Legacy in Motion: How a “Kentucky Boy” Became the Mind Behind Pop’s Most Iconic Dances

LaVelle Smith Jr. has been many things in his life: a Kentuckian, a dancer, a choreographer, an Angeleno, the mind behind some of pop music’s most iconic dances, the person who performed onstage with Beyoncé at the Grammys. But the one thing he’s never been? Afraid.

LaVelle Smith Jr.

Growing up in Jeffersontown, a suburb of Louisville affectionately known as J-Town, Smith had no family connections to the world of dance. But at age 5, he saw dancers performing at an awards show on TV, and it was love at first sight. 

“Of course, people try to tell you, ‘Oh, you know, do anything except that,’” Smith said in an interview with Kentucky to the World. “But I knew from a young age I wanted to dance.”

And dance he did. When it came time for Smith to attend high school, he was accepted into duPont Manual’s Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS), a prestigious and highly competitive performing arts high school based in downtown Louisville. As all YPAS students do, he selected a major for intensive study - Dance - while exploring a range of creative arts. 

“YPAS and everything that went along with that really changed my life,” he said. “I got to study humanities, music, dance, singing, drama, everything. It was all right there.

After graduating from YPAS in 1983, Smith spent a stint working in a Chicago dance troupe before moving to Los Angeles with the hopes of making it big in the industry. However, he quickly realized that Hollywood wasn’t always as glamorous as he’d imagined. 

“Growing up in Kentucky, I was raised to be kind, and kindness doesn’t really suit the business I chose,” he said. “One of the first questions [when I got to LA] was, ‘Oh, do you guys marry your cousins?’ and the second was ‘Do you guys wear shoes?’ And I said yes to both and kept walking.”

But Smith didn’t let a few snide comments scare him away from his dream. Laughing, he recalled, “A few auditions later, [those people] said, ‘Oh gosh, he’s here. Everybody should just go home. He’s going to get it.’ And I said, ‘You’re right.’”
And once he started getting those parts, there was no looking back. Smith was soon noticed by none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. First hired as a dancer, Smith eventually became Jackson’s choreographer and worked on three of his world tours: Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory, as well as the 1996 short film Michael Jackson’s Ghosts and the musical Thriller - Live.

LaVelle performing with Michael Jackson. Images courtesy of @lavellesmithjr on Instagram.

From there, Smith went on to work with a slew of pop icons including Diana Ross, Prince, Mick Jagger, Paula Abdul, Usher, Rihanna, and many more. And in 2003, he choreographed the music video for Beyoncé’s first solo hit, “Crazy in Love,” earning him an MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography. 

Speaking of never being afraid, that’s exactly how Smith ended up performing onstage with Beyoncé at the Grammys. “All I wanted was for a dancer to take her her microphone and her fur coat,” he said. “But after going through quite a few dancers and nobody getting it, I said, ‘Fine, I’ll do it myself.’” 
“It was Beyoncé…so I guess they were nervous. I wasn’t,” he said. “We got it done.”

LaVelle working with Beyoncé on the video for “Check on It.” Image courtesy of @lavellesmithjr on Instagram.

In the midst of all his success, Smith realized that so much of his work involved travel that he could actually live anywhere. So, he relocated to Louisville in 2001, where he has lived ever since. 

“I actually lived here when I choreographed ‘Crazy in Love’ and some other videos for Beyoncé,” he said. “So if they want you, they’ll find you.”

What’s more, moving back to Kentucky allowed him to connect with his loved ones in new ways. 

“When I moved back here, it was happy because my family actually got to know me as an adult man,” he said. “It’s the kind of place you want to raise kids. And this is the kind of place you want to grow up in.” 

For today’s generation of Kentucky-based dancers and creatives, Smith believes that the internet makes understanding both the craft and the industry easier than ever. Even more than that, he believes that where you’re from is far less important than your drive and willingness to dream big. 

“I always felt that I was a Kentucky boy, and I was representing Kentucky. And as I was on my journey, I just felt like, gosh, anybody can do this,” he said. “I still believe anybody can do it. If you want it, you can get it.”

Kentucky to the World and Kentucky Performing Arts invite you to step into the rhythm of Kentucky’s global impact with LaVelle Smith Jr.: From Louisville to the World Stage. In this high-energy, multimedia program, LaVelle returns home to share his remarkable journey from J-Town to international acclaim. The evening will blend conversation between LaVelle and Kentucky to the World’s Interim Executive Director, Alice Alt, as well as showcasing live dance performance, featuring three Louisville dance groups, including Louisville Ballet Studio Company, performing choreography from LaVelle’s own repertoire and Michael Jackson’s iconic catalog.