Visionaries is a conversation series with key players in the music industry who work behind the scenes to make our favorite genres the rich wells they are today.
When you imagine a live performance or a music video choreographed by dancer and all-around creative director Sean Bankhead, several things come to mind. Perhaps it’s the swift up-and-down motions followed by a gravity-defying lean that took center stage in Cardi B's "Up" video. Or maybe it's the sharp, dynamic moves atop a classic whip that Victoria Monét brought to life in the “On My Mama” music video. And yet, the magic of a Sean Bankhead masterpiece doesn’t stop at the visual aspect. It’s an experience you can hear as well. Viral videos capturing behind the scenes of video shoots, where phrases like "Lean!" and "Let's go! Bitch! Ohh!" can be heard above booming speakers, creating an auditory experience that is unforgettable and essential for nailing the dance routine. Whether you're picturing the choreography or hearing those infectious commands, Sean Bankhead's artistry is a fusion of innovation, precision, and a sprinkle of ease that makes it entertaining to watch and dance to.
“I like to have a move or a phrase that everybody and their mama could do. That's my thing,” Bankhead shares during a phone interview for Complex Visionaries. "If you have something that feels inclusive to your audience, whether they're a dancer or not, that makes them say, 'Oh, I like that move….' When you have moments like that mixed in, I think my musicality, my ear, my pocket, and my rhythms—that's what creates a 'Sean Bankhead piece.'"
Hailing from Philadelphia, Sean Bankhead began his dance journey when he was just a toddler, and he not only honed his skills but also kindled a deep passion for music and movement. In the early 2000s, Bankhead uploaded a dance video to YouTube, which gained a substantial following.
Over the past three years, he has evolved into a powerhouse, collaborating with artists such as Missy Elliott, Normani, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Nas X, and many others. And if, by chance, you haven't witnessed his choreography come to life on both large and small screens, you've probably tried to mimic his moves on social media, where many of his routines have transformed into viral challenges.
“I care so much about the overall impact and shift that my work can do. Whether it's for the dance community, the music video world, or for the pop space… I'm really intentional on making sure that I don't just collect a check, but it really comes from the heart,” he adds. “You have to visualize to be a visionary.”
Sean Bankhead spoke to Complex, breaking down his creative process, sharing favorite memories from major music videos and live performances below.
What is your earliest memory of falling in love with dance?
I think my mom used to tell me when I was 2 or 3 years old and in my car seat, she would look back and see me bobbing my head to the rhythm, and she was just like, man, that kid always had rhythm. So ever since I was a kid, I've always danced around the house and used to make my brother and my cousins do little talent shows at the family gatherings. But I think when I started watching music videos, Michael Jackson and Janet and Usher and Aaliyah and Britney Spears, that's really when my love of dance formed.
When was the moment when you decided this could be a career?
You know what? I never did. I don't think it ever happened. I say this a lot, because I've never had a job. I was going to go to college, but I never knew what I wanted to do in my life. I never really that “Oh, I want to be a choreographer; I wanna be a dancer” moment. I think I just always danced and naturally started to gravitate to it. I started dancing in church, and then in Atlanta, I started taking dance class, because I love dancing. Then randomly, I was starting to teach classes at the dance studio and I was subbing classes, and then subbing kind of turned into a representative from Bad Boy who was in the class [asking], “Can you choreograph a music video?” In the back of my head, I'm like, I've never done this before. It just was this natural progression that I never really saw coming, and then I blinked and honestly, I got here without even intending to. Of course, I had dreams and visions, and once I got into it, I started to really manifest a lot of opportunities for my career. But I never really said I want to be a dancer. It just happened.
Has it become a reality for you now with all of your success over the last few years?
Oh, yeah, I mean, it's for sure hit me. And I'm like, God, He knew I was destined for this. And, I started getting into the industry when I was 16. I had a very, very slow burn to the top. I didn't blow up overnight, or I didn't have this really big gig that changed my life. I just really worked and worked and worked for a long time. If you would have asked me maybe 34 years ago, I would have been like, “I'm still on the ground. I still don't know what my big moment was in my career.” But the last three years, I think I can finally be like, OK, you've done some stuff. You’ve impacted the industry and people's lives and people's careers.
