Although Rudy Abreu is currently JLo’s backup dancer and an award-winning choreographer—his piece “Pray” tied for second runner-up at the 2018 Capezio A.C.E. Awards, and a variation of the piece made it to the finals on NBC’s “World of Dance”—he still finds time to teach. Especially about how he hears music.
When Abreu started choreographing as a teenager, he was drawn to hip hop, dubstep and the electronic beats of Skrillex. His music tastes paired with his traditional dance training helped him to create his own style, which he considers nontraditional contemporary. “I don’t normally choreograph to the music or lyrics,” says Abreu. “It’s more of a feeling that inspires the movement.”
Whether teaching his all-male company, Embodiment THE Collective, leading a class at EDGE Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles or setting a competition piece, he encourages students to understand the musicality of a song. Abreu finds this helps dancers to create raw and authentic performances. “I like technique and tricks, but steps without intention are absolutely meaningless,” he says.
Artist: James Arthur
Song: “At My Weakest”
“I love James Arthur, and every time I hear him sing I feel his soul really leading his lyrics. I really feel his passion, and this song, specifically, was easy to create to.”
At My Weakest
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Artist: Post Malone
Album: beerbongs & bentleys
Song: “Stay”
“Although, a lot of music today doesn’t really have meaning, I do like to stay current with my song choices, so more people can relate to the music. This song is an exception—it’s on the charts and is very meaningful, which is why I was inspired to move to it.”
Stay
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Artist: Bad Bunny
Song: “Amorfoda”
“My roots come from Miami, Florida, home to many people who are Cuban, including my family. ‘Amorfoda’ has a deep meaning of love and the ugly effects it can have on you. I could relate to this from previous life experiences, which is what really motivates me to create.”
Bad Bunny – Amorfoda | Video Oficial
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Artist: Sia, Diplo and Labrinth
Song: “Genius”
“I love these artists, normally with their softer sides, but this song showed me a new version of them, and I love listening to artists evolve into new styles of music.”
LSD – Genius ft. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth
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Artist: TroyBoi
Album: Left Is Right
Song: “Sensei”
“Sometimes my motivation to move just comes from cool sounds in everyday life, like a car alarm, rain pouring, microwave going off, etc. ‘Sensei’ is such a cool song, and this type of music drives me to create in a different way.”
TroyBoi – “Sensei” OFFICIAL VERSION
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