Music careers

Paul Domaine worked as a commercial dancer in TV, theatre and fashion before he became a choreographer. He’s choreographed for shows including the MTV Awards, Top of the Pops, The Brits and CD:UK and hammered out dance routines for everyone from Westlife, the Sugababes and Dannii Minogue to Faithless. If anyone can tell you the right way to swing your pants on stage – it’s him!

YM: How did you become a choreographer?
PD: I started dancing when I was 9 and had formal training. When I left school, I went into a proper job and didn’t like it, so when I was 20 I decided to do what my heart told me to and that was to perform. I went to some classes run by an old school choreographer called Brian Rogers who was very famous at the time. He took me aside and encouraged me to start dancing professionally. I did that for about 10 years, then I started getting involved in assistant chorography and eventually I was fortunate that somebody believed in me and gave me the chance to do some actual choreography myself.

YM: Is there a lot of work around for choreographers?
PD: Pop is quite a big part of the business. Over the past five or six years, it’s become common for artists to have dancers behind them, or actually be dancing themselves, so there is more call for a choreographer to be involved.

YM: Can anyone dance?
PD: If somebody can keep in time and hear rhythm then generally you can get them to dance…

YM: Is choreography important?
PD: It is important to have choreography nowadays, but more than that, it’s important to have a good overall package. It’s not just a matter of singing or dancing – there’s styling, choreography, videos… it’s making a saleable product. A lot more people coming through like Busted and McFly don’t have choreography, but artists still need movement; whether it’s choreography or just staging to look confident on stage and have a presence.

YM: So choreography can be just the way you hold your guitar?
PD: An artist doesn’t have to be jumping around the stage to have a choreographer. They can have one just to make sure that they’re standing right because it all gives an image at the end of the day and that image has to be right.

YM: What advice did you give to KDES?
PD: I think KDES were good, but I’ve taken out choreography when they’re doing their solos because they need to concentrate on the vocals. Choreography is good, but unfortunately it can affect performance if it’s pulling the vocals.

YM: Elton John as recently accused Madonna of miming during her concerts - what’s more important a slick stage show or a live vocal?
PD: It happens, various artists who are reported to mime and their performances are quite big visually. Unfortunately, there’s no way that you can sing something perfectly if it has a very strenuous dance routine – something has to go. It’s not just a matter of stamina – if you’re jumping around it’s going to affect your vocals. It’s just a matter of making sure that there is enough choreography in there not to pull the vocals but still have a big visual affect.

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