Features

Perspective: Fatima Robinson

Fatima Robinson
Choreographer/Director
Los Angeles CA



Job History
After high school, I was a professional hair dresser.

But I'd go to clubs and people would see me dance and ask me to do music videos. This was kinda the beginnings of hip hop and there weren't any titles like choreographers or directors. No one really knew where the music was going, it was a new thing for everybody. And no one was that familiar with the music business. We were just a bunch of kids who had all this creativity that would go to clubs, get together, and hook up with other people. Directors and actors would see me and ask me to do stuff. That's how I got started. These are the projects I've worked on:

Music Video Director
-Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama"
-Ricky Fante's "It Ain't Easy"
-Truth's "Ready Now"

Music Videos
-Aaliyah's "Rock The Boat," "More Than A Woman," "Try Again," "We Need A Resolution," "One in a Million," and "Are You That Somebody"
-Ashanti's "Rock Wit U"
-Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life"
-Everybody (Backstreet's Back)'s "As Long As You Love Me"
-Brandy's "Baby"
-Busta Rhymes"Put Your Hands Where My…"
-Dr. Dre's "Been There, Done That"
-Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away"
-Macy Gray's "Sexual Revolution"
-Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair and "You Bring Me Joy"
-Maxwell's "Let's Not Play the Game"
-Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time"
-Monica's "Knock Knock"
-Nikka Costa's "Like A Feather"
-Nelly's "Flap Your Wings"
-Nelly Furtado's "Turn Off the Light"
-No Doubt's "Bathwater"
-Notorious BIG's "Hypnotize"
-R. Kelly's "Snake"
-Santana's "Maria, Maria"
-Sade's "By Your Side"
-Truth Hurts' "Addictive"
-Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman"
-Will Smith's "Nod Your Head," "Will2K," "Wild Wild West"
-Wyclef f. Missy Elliot's "Party to Damascus"

Theater
-"Radiant Baby" at the NY Public Theater (2003)

Commercials
-Claritin (2004)
-Soft n' Dry (2004)
-Michelob (2004)
-Marshall's Holiday (2003)
-Target "Changing of the Guards" (2003)
-Reebok / Lady Foot Locker with Mary J. Blige (2003)
-Gap (2003)
-Verizon with James Earl Jones (2003)
-Gap Holiday "Crazy Stripes" Campaign (2002)
-ABC Monday Night Football Promo (2002)
-Calvin Klein (2002)
-Clairol (2002)
-Coca Cola "Nu Classic Soul" (2001)
-GAP Celebrity "Give A Little Gift" Campaign (2001)
-GAP Celebrity "My First Love" Campaign (2001)
-GAP Kids "Super Powered Denim" Campaign (2001)
-GAP "Spring Is Here" Campaign (2001)
-Reebok featuring Venus Williams (2001)
-GAP Holiday (2000)
-GAP Kids Holiday (2000)
-GAP Kids (2000)
-Sprint with Sela Ward (2000)
-Visa (2000)
-Clairol Herbal Essence (2000)
-GAP "Khaki Soul" (1999)

Television Choreography
-Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards for Outkast (2004)
-NAACP Image Awards Show Choreographer (2004)
-Wayne Brady Show for Outkast (2004)
-NBA All-Star Game for Outkast (2004)
-Grammy Awards for Outkast (2004, 2002), No Doubt (2003), and Will Smith (2000, 1998)
-Brit Awards for Outkast (2004)
-Saturday Night Live for Outkast (2003)
-The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for Outkast (2003)
-Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Special's Show Choreographer (2003)
-1st Annual Vibe Awards' Show Choreographer (2003)
-VH1 Hot in '03 Awards for Outkast (2003)
-Essence Awards' Show Choreographer (2003, 2002)
-BET Awards for R. Kelly (2003)
-Drew Carey Show's Season Premiere (2001)
-CBS Live Concert Special for the Backstreet Boys (2001)
-American Music Awards for Shaggy (2002) and Enrique Iglesias (2000)
-Billboard Music Awards for R. Kelly (2003)
-My VH1 Awards for No Doubt (2000)
-MTV Video Music Awards for Shakira (2002) and Master P (1998)
-MTV Video Music Awards-Europe for Whitney Houston (2002)
-Soul Train Awards for Tweet (2002)