Dance seemed to be very important in videos and live performances in the early 2000s, but died down. Why do you think that happened?
There's a couple of factors. One, the music industry just stopped caring and stopped putting money and budgets into music videos. You have to have the funds to really be creative, and you have to have the funds to pay dancers and pay for quality. And “quality” is the word. I think we just got into this era of fast music, fast artists, and we've completely forgotten about what artist development is. The artist that went through artist development training and spent the money on it like your Ushers and your Beyoncés are still here today and can still outperform these new artists. I think people got lazy and stopped caring. I intentionally wanted to make sure that I was able to bring that back—that love and creativity and that energy and passion in those music videos—because dance and choreography is really what sells a song. I sell music. That's what I tell people. That's my job. I'm in a space in my career now where if I'm going to do a job, I'm going to work my ass off and think outside the box and be creative. You know how hard they worked to do “Remember the Time,” Michael Jackson’s video, when there wasn't Instagram or anything to watch and be inspired by? They had to draw from themselves. And so yeah, I think the music industry let that lull happen and didn't really care about artist development anymore.
Where do you usually draw inspiration from?
Every artist and every song is different. In my early stage of my career, I was a musician. And so I think having that ability to know music in that way. I was a drummer on the drum line. So it hits my soul when I hear beat, bass and snare, and hi-hat. It's just always there. There's always a melody. Being a student of dance and always trying to learn new styles, I make sure that I'm up to terms on what's hot. I love jazz. I love jazz funk. I love African. I love tap. I love hip-hop. I love more R&B soul dancing. And so having that repertoire in your back pocket, I can find inspiration and just follow my heart, and whatever my body does, I just trust it. Dancing for me is as easy as breathing. It really is. It's not hard for me to choreograph.
How would you describe your style of dance? What makes something a Sean Bankhead piece?
I found my style when I was an early choreographer on YouTube. My whole style is documented on YouTube from ‘07 to 2015. I could sit back and really watch myself and analyze myself and be like, I don't like that, or, I like how I did this… I could find different ways of liking my creativity. And I think nowadays one of my biggest sayings when I'm creating choreography is I like to have a move or a phrase that everybody and they mama could do. That's my thing. If you have something that feels inclusive to your audience, whether they're a dancer or not, that makes them be like, “Oh, I like that move.” “If it's up, if it's up, if it's up…” Everybody can move their arms up and down. But then I kind of camouflage it with a lot of other hard choreography. But at least that one part, you know my mama can do this. My mom is not a dancer, but when you have moments like that mixed in, I think my musicality and my ear and my pocket and rhythms, that's what creates a “Sean Bankhead piece.”
What is the biggest difference from executing a music video and a live performance, aside from the obvious difference in scale of stage and design?
For a music video, if you fuck up, you can do it again. Live [performances], it’s a one hit quick. The nerves, adrenaline, anything can happen. Anything can go wrong. Your heel might break. There might be water on the stage. Your hair might get in your face. With all those variables, you have to really know that piece and be well rehearsed. Even the best of the best still mess up or they get nervous. Shows are always the most anxiety. Music videos, I love doing. They're so much fun, just because there is an element of editing. We can edit around something if we don't get it or if somebody messes up. We can always shoot it again, or we can add different elements like use a harness or do different tricks to think outside the box.
What is your biggest priority in choreographing and working with artists who are not formal dancers?
Comfort. You have to make them feel comfortable and confident. If you get an artist to feel comfortable, with me as the choreographer and even the people that I have surrounding them, the dancers, then you start to make them feel confident. Dance is all about confidence. If you feel good, you look good. If you're confident and you know your choreography and you're well rehearsed, you're going to be a [great] performer. It's when you don't feel confident or when you feel as though the choreographer and you don't get along, or the choreographer is too hard on you and pushing you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable. There is a balance between being stern but also holding their hand through the process of learning and getting them to that stage or that music video.
