Three photos of JaQuel Knight dancing on a red background. He looks straight into the camera in each pose

JaQuel Knight: Changing the Game, From Choreography to Copyright

“Choreographers are really the bastard kids of the industry,” he says. “We don’t have the respect that should be on our names based on the value we bring to a project, especially those of us who are Black and brown.” Earning choreographers that respect, he realized, would require forcing the industry to recognize their work’s value. And copyright—the establishment of legal ownership—would be his crowbar. 

What Copyright Protections Do Choreographers Have Over Their Work?

When choreography is created, is it protected by copyright? Yes and no. JaQuel Knight is facing this question today in his journey to copyright his iconic choreographic work with artists like Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion. Thanks to U.S. copyright law, the process has not been easy. Through a partnership with the Dance Notation Bureau, […]

Debbie Allen Is Throwing a Massive Dance-a-thon—and You’re Invited

In this global economic crisis, it sometimes feels like the plight of dancers has been largely ignored. So Debbie Allen is on a mission to change that. “They don’t list dance and the arts as essential,” she says, “but we are! We give people more joy and hope than almost anything.” To spread that joy […]

This Choreographer Gets Beyoncé in Formation

They say your life can change in a moment. For JaQuel Knight, it took precisely three minutes and 18 seconds. That’s how long three leotard-and-high-heel-clad women spent on-screen, strutting in perfect unison and becoming an instant video sensation, one that would go on to garner more than 600 million views on YouTube. The women, of […]

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