The Choreography Behind Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time”
Introduction
As one of the most iconic music videos of all time, Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” showcased not only the singer’s undeniable talent but also her impressive choreography. The video, which features Spears as a high school student, dancing and singing her way through the halls, is still talked about to this day. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the choreography behind “Baby One More Time” and what makes it so memorable.
The Choreographer: Wade Robson
The choreographer for “Baby One More Time” was none other than Wade Robson, who has worked with a number of high-profile artists over the years, including *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Pink. Robson was just 16 years old when he was asked to choreograph the video for “Baby One More Time”.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Robson talked about how the video came together:
“We went back and forth with ideas about what to do with the video, and then one day, I was working on some choreography with Britney in a dance studio and I just started playing with this chair. I was flipping it around and having her sit in it and stand up from it, and we realized that we could use the chair as a prop in the video.”
The Chair Dance
The chair dance in “Baby One More Time” is arguably the most memorable part of the video. It starts with Spears sitting in a chair, wearing her school uniform, and singing the opening lines of the song. As the song picks up, Spears starts dancing around the chair, using it as a prop to accentuate her movements.
In an interview with MTV, Robson talked about the chair dance:
“The chair was my idea. I wanted something to play off of. I wanted her to have a prop and something to do. I wanted it to be more about the movement of her body than anything else.”
Robson also talked about how he choreographed the chair dance:
“I was thinking about the idea of her being in a classroom and being bored and wanting to break free. So, I wanted to give her this routine that expressed that. And then, when it came to the chair dance, I wanted it to be this moment where she unleashed and let loose.”
The School Hallway Dance
The other major dance sequence in “Baby One More Time” takes place in the school hallway. Spears is shown dancing with her backup dancers, performing a series of synchronized moves.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Robson talked about how he came up with the idea for this dance sequence:
“I was inspired by the idea of a typical high school hallway and how everyone tries to fit in and be like everyone else. I wanted Britney and her dancers to break out of that and show that it’s okay to be different.”
The Impact of “Baby One More Time”
“Baby One More Time” was an instant hit when it was released in 1998. The video, which was directed by Nigel Dick, quickly became one of the most-watched music videos of all time, and helped to catapult Spears to superstardom.
The video’s choreography was also widely praised. In an interview with The Guardian, pop culture expert Dr. Rebecca Williams talked about the impact of the “Baby One More Time” video:
“The ‘Baby One More Time’ video is a classic example of how choreography can be just as important as the music when it comes to creating a hit song. Britney’s dance moves were instantly recognizable and helped to set her apart from other pop stars at the time.”
Conclusion
The choreography behind Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” helped to make the video one of the most iconic of all time. From the chair dance to the school hallway dance, the choreography was both memorable and impactful, and helped to launch Spears’ career to new heights.
