- Apr112012
Way Back Wednesday: Dance Domination
Written by Trent | Filed under Britney Spears,Chris Brown,Ciara,Janet Jackson,Michael Jackson,Usher,Way Back Wednesday
Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and Chris Brown.
This week’s Way Back Wednesday special takes a detour from the vocal acrobatics of our previous features and into the exciting world of dance. Focusing on a different breed of entertainer, this segment pays tribute to those performers who move their feet with incredible precision and outright greatness!
Every artist hasn’t been blessed with a voice like Celine Dion or skills on an instrument like Prince but some acts can move onstage in ways that don’t require a single note. Watch some of these astonishing performers in action below:
Britney Spears – ‘Me Against the Music’
Chris Brown – ‘Beautiful People’/'Yeah 3x’
Ciara – ‘Get Up’
Janet Jackson – ‘Pleasure Principle’/'So Excited’
Michael Jackson – MTV VMA Medley
Paula Abdul – MTV VMA Medley
Usher – ‘U Don’t Have to Call’
What sets these performers aside from their peers isn’t the fact that they could quickly learn choreography. Rather, it is their natural ability to engage their audiences and remain the focus of attention while still hitting their marks at every turn.
With Michael Jackson as the obvious master of the stage, each of these acts have incorporated various styles into their routines without ever appearing over-rehearsed or robotic. Also, they understand that dance isn’t just about tossing a headful of blonde weave while skipping around in high heels to a catchy tune; it is an art!
Fun game: rank these dancers in order of skill! Also, who else do you think should have made this shortlist?
Thoughts?
78 Comments
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they are all great dancers. i like this music minute. MJ is my fave though
JAAAAAAAAAANET FTW WOOOP
1.Michael
2.Janet
3.Paula A. & Usher
4.Chris Brown
5.Ciara
6.Britney
Couldn’t resist “mentioning” Bey could you? Smh. Good article though, its nice to get away from the usual vocal posts.
1. Michael 2. Janet 3. Paula Abdul 4. Usher 5. Chris/Ciara 6. Britney
Ciara>>>>>>>>> Ride + promise + gimmie dat >>>> your existence
Britney Spears??? The Queen of 5-6-7-8 and counting in her head?..Ok Trent..smh.
Ciara?? The Queen of Crumping, The James Brown Shuffle, the split and the backbend?? Ok Trent..smh
1. Ciara (just because She has showed she can do straight up hip hop and can transform right into a Sexy sultry dance and slay it) If any of them can do ride we can talk again 2. Janet 3. Micheal 4. Usher 5. Chris brown 5. Paula abdul 6. Britney (christina moves her body much better Brit it seems force and a not stiff)
1. Michael
2. Janet
3. Screw everyone else!
Even though you didn’t mention Beyonce (by name), I do think she is the best of the current crop. She does look like she gives herself whiplash though..ha ha!
Wow people Really hate on cici One Thing you can’t take from the girl she CAN dance Her ASS oFF
1.Beyonce
1.Beyonce
1.Beyonce
Why no 2 or 3? Cause Beyonce always comes in at number 1 even if its just toping her. Beyonce’s a better dancer than all them nobody’s none of them bitches can dance in heels but the true queen can.
Great list! You could have included Mya.
1.Michael & Janet (both of them could do ANY and EVERYTHING, neither of them should be #2)
2.Paula
3.Usher
4.Ciara
5.CB
What will keep Ciara from ever being on Janet & Paula’s level is tho she’s flexible and can split, Janet & Paula have speed, coordination, and versatility. You know what she could but she dont.
I want MJ back.
lol at beyfan can you please shut the fuk up……they didn’t mention her cause beyonce can’t dance some of you need to stop this madness i don’t dislike her but she is overrated.1.Michael
2.Janet
3.Paula A. & Usher
4.Chris Brown
5.Ciara
if you speak to professional dancers they will tell you that Beyonce is not a graceful dancer i think they use the word “fluid” she can move and she can work a stage so she is very entertaining but …….. michael definitely deserves the number one spot
Michael/Janet/Paula… That is all.
@sha syl Beyonce could dance you really don’t have to lie. Single Ladies, End Of Time, Deja Vu, RTW proved that.
@gose Bitch Boo Bye
Trent never did mention Beyonce but it obvious who is talking about. But it could be Gaga, Rih, KESHA,
@Goser If we speak to professional dancers i wonder what they would say about Mariah, Rihanna or Mary and let’s not act like they didn’t TRY to dance. Britney was fast and in synch with her back up dancers but she never had any style, or any swag to her dancing… The same with JLO, that’s why i think Beyonce is a much better dancer than them.
How could you forget Mya?
Some Ciara haters up in here -_-, watching Cici reminds me of why I’m anticipating/ so excited for her comeback ^_^
1. Janet
2. Michael
…..
