Dance Choreography Behind The Best Music Videos

The music industry today is much more than a good voice or a pretty face. There are many elements which need to work together to make the artist stand out, in today’s crowded music industry.

Music videos posted primarily on YouTube are one of the most powerful advertisement tools artists use. The best music videos portray beautiful dance pieces, choreographed by experts from all over the globe. From simple steps to complexed professional routines, here are some of the best music videos known for their breath-taking dance choreography.

Ed Sheeran - [Thinking Out Loud

](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA)

‘‘Thinking Out Loud’’ is one of Ed Sheeran’s most remarkable and recognisable songs, with the music video having more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube. The original idea behind the video was to have two professional ballroom dancers perform choreography in an empty ballroom hall.
However, things turned out differently. Ed Sheeran decided to execute the entire ballroom routine in his new video himself, even though he has never had any professional dance training. The beautiful and breath-taking choreography was done by Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo.

The married couple, known together as Nabbytaps, created the choreography with the help of Brittany Cherry and Paul Karmiryan, two celebrated ballroom dancers. The choreographers admitted to being intimidated by the idea of the songwriter doing the routine, but with the help of the dancers, Ed Sheeran managed to outdo himself and master this five minute long routine.

The choreography tells a romantic love story between two people who become one during the entire routine. Together, they are a whole. They breathe together and move smoothly without letting go of each other almost the entire time. The choreography is filled with gracious lifts as well as intriguing tricks, all executed impeccably. Brittney and Ed both showcase their musicality and pull the audience into their world of beautiful music and captivating romance.

Justin Bieber - [Sorry

](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRh_vgS2dFE)

The fun, full of life and sexy music video for Justin Bieber’s ‘’Sorry’’ has more than 2.3 billion views on YouTube, thanks to the fantastic choreography by Parris Goebel. This 25-year-old choreographer from New Zealand, together with ReQuest & The Royal Family Dance Crews, takes on a fierce hip-hop routine which makes you want to start dancing along from the first scene.

The girls wear vivid-colored nineties clothes, with flashy accessories and unique hairstyles. They dug through their old clothes and came up with their own looks for the video. The choreography is a mixture of powerful dance moves, jumps and brilliant formations. They move with such ease but deliver such complex moves dominated by contractions.

The charisma and appeal behind these girls is undeniable. Not only do they dance with clarity, but they seduce the viewers with a flirtatious, provocative yet naive facial expressions. Bieber is not in the video, but the fans don’t seem to be bothered and enjoy the video with electrifying young dancers.

Enrique Iglesias - [Bailando ft. Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona

](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUsoVlDFqZg)

A true battle of dance styles is what happens in a dynamic Enrique Iglesias’ music video for ‘‘Bailando’’ with the dancers facing off out in the streets and demonstrating some of their best dance moves. The video was shot both in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and the dancers performing are members of Havana's Ballet Litz Alfonso.

With seductive yet gracious flamenco dancers in red and black dresses on one side, and forceful and daring reggaeton dancers on the other, ‘‘Bailando’’ showcases the best of the Spanish and Puerto Rican dance culture. The intense sensual energy of the flamenco is not only in the turns and the traditional clapping called palmas, but in every breath, gaze and step these dancers make.

The footwork with the established heel tapping on the ground is delivered with passion and sentiment. The reggaeton dancers, on the other side, magnetize us with their cheeky attitude and enviable football skills. Their smooth transitions and daring motion challenge the rivals on the other side of the street, leading to a dramatic and inspiring dance-off.

Sia - [The Greatest

](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSRyLdjsPA)

Apart from being known for hiding her face behind a black and white bob wig, Sia, the Australian singer and songwriter, is also recognized for her eccentric and unusual music videos. The music video for ‘‘The Greatest’’ portrays a group of 48 children led by Maddie Ziegler, a former star of the TV Show Dance Moms and one of Sia’s favorite collaborators, in what seems to be an old abandoned house.

The video portrays a six-minute long contemporary piece, choreographed by Ryan Heffington, who is also behind the ‘‘Chandelier’’ video.

The story behind the routine is said to be a tribute to the victims of the 2016 Orlando shooting.
The video opens with Maddie putting rainbow colors on her face and releasing a group of children from a cage. Contemporary dance is a rather expressive style, engaging both the dancer’s mind and body. This routine is dominated by dance moves reflecting inner struggles of the dancers and the alteration of sadness, fear, confusion and determination on their faces.

The children dance their way from room to room, as the choreography gets more intense with each new setting. The routine ends with the children falling to the floor while the light enters the room through bullet holes on the walls behind them.

This predominantly contemporary piece, with element of lyrical, jazz and hip-hop, leaves no viewer indifferent. The radiant dance moves and the powerful lyrics is what makes ‘’The Greatest’’ one of Sia’s greatest music videos.

For those of you who love dance (whether you practice it or not), music videos are an endless source of quality routines performed by some of the world’s most prominent dancers. The list is infinite and the talent is beyond question. These professionals deliver supreme dance routines with unsurpassed passion and dedication, making the music videos they are featured in - unforgettable.

by Amily Blanch

About author

Amily literally lives dance in every possible way. She has been dancing since the age of 6, with a grace moving through various styles such as ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and standard. Her passion hit her like the fiery breath and she started writing for different blogs such as Budomate Magazine, JabCross and others.