Kendrick Lamar’s Dance Moves in the ‘Not Like Us’ Video Come Courtesy of This Compton Choreographer

From Kendrick Lamar’s legendary Pop Out on Juneteenth to the already iconic “Not Like Us” music video, choreographer Charm LaDonna is the brains behind the moves. The Compton native is no “rookie” when it comes to collaborating with A-listers — she’s worked with the likes of Dua Lipa, Rosalia and The Weeknd — but her latest with Lamar is different as the diss track and video have reached a cultural magnitude rarely seen music.

LaDonna’s task was equally monumental: to help orchestrate an authentic demonstration of South Los Angeles, Black and hip hop culture at the peak of this decade’s biggest rap beef — Lamar vs. Drake.

Through a series of rehearsals with Lamar, and under the direction of Dave Free, LaDonna shares the experience with Los Angeles .

Los Angeles: What was it like working with Kendrick? How do you know each other?

Charm LaDonna: I've been working with Kendrick for a very long time and I've known him for a very long time. I'm just grateful to be a part of his journey and him being a part of my journey, as I evolve as an artist and creative. I hadn't been working and took some time off. It was like my first step back to work and I couldn't ask for a better way to come back. ... The Pop Out was crazy in the best way possible.

“Not Like Us” has become a cultural touchstone and one of the biggest songs of the year. What did the music video mean to you?

I keep using the word nostalgic, because it allowed me to go back to where I came from and pull from what cultivated me as an artist and as a dancer. Where I'm from; what I see every day; what I do every day has molded me who I am in my artistry. To be able to indulge in that and have the freedom to do that and collaborate with Tommy [the Clown], T Squad and to be among L.A. natives was just so special for me.

Tell us about the tightrope scene in the music video. I assumed that it was like some kind of green screen?

Everyone's asking, “Was it real?” I was definitely on something very tiny trying to make it happen. I did fall. It was safe though. We had padding and stuff around and it was funny. It was beyond hard. I was trying to balance on my toes and it was crazy. But you know, it turned out great.

What kind of direction or guidance did you receive from Kendrick in terms of the vibe, look and movement for the video?

To “do us.” To do what we do. I always collaborate with the dancers in the room because yes, I'm choreographing and I have my ideas, but I love to watch and ask what feels good. The direction from him and Dave Free was just “do us,” you know, and represent us. And that's what you see. We're storytellers as dancers. This is us telling the story of whatever he's saying, or however you feel.

Any fun behind-the-scenes moments you can share?

It was just so much fun. We were cracking up over anything and everything and feeling like a family. To me, those are the moments that I think maybe people miss off screen, but I think you also feel that on the screen. We're just having fun in a room. And don't get me wrong, I'm serious. And we get it done. But it's fun.

You’ve worked with artists like Dua Lipa and Rosalia who have their own style and image. How do you navigate their creative point of view?

I'm grateful to have amazing artists that I'm able to collaborate with. They bring me into their world, and I bring them into mine. And I feel like that's why you see, every artist is different. They're all completely different people and have completely different stories. I'm able to create in every space in every world, organically.

There’s a video of yours that really stuck with me. It was you talking about dance etiquette and chewing gum in a rehearsal. Have you seen any shifts in the commercial dance industry? What do you wish there was more of in a rehearsal or audition space?

That chewing gum reference is so funny, by the way, because they tried to beat me up on TikTok about that. For me, I'm gonna lean into mentorship. I think there's a lot of young dancers that maybe don't have mentorship, and they find it online, which is fine. But to be in a space and to learn as much as you can is very, very important. In my rehearsals, in my space, in my auditions, I really take pride in giving as much advice as I can — like telling people why I would or wouldn't hire [them]. They don't know if they've never been in the ring. I hire older dancers and then hire what we call “rookies” so that there is balance in the room. They can learn from people about how to be professional. And that's the key: professionalism.

Where do you want to go from here?

I want to direct film and to tell different stories through dance. That’s always been a goal and a passion of mine. And I feel like I'm ready. I've gathered enough information, even though there's so much more to learn. And I can make the connections and start to explore dance in another way.