How do you find balance in allowing them to be comfortable but also pushing them to challenge themselves?
I think that's my thing. I'm a firm, delicate pusher if you will. I'm definitely someone that will challenge every artist to get out of their comfort zone. The balance comes from having to push but also making them feel like they can do it and if they don't get it the first day that they will get better at it the second day. There is a fine line between getting someone like a Cardi B, who admittedly said, “I cannot dance; I have no rhythm,” [to do it]. Now, we are on project two or project three, so I can push her further to do harder choreography or be like, “Hey, I want you to come down from the ceiling.” You know, she's so scared of heights, but after trusting me and seeing that I won't steer her wrong and that everything that I've done for her has made her a better performer, she's like, “You know what, Sean? I'll trust you.” So you do have to push them, but still make them feel like they can.
What is your biggest priority in working with artists who are more formally trained, such as Normani?
Those are the jobs where I really feel like I can show my chops. Working with Normani or even a Missy Elliott… You know, Missy Elliott is a choreographer. The way she thinks and pushes me to go outside of my box, I've never experienced in my entire career. I really owe a lot of the things that I do that are very different and unique to getting to work with Missy and seeing how her brain works. We'll take one idea, and it'll turn into something completely different. For instance, I did a video called “I'm Better” with Missy, and we both had this idea where the dancers were hanging from the ceiling by their braid. And so you're like, “Well, how the fuck do you rehearse something like that?” So I'm like, OK, let's go to Walmart, let's grab some book bags and some rope, and let's tie it to the ceiling. And then, we start to think outside the box and create movements that are way more different and intricate as opposed to just standing there giving, “Five, six, seven, eight.” And so I like doing projects like that with artists who really can pull them off and want to pull them off and push me to be creative. It’s then that I really feel like I can do my best work.
A while ago, Missy shared a behind-the-scenes clip of the dancers bouncing on balls in an empty pool.
That was another thing. A fun fact about Missy and Missy's rehearsals…anytime we do a music video, it's always intense, and we rehearse at least for a month for one video. And a lot of times the rehearsal times will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., because she doesn't like to be in studios where anybody can hear her song playing. So like, we'll start our rehearsals at the time that the entire studio closes, and they'll lock us in, and we'll be in there feeling delirious. I just remember we were sitting, and I was just sitting chilling on the ball, and I started bouncing on the ball. And the rest was history. She was like, “Oh, do that again!” And then I just started making choreo. But that's how a lot of those ideas [come together]. They come out of delirium sometimes.
Since we’re on Missy Elliott, what was your greatest memory from working on her Video Vanguard medley at the 2019 VMA’s?
That was a challenging time for me, because we had just finished shooting all those videos. She did four videos back to back for her EP, The Iconology. And then she was like, I'm doing Video Vanguard. Simultaneously that year, I did Norman's “Motivation” [music video] and of course they asked her to do her premiere performance. So I did two VMA performances that year. But they were rated the best performances of the night, so I'm very happy about that. But working with Missy and being able to hire so many dancers and being able to tribute the videos, that really turned me into a dancer and a choreographer—it was so full circle. And Missy always makes me dance. She's like, “Sean, you're getting your ass onstage.” So to be able to be up there, and I danced in the rain, and having the suits on and being able to relive the wardrobe… Anytime you do a Missy job, your whole body is either painted black with a ball cap on, or you're hanging upside down from the ceiling, or you're coming out of the water. It's just always very exciting and such a unique process. And then afterwards for her acceptance speech, she thanked me. I felt like I was going to pass out just hearing her send her gratitude towards me. She was such a huge impact on my career and my creativity. No matter the hell we go through to get there, she's a huge iconic and important figure in my life. We worked our asses off.
What was your favorite memory of working on the “Up” choreography and video with Cardi B? Were there any challenges or standout moments?