98. Aretha Franklin
99. Beyonce
Ciara Is Up There !? Well Where In The Hell Is Aaliyah & Mya At ?!
1.MJ
2.JJ
Where is Madonna?
Why the Bey shade Trent?
This makes me so sad cause britney was EVERYTHING. And beyonce stans calm down this is for the masters of dance, she’s a great overall performer but not on this level for just dancing. Where da hell is Usher though??
This is nice… Trent I see you switching it up. I like it. Some people need to understand the key word is “dancer and skills”.
1. Michael (no one can do it better.. EVER!!)
2. Janet.. Ms. Jackson if you nasty (She is just a Beast)
3. Chris Brown/Beyonce (even the great MJ called it about CB)
4. Usher
5. Britney (but she is more from school of Paula A. cheerleading moves).
5.
Britney> Madonna and Beyonce. She was like a young Janet in her prime. Madonna could never
Where’s Mya?
This is too hard to rank but the peformers who i get most excited about for there dancing skills is MJ,Chris Brown,Britney,Ciara and Usher. Britney was shockingly amazing back in the day. Although in 2012, i LIVE for her hand dancing lol.
I wish artists would go back to doing hard choregraphy in videos and live performances. The only artists doing that today are Chris Brown, Beyonce, Dawn Richard and Ciara. I LOVE hard core dance and sometimes u will see some artists try to dance *COUGH JLS COUGH*and people will call it “EPIC”. I would love Alexandra Burke to get better at dancing cause i think that would up grade her level of artisty. Right now, her choreography is basic beyonce tbh.
This was one of my favorite WBW’s Trent! More dance based ones please!
Where the hell is Jennifer Lopez, Shakira & Mya
LOFL at some of yall really pressed and pissed over Bey not being included, when the bitch is not a good dancer. Her moves consists of stomping, wig slinging, and ass shaking, and unless your into drag queens performing, you shouldnt be impressed, she’s nowhere near any of the genius listed above. Hell even when she does rarely use other parts of her body to dance she’s still not as fast and perfect as ANY female listed above.
That’s right. Beyonce could never. Queen Britney (pre 2007) will always shit on your fave.
1. Michael
2. Janet
3. Usher
4. Chris
5. Paula
6. Ciara
7. Britney
Great post! I agree with Shannon, pertaining to JLo, Shakira and Mya being on the list.
michael, usher, janet, chris
Idk, why people are mad that Beyonce was left out? The thing that seperates her from the rest of these performers is that she is a live singer therefore she can’t perform hard choreography like them. She makes up for it by having crazy energy.
However I would say Beyonce is a way better dancer than Britney. She is so overrated and is the epitome of what over rehearsed looks like, even in her prime. She has always been stiff, only difference is back in the day she was more precise. Beyonce has natural rhythm unlike that girl.
Oh and my ordering would go.
Janet Jackson > Michael Jackson > Paula Abdul > Usher > Chris Brown > Ciara> Usher > Britney Spears
Michael and Janet (Tide), Chris Brown, Usher, Ciara, Paula, Britney, Ne-Yo.
@Ni
Bitch please. Paula is on a whole different level than Britney Spear.
There is difference between being able to do choreography and being a dancer. Beyonce is an artist who does choreography well. She is more of a ‘mover’ than a dancer. Dancing is an art that is innate! It’s more about rhythm and technical skill.
When you think of Michael Jackson, he combined the two very well. His smooth moves infused with his love of poplocking (yes…MJ used to poplock) and his ability to freestyle and do choreography helped changed the world of dance. He’s influenced everyone and paved the way (esp as far as dance goes) for Usher and Chris Brown who followed from there.
When it comes to the females…there is no one greater than Janet Jackson. Female performers would be A-OK with singing there behind a mic and belting out notes without the thought of dancing. Then comes Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation which changed the entire scope of dance and music in general! Even her brother, MJ, started to change his style after that. You cannot come out today expecting to be a great entertainer and NOT incoporate dance in your performance style. Everyone from Beyonce (dating back to Destiny’s Child) to Britney Spears, Ciara, Mya, Jennifer Lopez (who started out dancing backup to Janet), etc. have all tried to take a page out of Janet’s book. She incorporated sexy with edge. Tomboy/Girl-Next-Door flavor with regal presence. Her hard-hitting moves to her IMMENSELY intricate and difficult dances are just above the rest!
In my opinion, Janet and Michael are in a league all by their lonesome! They have done things no other performer has when it comes to dance. They both equally revolutionized the way we even appreciate performers today. They, in essence, are the blueprint. So there really is no rating. Everyone else is good, but those two are other-wordly when it comes to dancing!
