Aug 29, 2022
If fire were an actual artist, then David Scott is the ultimate and glorious burn.
Scott’s current projects include the feature film High Strung and the forthcoming movie Namuh. However, his prestigious dance career and industry credits go way back. Self-taught and internationally known, Scott is an iconic choreographer who also shoulders the titles of creative director and producer. His Twitter motto proudly states “Live, Dance, Move, Life” and each word is powerful and pertinent.
During the early 2000s, a wave of Hollywood dance movies swept the world off its feet. Scott was the captain at the helm of the craze. He was actually the visionary, creator, stylist and choreographer who created the platinum-selling Hip-Hop American boy band B2K. The boy band was known for their innovative and seamless hip-hop dance moves. With Scott’s choreography, the group’s savvy street dance style eventually fueled an extremely popular dance-centric movie called You Got Served.
Scott went on to serve as the main choreographer and consultant for other hit dance movies and classics such as Stomp The Yard, Step Up 2 The Streets and Step Up 3D. He is also credited as a choreographer in other notable films including Uncle Buck, Maid of Honor, Prom Night, and Coach Carter. His television credits include the groundbreaking dance show So You Think You Can Dance and Bones. His talent is not exclusive to film and television. He has also lent his expertise to marketing campaigns with the NFL, Pantene, Chevrolet and Virgin Mobile.
While Scott studied various dance styles throughout his career, his powerful influence in the world of dance shows that you can take the kid out of Compton, but street dancing isn’t going anywhere. As breakdancing and hip-hop dance made their indelible mark on popular culture during the 80s, Scott noticed and took to its stylings like air. He saw moves from artists such as Janet Jackson as game-changing, informing his creative style.
Today, he is a top hip-hop choreographer. But, Scott began forming an identity around dance as soon as he could move. Born in 1972, Scott’s passion for dance was always natural and innate. His illustrious career actually started in his living room. His first teacher was the television. With the dawn of street dance, breakdance, and hip-hop dance still years away, he leaped feet first into tap dancing.
Closely studying musicals and dancers (particularly influential artists like The Nicholson Brothers — a famous duo that incorporated everything from swing, ballet, hand jive, and tap, sometimes known as flash dancing), he memorized routines and practiced every move possible.
At first glance, Scott looked more like a baller than a dancer. At 6’4, he certainly had the height advantage to play basketball. In fact, he did for a while. Scott earned a basketball scholarship, attending Weber State University and completing a business degree. However, the simmering embers of dance always lingered in his soul. While busting moves at a nightclub, Rob Base’s manager spotted him and offered him a spot as a dancer on their concert tour. This threw gasoline on Scott’s ever-present smolder and turned it into a 10-alarm fire.
One of Scott’s favorite choreographers is the esteemed Tina Landon, longtime choreographer for Janet Jackson and fellow industry icon. It is not difficult to see where inspiration starts and Scott creates his own brand. Clean lines, sharp symmetry and gloss – these are some of the defining characteristics that mark Scott’s work. One of the clearest examples of his dance instruction and training is obvious through musical artists such as B2K and Chris Brown.
With his steps on air, but boots on the ground, Scott is an undeniable force and has left his indelible mark on the dance world. And there’s more to come. Gliding through the atmosphere Scott epitomizes blazing trails by taking the dance world by storm — one ferociously gilded step at a time.
LOS ANGELES