Charm La'Donna
American dancer and choreographer (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charmaine La'Donna Jordan (born May 14, 1988), known professionally as Charm La'Donna, is an American dancer and choreographer. She is best known for her work with recording artists such as Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía and Selena Gomez.[1]
May 14, 1988
- Dancer
- choreographer
- creative director
- artist
Charm La'Donna | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charmaine La'Donna Jordan May 14, 1988 Compton, California, U.S. |
| Education | Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Label | Epic |
| Website | charmladonna |
Early life and education
Charmaine La'Donna Jordan on May 14, 1988, in Compton, California.[2][3] She was raised by her mother Debbie, whom she credits alongside her grandmother and "the village of women in Compton, all connected by blood, friendship or simply proximity" for her success.[3] Jordan's older brother, Yki, is a rapper and songwriter who inspired her to pursue a recording career of her own.[3] She suspended those aspirations after he was arrested and sentenced for 75 years to life in prison.[3]
When she was three years old, Jordan told her mother that she wanted to become a dancer.[4] She was enrolled in a local recreational center that offered dance activities before its counselors referred her to Regina's School of the Arts, where she trained before moving to Miss Monica's Dance School.[4] At age ten, during an audition for a music video, Jordan was introduced to Fatima Robinson, who later became her mentor.[4] Jordan attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACSHA), where she graduated in 2006.[4] She holds a Bachelor of Arts in world arts and culture from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[4]
Career
During her senior year at LACSHA, La'Donna was hired by singer Madonna as a backup dancer for her Confessions Tour.[5] Following the tour, she worked as Robinson's assistant choreographer, working on various music videos, television specials and Super Bowl halftime shows under her direction while attending UCLA full-time. Her work with Robinson introduced her to fellow Compton native, rapper Kendrick Lamar, while co-choreographing his performance at the 2015 BET Awards.[6] He recruited her in 2017 as the choreographer and sole female dancer for his DAMN. Tour and choreographed and danced in his opening performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.[7]
La'Donna continued to gain recognition by choreographing music videos and live performances for singers Rosalía, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and Meghan Trainor.[8][9] Her work in the music video for Rosalía, J Balvin and El Guincho's "Con Altura" won her the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography.[10] La'Donna's music aspirations resumed in 2020. She signed a recording contract with Epic Records in February and released her first two singles "So & So" and "Westside".[11] After choreographing the Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show,[12] she released her debut extended play, La'Donna, on April 9, 2021.[13][14]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Barbie in A Mermaid Tale | Choreographer | Credited as Charmaine Jordan; also motion capture dancer | [17] |
| 2013 | CeeLo Green is Loberace | Choreographer | Credited as Charmaine Jordan; also creative director | [18] |
| 2015 | The Wiz Live! | Ensemble | Credited as Charmaine Jordan; also assistant choreographer | [19] |
| 2016 | Dance Camp | Assistant choreographer | Credited as Charmaine Jordan | [20] |
| The Oscars | Television special | [21] | ||
| 2019 | Generations | Choreographer | Episode: "Flamenco" | |
| 2020 | Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 | Television special | [22] | |
| 2021 | The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show | [23] | ||
| 2022 | The Oscars | [24] | ||
| 2024 | The Perfect Couple | Opening dance sequence | [25] | |
| 2026 | Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show | Television special | [26] |
Music videos
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Westside" | 2020 | Charm La'Donna Emil Nava |
| "Queen" | 2021 | |
| "Palm Trees" |
As choreographer
| Title | Artist(s) | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| "All About That Bass" | Meghan Trainor | 2014 | Fatima Robinson |
| "Slumber Party" | Britney Spears Tinashe |
2016 | Colin Tilley |
| "Malamente" | Rosalía | 2018 | Canada |
| "Let You Be Right" | Meghan Trainor | Colin Tilley | |
| "Pienso en tu mirá" | Rosalía | Canada | |
| "Di mi nombre" | Henry Scholfield | ||
| "De aquí no sales" | 2019 | Diana Kunst Mau Morgó | |
| "Con altura" | Rosalía J Balvin El Guincho |
Director X | |
| "Aute Cuture" | Rosalía | Bradley Bell Pablo Jones-Soler | |
| "Look at Her Now" | Selena Gomez | Sophie Muller | |
| "Wave" | Meghan Trainor Mike Sabath |
Mathew Cullen | |
| "Physical" | Dua Lipa | 2020 | Canada |
| "Break My Heart" | Henry Scholfield | ||
| "Make You Dance" | Meghan Trainor | The Reggies | |
| "Levitating" | Dua Lipa DaBaby |
Warren Fu | |
| "The Motto (Part II)" | Tiësto Ava Max |
2022 | Charm La'Donna |
| "Rich Spirit" | Kendrick Lamar | Calmatic | |
| "Count Me Out" | Dave Free Kendrick Lamar | ||
| "Mother" | Meghan Trainor | 2023 | Charm La'Donna |
| "Dance the Night" | Dua Lipa | Greta Gerwig | |
| "Not Like Us" | Kendrick Lamar | 2024 | Dave Free Kendrick Lamar |
| "Squabble Up" | Calmatic | ||
| "Shimmer" | Meghan Trainor | 2026 | Charm La'Donna |
Discography
Extended plays (EP)
- La'Donna (2021)
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music Video Awards | 2025 | Choreographer of the Year | Herself | Nominated | [27] |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2021 | Favorite Music Video Choreography | "Physical" | Nominated | [28] |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2019 | Best Choreography | "Con Altura" | Won | [29] |
| 2020 | "Physical" | Nominated | [30] | ||
| 2023 | "Dance the Night" | Nominated | [31] | ||
| 2024 | "Houdini" | Won | [32] | ||
| 2025 | "Not Like Us" | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2025 | Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming | The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar | Nominated | [33] |
| Beyoncé Bowl[b] | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2026 | The Apple Music Superbowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny | Pending | [34] |
Notes
- Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
- Shared with Truck Patterson, Christopher Grant, and Parris Goebel