I remember the first time I got the song. I actually was with my cousin and my dad. I was visiting family, and Cardi texted me the song. This is around Christmas that year. Listening to that song with my dad was also… My dad was like, “What did she say?” But I remember the very first move that just came to my body was that “if it's up, if it's up, if it's up, then it's stuck” with the arms kind of going up and down and then you clap. And anytime I immediately have a trigger reaction to a hook and I'm like, oh, that's dope—because again, anybody and their mama can do it—I get excited. I felt really confident and wanted to do a dance song for Cardi. She never really danced, but she was adamant. I think after watching the “Motivation” video, she was like, “Sean, I really want to rehearse.” And so we rehearsed for a month. We did two weeks, just one on one, getting Cardi up to speed with rhythm and simple choreography and trying to get her to two-step. Then eventually, full-blown choreography. But she really worked hard and she has a vision and she's dedicated. She will break her back and do whatever she needs to do. She’s going to scream and shout throughout the whole process. But I really admire her, and I really like working with her because she really tries. She’s going to try, and she's going to show up.
The “Up” video went viral, but soon after your choreo instruction video where you’re saying, “If it’s, then it’s…lean,” also went viral. Did you expect that reaction?
Hell, no! I was so embarrassed, because I hate my voice. But that's what I do on set. I scream and I yell, and I really coach and encourage people. I've been doing it for years, and I have my dancer lingo, dancer vernacular, or whatever you wanna call it. It's funny, because I also am a big stickler for, if you're going to do my choreo, and do it right. And so I remember the [“Up”] dance started picking up on TikTok and Instagram, and I was getting really annoyed because I kept seeing people do the dance wrong. I'm like, hold on, y'all. Let me get on Live real quick to show y’all [how] the dance is. And again, I have been counting it and saying it like that for months, including in the video and on set.
I remember my assistant posted the clip just being like, “Here, y'all—here's the clip of him teaching it.” And that night I remember someone made a video sound for TikTok. I was like, “Oh, that's funny.” I went to bed and I woke up and it was everywhere. That is so cool because I'm such a behind-the-scenes person, and then my sound was going viral. It's embarrassing for me, though, because what was I even saying? “Booky boo boo.” Like, what does that mean? But you know, a win is a win. So I'll take it.
Videos like those are great because they show dance that is not always so straightforward, like five, six, seven, eight, but has a different flavor and attitude to it.
Yes. Even your Laura Gibson’s, who was a “boom cat cat.” We all have our isms and our talk. I guess my sounds are so in-depth that you really know what I mean and how to put the emphasis on this move or slow it down, or to lean even deeper because you hear the inflection in my voice.
What have you learned about Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion through working with them on their Grammys performance of “WAP” and their latest collaboration, “Bongos”?
Both Meg and Cardi are at their level in their career and have done enough music videos and have impacted enough that when it's time to show up, they show up, and they rehearse and they take things very seriously. They're in all the meetings, and they work really hard and they trust me, because we've had wins in the past. So if I'm like, I want you to hang upside down on an adult jungle gym, they're like, “OK, how long do you need me to hold it?” It's cool to work with artists at their stature who still respect me and trust me to be able to push them and mold them. And Cardi was like, “I really want to dance with fabric,” in the [“Bongos” video], and I'm like, “OK, well, let's figure this out.” And then of course, you have to go through all the motions. We completely forget that we're shooting on a beach and it's windy, and the fabric is blowing in their faces, and everything is just a mess. But, you know, they trust me, and I get them to a place where, at the end of the day, the end result is amazing. I have a lot of respect for them.
Cardi has joked in the past that the point where Megan flipped her during their Grammys performance completely shocked her. Was that part difficult to rehearse?
Yes! She was scared out of her mind. Now I can talk about it, but she was pregnant at the time. I didn't know. She didn't tell anybody. So I didn't understand why she was being so cautious and so scared. You know, growing up in pop culture, you watch the VMAs when Britney [Spears] had the snake, and you want to have those talked-about viral moments. And so I was like, “Cardi, I really feel like if we do this scissor flip, that is gonna be a wrap.” So rehearsing it was a very interesting process. But then I think Meg got a little excited the day of the shoot, and she flipped her so hard. I love that moment. I love that performance.
