Ancient, Futuristic And Timeless: Choreographers Rich + Tone Talauega
Chances are if you've turned on the television sometime in the last decade you've seen the work of dancers, choreographers, and brothers Rich Talauega and Tone Talauega. Their music videos for Chris Brown and Jennifer Lopez have been nominated for MTV awards, they worked with Madonna on her tours and videos and her Viking-themed 2012 Superbowl Halftime Show, and they've taken their moves to the popular show Dancing With The Stars. The brothers join us to talk about getting their first big break with Michael Jackson and growing up with Samoan traditional dance and hip hop freestyling. Plus, they share their collaboration wish list.
Rich Talauega, on the media’s recent focus on dance:
At the end of the day, it’s all in our DNA to a degree...I like to use the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Sometimes when you talk, you can talk too much, and you lose people. But when you actually do something in front of somebody, you show some kind of energy in movement …. We utilize that ancient, primitive but futuristic language that is timeless.
Rich Talauega, on their style:
One thing that is home for us is what we call “the cipher” or “the circle.” When you go to a random underground club, there’s always a circle going on with guys or girls coming in and exhibiting their style by way of freestyle dancing. I think that’s what my brother and I truly are: We’re freestylers. We really don’t have a particular style that we stick by. It’s really the feeling of the music and how it makes the body feel.
Tone Talauega, on choreographing dance hooks to accompany music hooks:
We’ll call it the groove. The groove is in everybody. It’s just as simple as tapping of the feet or bobbing of the head. We’ll go to the extent of finding that groove -- and finding what makes the body, in a rhythmic way, feel good.
On getting their big break with Michael Jackson, as teenagers:
We were in the right place at the right time. We were discovered by Michael Jackson's choreographer, Travis Payne. At the time they were doing the Dangerous Tour -- 1993, that's the year we met. We met at a record release party. Before the show started, the DJ was playing some music...and we just happened to take over the dance floor. We created this crowd, and who happened to be in that crowd? Travis Payne.
In 2002, Rich + Tone choreographed "You Rock My World" for Michael Jackson:
They choreographed and appeared in the music video for Chris Brown's "Wall To Wall":
And, they choreographed Madonna's Viking-themed 2012 Superbowl Halftime Show:
