Jamal is a self-taught dancer. The first job he auditioned for and booked was a dancer on Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time. From that point on he knew he had found his passion. Jamal worked on numerous projects as a dancer before he got his first break as a choreographer on Usher’s video, You Make Me Wanna. The first film he choreographed was Step Up for director Anne Fletcher. Other film credits include Netflix’s 13: the Musical, Disney’s Aladdin directed by Guy Ritchie, the blockbuster hit Encanto, Hairspray directed by Adam Shankman, Descendents 3 directed by Kenny Ortega, Girls Trip, Vanilla Sky, Beauty Shop, 17 Again, the entire Step Up film franchise and the TV series, Step Up: Highwater. Most recently, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies for which Jamal directed one episode and choreographed the entire season. Among other TV credits are the 82nd and 83rd Academy Awards, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance. Jamal has been the resident choreographer on the multiple Emmy Awarded RuPaul’s Drag Race and Celebrity Drag Race for numerous seasons.
He made his directorial debut with the acclaimed documentary, When the Beat Drops, which won Outstanding Documentary from Outfest in 2018. When The Beat Drops is a highly personal project about the culture and the innovators of the dance style “bucking”.
Jamal has been nominated for 4 Emmy Awards for Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration (ABC), Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl (Disney +), Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount +), and RuPaul’s Drag Race (Paramount+).
He has choreographed numerous music videos and stage shows for Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Outkast, Gloria Estefan, and The Spice Girls. Commercials include campaigns for Target, Volkswagen, and Microsoft.
LOS ANGELES