You have worked with Cardi B while she was pregnant and Kehlani right after she gave birth, right?
Yes. That was interesting too. Shoutout to women. I commend you all so much because a lot of my roster are females, and not even just that. The dancers I work with are usually women. I was so excited to work with Kehlani because I knew her skill and what she's capable of. I think that process, she was really, really scared and was like, “Oh my God, I haven't moved my body since having a baby.” And so working with artists in that aspect, [it’s about] encouraging her. I felt so bad because she was like, “I don't know if I'm ready to do this.” And I felt like I was pushing too hard, but she showed up, and she did her thing. And we had to hide Cardi's pregnancy when we did the “Wild Side” video. I don't think people know. Cardi was supposed to perform at the VMAs for “Wild Side,” and we had this whole plan of her coming out, and we choreographed everything. She was so pregnant and had her baby early and couldn't do the performance literally the day or two days before. So we had to change everything.
You choreographed and worked with Lil Nas X on the “Industry Baby” music video. Did he communicate the exact vision beforehand?
Absolutely. The thing I love about Nas is he is his own creative director. All of these ideas are all of his for every video he's done. I've seen him sit there and write these treatments. He's very intentional. He knows exactly what he's doing; he knows what people are going to talk about. He knows how to go viral. He knows how to be a troll, and I really admire that about him, because he has the guts to do it, and he has the team to pull it off. So that vision was completely clear. I think the last curveball we did throw in there was the naked shower scene. But I love working with him, and I love creating with him. And now, he completely trusts me, because I'm like, “Yeah, let's get up on that BET stage. Go ahead and kiss him. Yeah, let's do this!” I wish I had him as a pop star growing up. And now that I'm in that space to be able to create and mold pop stars, I completely take advantage of that and I love it.
What were the challenges setting up the big shower dance scene in the “Industry Baby” video?
What people don't know is that the actual set was outside. It was outside and it was freezing cold. It was the last shot of the day. They built it outside. I don't remember why, because we were shooting at an actual abandoned jail. I guess we couldn't build this colorful shower, and then they wouldn't allow us. So we had to build a set outside, and it's freezing cold. You're naked; it's wet. And I remember something was wrong with the floor. So all the dancers and Lil Nas X kept slipping and busting their ass. It was a disaster; it was really bad. They were hurting themselves. There's Nas falling, and he just felt so unsure and unconfident. Let alone, dance is not his biggest strength, and then he’s butt naked on an ice skating rink. It was a lot, but we got the shots right.
“Industry Baby” sort of marked this noticeable shift in contemporary artists incorporating dance in their live performance and videos. Why do you think male artists are returning to the art form?
I agree. I think what's happening now is that the artists who care are showing up. Now, no man can perform and expect to just walk around. You can't get on the VMA stage now knowing that Lil Nas X is performing, knowing how creative and outside the box he is, and just think that you can just walk around. And so I will honk my own horn and say that I've been personally putting the pressure on a lot of these artists to get the fuck up and do some work, perform, go to rehearsal, look good, know your count, you're staging. Even if you're not a dancer, care about your production and your production value. “Motivation” was also a big wake-up call for the industry, because this chocolate Black girl came out swinging. Ever since “Motivation,” people started being like, we gotta start performing again. And I also feel as though the female rap industry is taking over, and they're the best performances. I've been so fortunate to work with like Latto and get her to a place where she's killing her award show performances, and Meg and Cardi and Flo Milli and City Girls. Everyone's waking up. We can't just two-step and half-ass anything anymore.
What are your thoughts on TikTok dance challenges? Do you think they are simply fun to do, or do they cheapen the art form?
