I’m wondering if The Wiz Live! producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan feel like Santa Claus, because the two of them have been behind a couple of our favorite early Christmas presents. The dynamic duo has struck again, and this time it’s in the form of a dance drama television series for NBC centered around the life of Fatima Robinson, the dancer, and her transformation into the legendary choreographer we know her as today.
Yes, my heart just stopped too.
We’re talking 1990s Los Angeles.
FILA. Bucket hats. And bright colors.
Street dancers. Pac. And box braids.
But most importantly the raw, authentic choreography of Fatima Robinson.
Right now the show is untitled and in the early stages of development, but what we do know is we’re in for a treat as we travel back in time to see the birth of hip-hop dance.
Robinson is what we like to call a “heavyweight” in the industry. Revered as “one of the most sought-after hip-hop and popular music choreographers in the world” by the New York Times, she has worked with Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Leona Lewis, Sade, Prince, Rihanna, Cheryl Cole, Snoop, and Mary J. Blige.
She was the mastermind behind the 2011 Super Bowl Halftime show with the Black Eyed Peas, 2012 Coachella Tupac Hologram, and HBO Inauguration event for President Barack Obama. Robinson made history as the second Black woman to choreograph the Oscars in 2007 and 2009. As if that wasn’t enough WERK to fill a career, her film choreography includes the mega hit Dreamgirls, as well as Sparkle, Charlie Wilson’s War, American Gangster, Public Enemy, Ali, and Confessions of a Shopaholic.
I think NBC has struck gold yet again. The Robinson-Meron-Zadan team has worked so well in the past— The Oscars, The Wiz Live!, and well, let’s hope the third time proves to be a charm.
