Dance Magazine

Lizzo's Choreographer on Why Plus-Size Dancers Shouldn't Be a "Specialty" Act

Jemel McWilliams, As Told To Alison Feller

I started working as Lizzo’s choreographer and live-show artistic director last January. She has a vision: She wants to put curvy dancers in her performances, because they are deserving. And I was so down.

But when we had our first casting call, an agency open call in Los Angeles, our top agencies only had two to four dancers on their rosters that they considered plus-size—meaning smaller than your average-sized American woman.

Lizzo was feeling defeated. So we put out a post on Instagram and I did my own open call. A ton of girls auditioned who were thicker, who had never even thought of walking into an agency. Some had been rejected by them. I booked dancers for Coachella who had no professional experience.

Throughout the summer, the L.A. agencies were starting to call me. They were representing more curvy dancers. The market had opened up. Lizzo was excited, I was excited. We thought, Wow! We have actually made some changes in the industry.