Film Choreography
-Collateral with Tom Cruise, Jaime Foxx
-Be Cool with John Travolta, Uma Thurman
-Miss Congeniality 2 with Sandra Bullock
-Fat Albert
-Shall We Dance's club scene with Jennifer Lopez
-Head of State with Chris Rock
-Biker Boyz with Lawrence Fishburne
-Ali with Will Smith
-Save The Last Dance with Julia Stiles
-Romeo Must Die with Aaliyah
-Player's Club with Ice Cube

Tours
-Outkast's Promo Tour (2003)
-Backstreet Boys' "Black & Blue" World Tour (2001), "Into the Millennium" World Tour, and the World Tour '97-'98
-Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" Tour 2002
-Shaggy's US Tour 2001

What was your breakout job?
When I did Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time" at 21. People started seeing my stuff then and asking who's this girl. From then, I just kept working with other artists from Bobby Brown, Guy, Heavy D, to Mary J. Blige.

What are you currently working on? What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

I'm working on Gap commercials, Calvin Klein commercials, and I just finished some films. My responsibilities include getting up, conducting rehearsals. Sometimes these job require 2 to 5 days of rehearsal, depending on the gig. And 2 to 5 shoot dates. I also cast the dancers and I go through dance agents in CA and NY.

As a choreographer, I make up the dance routines. I'm responsible for the overall dance steps that my dancers will be doing.

What is the biggest challenge or downside of what you do?

I don't really see things as challenges. It's all part of the job. It's just making people look like their as natural as possible and not choreographed. It can be sometimes difficult so I just keep working and working on it.

What inspires or motivates you?

Young kids definitely inspire me. The youth and everything that they come up with because all the new, latest, and freshest stuff come from kids dancing. Sometimes I go to 18 and over clubs or high school events to scout that creativity and see younger kids dancing.

Is that your primary source of "new" dance steps?

That and just going to different clubs in different cities in different countries. Clubs are my classroom. I travel to different spots to see what's going on.

How do you stay on top of your game as a choreographer?

Going to clubs and just being observant, and keeping track of what's going on out there and what's going on around me is a critical part of my gig. I also sometimes go to classes.

How do you balance your personal and your professional life?

It's just like anything else. I take jobs sometimes and if I haven't been home with my family enough, I won't take that job and stay home. Or I have my family travel with me.

What career achievement are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of staying a working mother. I was doing 50 million things during my pregnancy and after my child's birth. I was directing A Girl Named Cole's video three days before I gave birth and continued working throughout my pregnancy.

What was your biggest career/personal mistake and what did you learn from the experience?

A big mistake was going out on the road when I really did not want to go out on the road. From that, I learned to really follow my true feelings and not do it to make somebody else happy.

What are your guiding principles?

Do unto others as you want done unto you. You should be good with that.

Do you think your artistry influences your entrepreneurship?

It definitely does! You've got to take care of the business. At the end of the day, you can be the most talented person in the world but if you can't learn to survive off your art, then what's the use. You've got to at some point step back and say "What I do is valuable. What I do means something" and then learn how to place a price tag on that.

Has that ever been a problem for you.

Nope. I knew the value of what I was doing and charged or positioned myself accordingly.

How did the instructional dance video come about?

We approached Disney about doing it because I just had so many kids asking me about teaching and I never had time to do it.

Do you plan on continuing that series?

No. That was a time in my life. That project serviced that particular need. I'm not really there now. I'm more focused on directing music videos.

Why did you move on from choreography to directing?

I haven't moved on from choreography, I just added directing to my resume. It's a natural progression. A lot of times, when I work with directors, I help them out on treatments and collaborate with them in the beginning stages. And I went to New York Film Academy when I realized that directing was something that I was interested in doing. From that, people would ask me to do stuff.

What other things are you interested in doing?

Interior designing but that's not until later in life.

Your birthday? Where you grew up? Where you went to school?

My birthday is August 29, 1971. I grew up in Los Angeles CA and I went to San Pedro HS.

Message Fatima Robinson and tell her what you think

Ray Tamarra

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