It's a double-edged sword for me. If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have said absolutely [it cheapens it]. I think what happened was that this platform was now the only thing that was talked about when it came to dance. And so people were becoming successful in making money by putting up a camera and shooting it from waist up and doing some arm waves and claps, and they're getting paid and they’re influencers now. The art of dance was completely gone. People weren't training; people weren't going to classes. People weren't caring to show up and actually put effort. And the people who trained their whole lives like me in these different styles, you know, these TikTok people were getting called for jobs. So in one hand, absolutely, there was a decrease in the actual level of ability of dance and taste. And then a lot of these Black creators were being stolen from while white counterparts were being praised and asked to be on Jimmy Fallon and be the face of what the Black creators created.
Now what I’ve been intentional in doing is putting good full-body choreography into the algorithm of TikTok and seeing if people bite. And luckily, during quarantine, I had a lot of viral moments. We did this cool-off challenge with Missy Elliott, which was a huge, full-body dance. The dance community and people who were frustrated with the easy side-to-side arm wave clap dancing that TikTok had turned into, were like, “Let's do this.” Then it went to the “Wild Side” challenge and it went to “Up,” and now they're doing the “On My Mama” challenge and “Bongos.” So I'm really grateful that a lot of my choreography has been able to translate into the TikTok algorithm, because it is real dance. It is real choreography and it's full body. But I also love TikTok, because at the end of the day, people are dancing. During quarantine, people were passing time by dancing. They were doing TikTok challenges no matter how simple. So at least dance was still a thing. But now, let's make sure that we remember what dance really is.
What was your favorite memory choreographing and working with Victoria Monét on the “On My Mama” music video?
Oh, man. The interesting thing about “On My Mama” was that we really didn't know where to go with it. We had just did “Party Girls,” which was kind of a reggae vibe, and it was really smooth and sexy. [Victoria Monét] already had sent me this song, and I was like, “Damn, what do we do with it?” We wanted to have cultural moments. We wanted to be Black. We wanted to kind of have HBCU and Black trendy dances. And it kind of just became this conglomerate of a lot of ideas. Usually I choreographed very quickly. That one took a lot of different sessions, because we really didn't know where to go with it. I think the process really came together pretty smoothly, and I think we were able to really highlight, not only Black Twitter and all the memes that have come from that, but celebrating, doing the “Soulja Boy” and doing the Dougie and all those dances that felt nostalgic for our generation. It felt like high school. I had a lot of fun doing that for sure.
And you’re aware you went viral for your BTS video?
Yeah. Now I know any video I do, let me just post the behind the scenes of me screaming at the dancers, and then people will like it.
What are you currently working on that you can share with us?
There are some things that I have that are shot. I will say that. They are in the works, and I'm very excited for a couple of people to be coming back to the scene. I can't talk about too much right now, but it's coming. Also, I'm kind of in the process of just rebranding and getting in front of the camera and telling my story more. So I think people can expect that from me as well.
What makes you a visionary?
I care so much about the overall impact and shift that my work can do. Whether it's for the dance community, the music video world, or for the pop space, I really care and I'm really intentional on making sure that I don't just collect a check, but it really comes from the heart. I'm really, really passionate, and I take time. I might turn down time to spend with friends, or I might not go to this or that because I will literally sit and visualize our project until I see it to completion. You have to visualize to be a visionary. People just think I get up and dance to music. No, I sit and I close my eyes, and I think about what I'm creating and try to make sure that it feels right and that it's innovative or unique or different. I try to fill that void. I've had a big upbringing in the music industry because I was a musician before I really started dancing. And so I wear a lot of hats as a choreographer that people don't understand. I'm first of all their therapist. I got to get them up, and I got to get them to that stage. If they're having a bad day, I got to talk them through it. I work with music. I got to do show productions. Here's where the band should hit. I got to work with wardrobe, and luckily I have an eye for style and flavor and making sure that the wardrobe makes sense and that it’s danceable or looking cheap or tacky. It’s an extension of the artist. If you dress the dancers cheap, then the artist looks cheap. I'm working with a director for editing because they've never edited dance before. So I'm sitting in the edit bay and doing all that stuff. I'm hands-on in every single department when it comes to whatever the art that we're creating.