By: Rhiannon Johnston
(Photos: Netflix Studios)
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 03/26/2023 – Celine ‘Boom’ Edmondson, dancer and choreographer for the Brooklynettes, showcases her skills in the groundbreaking show Dance 100. This new competition showcases eight choreographers who create dance routines and compete against one another. What makes Dance 100 unique is that the choreographers are judged by the dancers who perform on the show with them. The producers were sure to cast the most outspoken dancers to give harsh critiques and flirtatious praise to the choreographers. Through this format, Celine was sure to treat everyone on the set with kindness, no matter their role and to learn everyone by their name.
Within a matter of days the choreographers were under pressure to quickly create show stopping dance routines to a group of 7-100 dancers, work with costume designers and the creative directors on blocking and lighting briefly before hitting the stage. Having a BFA in dance from the University of Arts in Philly prepared Celine for this moment. While rehearsing her light foot routine on stage, Liam Luinness the creative director of Dance 100 tells Celine that one of her dancers Divine is injured and was taken to the hospital. Reblocking a routine “30 minutes before show time” puts pressure on Celine to prove she is a professional under this stress test. Her light foot routine is an homage to her childhood when she started dancing at the age of 12 in an after-school program. Celine debuted her “first piece of choreography in 5th grade to Ciara’s song 1, 2, Step.” Unlike today’s current trends of tick-tock dances that feature movement from the waist up, it’s important for dancers to hone in on learning technical footwork. Celine and I both agree that house dancing is a great avenue for dancers to explore movement below the waist and initiate movement from the floor to your core.
While the show was a lot of work, Celine has many fond memories. “Meeting new dancers, being able to spread the knowledge of hip-hop and the history” was her favorite part of working on Dance 100, said Celine ‘Boom’ during our interview. Natural talent and hard work awarded Celine with the opportunity to study dance at a few pre-professional schools such as The Ailey School, Earl Mosley’s Institute for the Arts & Westport Academy of Dance.
Sometimes even the most seasoned choreographer hits a creative block. Celine likes to “go out to be around people,” freestyle with other dancers and “feel a vibe to get inspired because my creativity comes from real life experience” she said. Another challenge the choreographers had to face throughout this competition was the use of props of their choosing. Being a dancer myself I can tell you that dancing with a prop is difficult and Celine chose to put some dancers in heels, using fans, and what I think is one of the hardest props to choreograph a dance with, a cane. Using a cane requires precision and usually takes time to perfect with a group as any lines that are broken are easily noticed.
While Celine “Boom” was mastering her craft she found the hardest thing she had to do was find a balance between two different dance worlds. This included studying traditional dance styles at UofA. While traveling and performing commercial dance styles with the Brooklynettes preparing her for the road ahead. Having a formal academic education in dance broadened Celine’s horizons, expanded both her vocabulary as well as her repertoire of movement and gave her a new perspective on the industry. All of this prepared Celine “Boom” to win a dance battle on Dance 100 that showcased her versatility and choreography. Celine ‘Boom’ makes it to the semifinals on Dance 100.
She believes her experience with the all-female team the Brooklyneets has shown her how important it is for females to support and inspire each other. This is especially true in a male dominated industry where women are highly sexualized. This pivotal time in her life is where she transformed from girl to woman and found comfort in the comradery of dancing with other women of color. One of Celines favorite artists she has had the opportunity to work with is Lil Kim because she is extremely invested in the process of creating and perfecting performances before they hit the stage or shoot a scene. The best advice Celine “Boom” has for dancers aspiring to work in the commercial industry is “not to worry about following trends and to stay true to yourself.” Her experience taught her the importance of trusting your dancers and giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills.
Celine’s other interests also include cooking, she said “I am a self-classified foodie.” This passion inspired her to start her own business called Boom’s Bites. She chose to take a beat from that while taping Dance 100, but I wonder if winning the $100,000 could have put Celine’s Boom’s Bites business back on track. Celine says right now although she is “basking in this moment,” she also wants to “strike while the iron is hot.” Be on the lookout for her in upcoming workshops, come take her class at Steps in Broadway in NYC and watch Dance 100 on Netflix.
