Advertisement
Lady Gaga's choreographer, known for his work on her tours, Super Bowl halftime show, and "A Star Is Born" movie, has finally spoken out about allegations of creating a toxic environment for the superstar's dancers. Notably, Jojo Siwa and other members of the dance community have come forward in support of him, with Siwa describing him as an incredibly uplifting and inspirational person in her life. The controversy emerged just before Gaga's Chromatica Ball tour in July 2022 when ten dancers accused industry veteran Richy Jackson of mistreatment, including embarrassment, condescension, disrespect for their time, and feelings of being unsafe. These allegations even led some dancers to quit the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity due to his behavior.
Jackson has decided to break his silence and shed light on his side of the story. He initially refrained from responding to the accusations to avoid distracting from the ongoing tour. However, he now expresses his confusion regarding the claims, speculating that the dancers may have been hurt because they weren't initially hired for the tour. Contrary to their assertions of quitting en masse, Jackson reveals that only one of the complaining dancers had actually been hired for the Chromatica Ball tour. According to him, the dancers may have fabricated their departure to save face, protect their pride, or maintain their ego rather than admit they weren't rehired. Jackson feels they threw him under the bus for this reason.
He clarifies that his decision not to hire them was not due to any shortcomings in their work. Instead, he sought dancers with specific characteristics for the choreography he had planned for the tour. Some of the accusers had been working with Lady Gaga since 2009, contributing to nearly all of her projects. Jackson believes their emotional attachment to being "Gaga dancers" and their exclusion from the new tour might have caused them distress.
The experience has been heart-wrenching for Jackson, especially because he had played a role in helping some of his accusers break into the dance world by recommending them to agents and providing them with their first professional opportunities. He even possesses text messages from some of them, expressing gratitude for his influence on their careers. However, he acknowledges that he pursued a diverse range of dance jobs throughout his career, unlike some of these dancers who primarily relied on the Gaga job. Being overlooked for the new tour had a more significant impact on them due to their strong association with Gaga's artistry and popularity.
Regarding the specific allegations about his treatment of dancers, Jackson can only speculate on the reasons behind their perceived mistreatment. For instance, one dancer claimed anonymously that during auditions for the 2012 "Born This Way" tour, Jackson would go on rants about what it entailed to dance for Gaga and why the dancers were unprepared. The dancer described this as unnecessary, disrespectful, and rude, emphasizing that Jackson focused more on their personas and energy rather than offering valuable feedback on their dancing.
Jackson explains that it has always been his habit to provide feedback and explanations to dancers who didn't secure a job at auditions, rather than simply dismissing them. He hopes that such feedback will benefit them in the future. However, he regrets that this approach may have been misconstrued as talking down to the dancers. In response to other complaints, such as not considering the dancers' time or the physical toll of extensive rehearsals, Jackson contends that all his demands were within the norms of elite-level dance.
