Dancer-choreographer Bobby Newberry is adding a new talent to his list: singing. He has already made a big splash with music videos in the past. His credits include artists collaborations such as Lil' Wayne, Pink, Kelis, Missy Elliott and Eminem. He worked on the Pussycat Dolls video for "When I Grow Up" that won an award at the VMAs for Best Dance Video in 2008.
His music video for his single "Sweat" has debuted on Billboard.com . The video set in the Mojave Desert was choreographed by JaQuelle Knight of "Single Ladies" fame and was directed by Billy Walsh, Keith Richardson and Ben Cope.
Windy City Times talked to the up-and-coming out artist while in town for the Jump Tour.
Windy City Times: Hi, Bobby. Tell our readers about your dance background, to start off.
Bobby Newberry: I grew up a poor kid on welfare. I watched Madonna on TV and just taught myself the choreography. I began entering myself in talent shows. People started noticing that I was good. I was singing and dancing my whole life, then got scholarships and moved to L.A. I then [made the transition] into choreography.
That is when I started doing choreography for Eminem. I worked with The Pussycat Dolls for years. I was the resident choreographer with X Factor on season one. You might be familiar with my work from The Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up."
WCT: That video was such a hit.
Bobby Newberry: It was crazy. That was my dance stuff and I have been singing my entire life. For me I couldn't not sing if that makes sense. I couldn't only do dance. I felt like I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do fully.
WCT: So it was the next step for you...
Bobby Newberry: Exactly. I started it about a year and a half ago. I recorded with Melody Thornton from Pussycat Dolls. We did a cover of La Roux's "Bulletproof" with a really cool video. We shot in the desert at the salt flats.
It was everywhere—on Perez, all over the place. It was my beginning of doing this. I took a long time to record a lot of music. I decided to come out with the song "Sweat" because it is a full-out dance song. The choreography is crazy. There is a lot of dancing in it. It is like a Janet Jackson video.
WCT: Why didn't you choreograph it yourself?
Bobby Newberry: Because I had choreographed the last stuff I had done and—for me, as an artist—it is tricky to do both roles. To make sure I look okay as well as every dancer in the video, I had eight of them; I needed another pair of eyes. I couldn't be everywhere. I couldn't run back and forth doing everything. At a certain point you need to step into the role that you are doing. I needed to focus on what I needed to focus on.
WCT: The video is done now?
Bobby Newberry: Yes. It is premiering on Billboard in February.
WCT: How do you feel it turned out?
Bobby Newberry: So good. It was way better than I would ever expect. I worked with some amazing people. Part of the team was a guy that did Beyonce's last video. The editing is amazing. The choreography was great. Where we shot was super-cool. We were in the Mojave Desert and it was apocalyptic-looking. Everyone I have shown the video to so far really likes it. I am really happy with it.
For a jump-off from the EP, it is a good start. The reason I chose this song is because I have such a big dance following. I felt I should do a song that dancers would like because they will want to choreograph to it. Once they saw the video especially they would want to learn the choreography.
WCT: Talk about the EP.
Bobby Newberry: It will have five songs on it. There is a wide variety of songs from fun music you would listen to in your car to slow mid tempo, sexy, and more vocal songs. I can actually sing and have a good voice. "Sweat" doesn't showcase much of my vocal ability but it was more about the dance element for this one.
WCT: You worked with Jessie and the Toy Boys?
Bobby Newberry: I did, and she is going to be on the EP as well. I am a good friend of hers. She actually resigned under Virgin and is work with Ron Fair. She is very excited to have some new direction.
WCT: I interviewed her for the Britney Spears concert.
Bobby Newberry: I choreographed her show for Britney and was the creative director.
WCT: What a small world!
Bobby Newberry: It really is.
WCT: Can you do the shablam, where you drop to the floor?
Bobby Newberry: I can, but the thing is I don't like doing it. I used to do that when I did choreography five years ago. Now everybody does it. To me there is a way that you are supposed to do it where you tuck your leg under. You are supposed to go all the way back but not a drop. When some people do it, it looks like their knee will snap right out of the socket!
WCT: How much time a day do you spend dancing?
Bobby Newberry: It depends on what I have coming up. For the video we are rehearsing five hours a day leading up to the shoot. The shoot went all fucking day. We were dancing in combat boots in the dirt. That really added to the difficulty level!
WCT: You must work out a lot.
Bobby Newberry: I do. I grew up dancing and doing gymnastics. I feel like I need that training aspect in my life. If I don't I feel like something is missing. I do hot yoga three times a week. I do soul cycling. I don't know if you have it in Chicago but they do in a New York and LA. It is really high-energy intense cycling. It is to dope music like dubstep or current dance tracks. I love doing that. I also train with a trainer at least once a week.
WCT: You are in town for a Jump Tour. Explain what that is.
Bobby Newberry: The creative director on the tour picks people that are famous in their element, whatever that might be. I am the pop sexy-ish element. I'm the token gay one on the tour. [Laughs] Mia Michaels is part of the tour. She is contemporary and from the show So You Think You Can Dance. We also have Kenny Wormald, who was in the movie Footloose as the lead character.
We fly out to a different city every Friday, then fly back to LA on Sunday. It is a lot of travel. We teach classes then do a meet and greet with the dancers. We do pictures and signings. It's a lot of fun.
WCT: How has Chicago been?
Bobby Newberry: I love this city. This is one of my favorite cities on the tour. I want to come out here more and do shows. Once the song is on Billboard then I will be doing a lot more performances.
WCT: Maybe you can play at one of our gay bars soon.
Bobby Newberry: I would love to!
Follow Bobby @BobbyNewberry on Twitter and Instagram.
