August 25, 2015 News

Megan Lawson and Arianne Phillips excited about the Rebel Heart Tour

Lawson, whom you might know from Fanny Pak, began working on Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour a few months ago. But it’s not her first rodeo with the Queen of Pop. The Canadian-born choreographer was also responsible for the moves in Madonna’s “Living for Love” and “Ghosttown” videos, along with Madonna’s 2015 Grammy Awards performance, and was a contributing choreographer to Madge’s MDNA tour.

Dance Spirit spoke with Lawson about her work on the upcoming tour…

Dance Spirit: What’s the process of choreographing for a tour of this scale?
Megan Lawson: Jamie King is the show’s director. The process starts with a discussion between Jamie, Madonna and I about ideas and concepts. Then, my dancers, Jamie and I get into the studio and experiment for a while before presenting to M. She always has a hand in the choreography. She loves to be part of the process and collaborate with everyone, from the lighting designer to the makeup artist. I’d say every number in the tour has at least one part Madonna choreographed herself. It’s a really fun process.

Dance Spirit: Are there other choreographers working with you?
Megan Lawson: Since I’m the lead choreographer on this tour, I got to recommend other choreographers to collaborate with. I was so fortunate to bring in other artists, including Jillian Meyers, Matt Cady and Kevin Maher, who are all friends of mine. The great thing about involving other choreographers is that the show becomes really diverse. Every song is different stylistically, and each has a unique choreographic vibe.

Dance Spirit: Does anything about the tour scare you?
Megan Lawson: Getting it all done in time! It’s been a challenge to coordinate everything. Madonna doesn’t settle for anything but the best—she’s a perfectionist. It takes time. This is certainly the biggest-scale production I’ve ever experienced. I can’t wait to see it all come together. I know it will. But right now it’s crunch time, and that’s a little scary.

Dance Spirit: What are your top three favorite Madonna songs?
Megan Lawson: “Human Nature,” “Messiah” and “Falling Free.”

Dance Spirit: What’s your advice for Dance Spirit readers?
Megan Lawson: Explore as many avenues as you can. I never really had goals or plans that were set in stone. I just knew I wanted to dance and create for living. I tried lots of different things—from taking a wide variety of classes to assisting choreographers to picking up small gigs here and there. What really paid off the most, though, was grabbing some friends and making a few little videos of my own. Those experiences were more satisfying than working as a backup dancer—and Madonna ended up hiring me after seeing some of the clips! It’s OK if your goals change over time. Be open to your desires and follow your heart.