Wow Dani what a great comment!!!! the best I’ve ever seen! the truth the whole truth!
Dani’s absolutely right, yea Bey has rhythm in her hips and shoulders but not in her legs, I just always noticed whenever she danced with her dancers (male or female) that they’re always faster than her and more technical, and she never can keep up with them. Wheres like with Michael & Janet they’re FASTER than their dancers, and their moves are faster than any I’ve seen of anybody this generation do, and Janet’s still fast as all hell, and Michael was still fast as all hell. Thats what impresses me with a dancer, a combination of speed and percission, and Bey is mediocre to average on both.
I agree with everything Dani said.
Trent is pure fag trash. At first he use to through shade here and there but now almost every post is shady. Too much shade aint cute. Every post on Mariah is always under the sun.
1. Paula
2. Michael
3. Janet
4. Usher
5. Britney + Chris Brown
6. Ciara
Don’t forget about Paula. She was a choreographer for Prince and pulled out the beast in Janet. And nobody should EVER mention Beyonce if they can’t put Mya miles ahead…Heck! Christina Milian is a stronger dancer than Bey.
But Paula was so 1 dimensional, yea she was a brilliant dancer and choreographer and performer, but you didnt see as much influence of other cultures as you saw from Michael or Janet.
1. Michael Jackson
2. Janet Jackson
3. Chris Brown
4. Ciara
5. Usher
6.Britney
My list is based on these Artists live show performance. Now if you want to talk about pure NATURAL ability to perform moves without choreography. Ciara would take Janet’s Spot. Of course Chris Brown is over Usher. Michael is still Number 1 and Britney would be last on the list. All Great Performers Though.
I understand why they were left off the list but beyonce, prince and justin deserve a shout for their mastery of PERFORMANCE. Unlike the list above, they understand the craft of performing choreography whilst singing live and the power that has over mimed vocals. Usher attempts it but fails more often then not.
@Olly_tel its too easy for Beyonce to sing live seeing as how her dance moves require no train of thought or tecnique, thus making her irrelevant in the field. Also Timberlake lipsyncs too, and Michael & Janet both have performed their asses off and sang live at the same time before, and better than Beyonce in the dancing and it’s perfectly excusable for them to lip sync because when your body’s working that hard as theirs do (and not Beyonce’s) its going to take alot out of you and your ability to sing will be very limited. So no, They should not be included, and prince uses alot of energy with his dance moves but when he’s performing live theres very few technical routines. So Trent was right to leave them out.
Beyonce stans really can’t be serious. Y’all need to know that she aint the best at everything. Damn we’re talking DANCERS here. If you just have a dance off, she could never compete with any of the people on this list.
Also to those shading Brtiney, she is/was a natural dancer an not over choreographed. An example of someone who is over rehearsed is Gaga, she still looks awkward dancing. Really if you take away the theatrics and vocals she looks like a damn fool dancing. Now that’s someone who is over choreographed.
Madonna too never really had the natural flare but she has always been well choreographed. Unlike gaga who still counts her steps when she’s dancing.
It’s a shame there’s no female in pop right now who gets in down dance wise. Everyone stays changing the color of their wigs smh. I wish Britney didn’t go crazy.
@Beyonce Mariah Carey & Brandy Lover I agree with you these are dancers people that has no vocal ability so they dance to make up for it. Beyonce will be an
overall performer along with Tina Turner, James Brown
Beyonce ain’t the best singer or dancer, but she’s probably the best at fuckin ugly men.
end of time,run the world,and single ladies shit on any other performer choreography
michael+chris brown=best male performers; michael-the greatest of all time, chris brown-greatest male dancer of our generation;
janet jackson-greatest female dancer n entertainer , ciara-best 2day. but janet slays anyone anytime anyplace
@says @leyla I already stated that i understand why they were left of the lift but ya’ll are going on like beyonce can’t dance lol. From the few glimpses we have of her doing complex choreo/whilst miming i’d argue she’s at least better then britney but generally her choreography makes it hard to compare her to the rest.
Leya if your talking the future/sex era, then i believe you are mistaken. Or if there were an occasion where he lip synched, it accounts for the vast minority of his performances.
P.S. Janets whispers don’t equate to singing.
Beyonce stans really are like Jehova’s witness. You can’t get them to go away. This is a post about the masters of Dance. She’s a good dancer but not on this level. Queen Brtiney shits on her, even with her hand choreo.
Bdw this way back wednesday is very relevant. Shows what’s missing in the pop world today. Apart from Chris Brown, no one is really doing in big with dancing. All the females are trash. Just colored wigs and autotune.
Music needs the diversity it used to have. When there were the Britney’s and Janet’s slaying on the dancefloor as well as the Mariah’s and Brandy’s slaying the mic. Everyone is doing the same shit even the rappers *side eye Nicki Minaj*
It’s good to see Britney in her prime, she was so good. Michael and Janet are the best, but my favorite is Usher of coarse. Love him
@ killbill92 i went and look at the beyonce videos you mention and you really got to be joking if you call that dancing
Side note: I love Usher. Great moves and a beautiful voice.
@Only_tei. Well see its clear you dont have a clue what your talking about because whats the name of the dance song Janet was “whispering” too on the Rhythm Nation tour, janet.Tour, or The Velvet Rope tour? OH WAIT, thats impossible seeing as how she only really started whispering in the last 10 years, and she had 3 tours before that, including 1 that was 100% live and the latter 2 were mostly live. So you see how you fail….again? 2nd yes Justin has lipsynced on his last tour and sung with a track, I saw his HBO special, stop playin
@Leyla you betta teach that child. Anyone over 18 knows the bulk of Janets music is not whispering. It’s only these new dumb kids who dont anything about her that think she only whispers, when theres more songs where she’s singing loud. Woo you mopped the floor wit them. NOBODY alive will ever be as good as a performer as Michael or Janet, if you think its Beyonce, then your stupid, its that simple
@ Dani, you hit the nail on the head!! I have nothing else to say. *starts slow clap*
for those who think that Janet Jackson whispers… listening to her songs: Rhythm Nation, black Cat, Control, If, What About, This Time, Together Again, All for You, Someone to Call my lover, I want You, ….. the amount of versatility in her voice is unbelievable!
Exactly Stoney-Brie, she might not be as loud as Beyonce but her voice can fit more genre’s than Bey
I definitely think Aaliyah should have made that list, and to some extent you also have Ginuwine and Missy Elliot were also some good dancers. Missy always puts it down in her videos.
@shannon, you think janet is a better PERFORMER than Beyonce…. faire enough, enjoy your 2 hours worth of lip synching
Beyonce is very much dancing. She has plaques for her dancing. Like I said Beyonce could do what these dancer couldn’t do which was sing a dance. You should watch Sweet Dreams, Single ladies, RTW. Beyonce ha the singing voice which she isn’t going to give up for dancing. Just watch the music videos which she is showin that she can dance.
@ Beyonce Mariah Carey & Brandy Lover there is no need to call people out of their name. Which proves how ignorant you are. The reason I said Paula is because she is the one who assisted Janet during beginning of her career… idiot and has great stage presences! Britney’s style is based on cheerleading/urban copy cat dance moves. She is not a natural like Janet, Michael, Chris, Usher or Ciara… both she and Justin Timberlake who dances a hella better than her… Both have study and duplicate urban dance styles.. so don’t come in here call people name because I don’t agree with u. If you can’t speak to me without being cordial then don’t address me at all. :/
@Only_tel, your really embarassing yourself LOFL you dont have a clue what your talking about. Sorry but Janet will always be a better performer than Beyonce and she’s known for it. Yes Beyonce sings live, but she dont work hard enough on stage for it to really matter, sorry, deal with it. You really need to learn how to do some research before you try to shade a artist, maybe you wouldnt fail so hard….
KillBill9, if you honestly think that, then you’ve never seen any of these people perform on video or live, Beyonce could not keep up with anybody above cause the bitch cant even keep up with her own dancers like someone pointed out. She has no speed or coordination for her dancing. Shes a glorified ass shaker, nothing more.
Shannon keep tellin the truth!!! Its so funny that someone who clearly dont know most of these peoples performances or styles or history is even daring to talk about them.
Hey Trent,
You forgot Omarion. As a technical trained danccer, Omarion is ahead of Chris Brown. If we looked at Michael and Janet they both had versatility. Hip-hop, Jazz, etc. Omarion can do it all. He’s a beast. I was sad when I scrolled down to not have seen his video. An update eh’?
Yes, these artist nowdays change their wigs more then anything smh
Its really sad Michael & Janet didnt have more songs and videos together, they were clearly the best in the dancing and videos and in their music genres, so its really a crime that they didnt have a video with a long dance routine thats throughout the video, Like Michaels Smooth Criminal & Janet’s Alright.
Who had the NERVE to call Paula Abdul one-dimensional! Are you Ca-RAZY!
JANET AND MICHAEL
No one else that Trent mentioned is worthy of comparison.
Honourable mentions include, JAMES BROWN, THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS, CAB CALLOWAY.
But Paula Tho very talented was pretty 1 dimensional (advanced in it but safe) her stuff was Jazz, that was her biggest influences and thats what she mostly choreographed and thats what she mostly did herself. We’re not saying she’s as 1 dimensional as Beyonce, I mean thats a huge insult for someone who can dance as good as Paula. I’m just saying she’s pretty much Jazz.
Janet > MJ > The rest