sean is the choreographer behind Cardi B, Normani, Tate McRae, Lil Nas X, Missy Elliott, Victoria Monét and Lisa. He started out as a shy kid from Atlanta who couldn't book a dance job, so he made his own videos, put them on YouTube, and the world knew his name before the industry did.
In this conversation I break down with Sean how his "Run The World" dance video dropped before Beyoncé's own video and got his whole channel taken down, how he ended up performing "Single Ladies" with Beyoncé, why Normani was the first star he saw coming, and how he gave Tate McRae real pop dance. We also get into the parts nobody posts about. Why choreographers and directors sell the music but never see the royalties, the one thing he looks for when he hires dancers, why technique doesn't beat taste, the BET moment with Lil Nas X nobody planned, and what his therapist told him about needing to be needed.
If you're a dancer, choreographer or creative trying to get paid what you're worth, this one is for you.
0:00 Cold Open
1:37 The Kid Who Couldn't Book A Job
2:12 Living Out Of A Suitcase Since 19
3:19 His First YouTube Channel
4:39 The World Knew Him Before The Industry Did
9:52 Beyoncé's "Run The World" Call
14:51 The Dance Video People Thought Was Real
15:48 Copyright Strikes Killed His Channel
17:37 Frozen In The Room With Beyoncé
20:15 How To Build Aura
22:55 Fatima Robinson Took Him Under Her Wing
23:42 Prince Showed Up To His Birthday Party
26:11 Atlanta Became Black Hollywood
27:30 Normani Was The First Star He Saw Coming
31:04 Giving Tate McRae Real Pop Dance
32:31 From Choreographer To Creative Partner
33:37 Underpaid For The Vision
34:44 1.5 Billion Views, Not A Penny
35:48 "We Sell The Music"
40:18 Creatives Are 100% A Business
41:52 How Dancers Actually Make Money
42:56 Taylor Swift's Dancer Bonuses
44:39 Why He Books The Same Dancers Every Time
45:04 The #1 Thing He Looks For In A Dancer
47:03 Technique Doesn't Beat Taste
48:57 How He Really Started With Beyoncé
49:33 His First Big Break, "Promise Ring"
50:53 Performing "Single Ladies" With Beyoncé
53:42 Stomp The Yard 2 And Hannah Montana
54:06 Cut From Usher's Tour At 19
57:04 Out Of Retirement For The Super Bowl
59:34 Next To Usher On The Biggest Stage
1:01:18 Why Cardi B Outperforms Everyone
1:05:45 Chris Brown's Edit Room Lesson
1:06:34 The Secret To Viral Choreography
1:08:16 Lisa And The K-Pop Process
1:11:13 K-Pop Stans And Twitter
1:12:07 How Lil Nas X Found Him
1:14:34 The BET Kiss Nobody Planned
1:15:57 Everything Checked Off Except Janet
1:17:48 You Can't Delegate Taste
1:18:23 Therapy And The Need To Be Needed
1:22:10 Will Stepping Back End His Career?
1:23:08 Why He Hasn't Done His Own TV Show
1:24:03 Jumping To The Next Ladder
1:25:17 Filling Your Cup Back Up
1:26:15 Rapid Fire: Doja Cat Is Underrated
1:27:45 The Artist Who Learns Fastest
1:28:45 How They Shot Normani's "Wild Side" Slide
1:29:50 TikTok Dancers And The Frosted Flakes Check
1:31:59 Card Pull: What He's Always Wanted To Try
1:33:44 Where To Find Sean
Follow Sean here
Follow Arrad (podcast host) here
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