Choreographer and Creative Director, LaurieAnn Gibson embodies passion, creativity and the love of dance, and she does it all to be a dream facilitator for others.

Most of us were first officially introduced to LaurieAnn Gibson, as the crazy boom-kacking choreographer Diddy loved to throw on his “Making the Band” minions to whip them in to tip-top shape. Since then, LaurieAnn has played a major role in helping to shape the career of pop icon, Lady Gaga as well as work with superstars like Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Usher and Keri Hilson. As word spread that working with Laurie Ann could help solidify a number one spot, opportunities kept surfacing, which allowed her career to move from dancer to choreographer to creative director; and boldly Laurie Ann grips all three labels.

Now, we are able to see those special moments between LaurieAnn and aspiring dancers in her new E! reality show, “The Dance Scene”, created by Ryan Seacrest.  In 8 episodes, we’ll be reintroduced to Laurie Ann as a business woman, putting together shows and videos for Keri Hilson and Lady Gaga. “The Dance Scene” dives into Laurie Ann’s creativity, tough love approach to improving  her Boomkack Studio dancers and the blood, sweat and tears that serve as a prerequisite for dancing on a “great stage”.

In our exclusive interview, LaurieAnn  opens up about how she got her start, what it was like to work with Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj and  why her new show, “The Dance Scene” stands out from other dance shows.

Bitchie Life: How would you describe your personal style?

LaurieAnn: I think my idea of fashion was birthed out of  dance and the street. Going to the clubs in New York and then when I would go out, I would be queen of the gray shoe, a t-shirt, a jean or leather pant. But when I had to start branding myself and moving up, I began competing on a different level.  I would totally get sand plastered on the blogs. I thought it was about “Oh, they would be happy that I don’t care I’m in a 99 cent shirt, there would be no pressure but they were like “Ooo, what is she wearing?” Then I was like ‘alright, let me figure this thing out’. So, it’s still new for me but I guess I’m more about the construction. I love designers that make clothes well. I love the build of a piece, the silhouette. I like pieces that are made really well and I like designers that understand women.

Do you feel like you have a favorite designer that fits that silhouette?

I do, Dolce & Gabbana

You did a segment for Dolce & Gabbana?

I did a choreographed segment for Naomi Campbell, my long time friend and sister. Then I choreographed every fashion week. They did a tribute to her so we danced in New York and we danced in Milan and Japan on the streets of Milan. It was amazing! I had a boom box and played Michael Jackson, the video she was in. She marched in the streets and it was fun.

How did you come across that gig, did they call you specifically?

Naomi did. I use to date Andre Harrell when I first moved to New York. I was a starving ballerina and those dinners were worth everything. So I met Naomi through him in the Hamptons and Puff Daddy and Uptown records, they became my family. We’ve been friends for a long time. We would dance at the Hamptons. Naomi, Tyra [Banks], and Kimora [Lee Simmons] . I would actually turn them into a girl group.

Is Naomi a dancer?

Yes, she’s a trained ballerina. Naomi has amazing lines to me. When I first went to see her on the runway I was blown away because I was like, it was art.

How did you get your start as a choreographer in the business?

I was born in Toronto, Canada and I watched Alvin Ailey when I was 12.  I trained in Toronto and I remember looking at the company and thinking, “Oh, my God! Look at all those black girls!” They feel like me! I was the only black girl at my dance school and ballet company and I was like, “I got to get there.” When I was 17, I took a Greyhound bus to New York and studied at Alvin Ailey, worked as a waitress, slept on floors and had a multitude of roaches in my drawer.  I would sleep on the hardwood floor and to this day I have an issue with being close to the floor; my bed is really high. I wasn’t making a lot of money then and I went to a Mary J. Blige audition and was like. The job was paying $450. I had on my point shoes and I started dancing for Mary at Uptown Records. I started choreographing for Mary’s second album and I began to structure my voice as a choreographer but it took a long time to admit I was a choreographer. I called myself a dance captain for a lot of years.

Is it true that the movie “Honey” was based on your real life?

Yes, that is true. When I was at Motown, dating Andre Harrell, someone wrote a script about me and brought it to Motown Films when Andre was there. Nothing happened with the script and a little while later, someone called me and they were like “Oh, my God Andre sold the movie Honey!” I’m like, “Really?” The director they talk about in the movie that Jessica Alba was approached by as far as women in videos, I can’t say his name.  All that happened and then they let me choreograph. I played Katrina  and I was so happy and we shot it in Toronto, so it was like full circle.

Was it hard teaching an actor to dance?

I had such a hard time with Jessica Alba because she really couldn’t dance and I was like if I could make her dance, I could make anyone dance. I always thought it wasn’t easy but the challenge trained my gift. How did I get my first dance movie and she can’t dance? That’s total sabotage. Kids were doing Step Up 2 and I had a girl that couldn’t dance. They were judging me so, I had these five moves and I was going to freak them. It was really an experience. I remember training her on the first day of filming. I told her to go full out. She told the director Billie Woodruff to tell me not to talk to her like that on set. I was devastated. I was beyond broken because I thought I had helped her. It wasn’t like she couldn’t have pulled me to the side. I’m a constant professional. It was such a blow to me. I gave her everything and then we were there on set, day one and I just wanted it to be so good.  I put my everything into it. That was a part of the learning and perfecting but it’s difficult to come back from that.

What major challenges have you faced in becoming a brand more so than a choreographer?

I think everything was a struggle for me because it was so many doors that I’ve opened as a result of having the gift of dance that were not opened. Praise God and glory to God for His mercy. So it’s always that period before the door opens when it’s the darkest because you’re the first one going through it. It’s not one thing, it’s not one moment, there’s a whole bunch of moments that stopped me or tried to stop me and distract me and change how my gift operates.

Do you think you were misunderstood when you were on “Making the Band?”

I was very passionate and that passion read as crazy for some. So I had to deal with not being understood when really the gift was just operating for so many artists and taking them to number one and maintaining them at number one–I thought that was a good thing. No one really understood it; they just knew they needed to use it. Then someone told , “You know, you can let them use your gift, that’s why God blessed you, but you can’t let them misuse it.”  Oh, God, they’ve been misusing it! It was such an epiphany and I had to figure out how to be independent of their choices that they make as a result of getting to number one. There’s no judgment there but for me, it was more. I was more pressed to make change. It was more of desperation to tell the truth.

How did you start working with Lady Gaga?

A big turning point was a big fight on national television with Puff Daddy, who is my family, my brother and all those great things.I got a call from one of the record executives that I’d worked with before, Vincent. I did The Dream for him. He told me he found a girl. I said, “Who did you find?” He said she’s crazy like me. Then I met her.  She came to my rehearsal with Alicia Keys, put on her record and I loved the music. I said alright ‘let’s start working’. I remember she was so emotional about her dream like I was.

At the time, everyone wanted me to make another Beyonce or every executive was like “No, we want to do Jamacian, we want to do this or that” I was like what do y’all know about a dance step?  Because Beyonce is doing a booty shake now everybody got to learn that too? It was so frustrating because when you have a gift, you can’t reproduce what’s already out there, that’s not how it works. So this girl said, “Whatever you tell me, I get it.” I said, “Well, my name is LaurieAnn”. She told me her name was Lady Gaga. She came to rehearsal and I loved the record; it started speaking to me instantly. Then I poured everything into this project. I said if I didn’t make her number one then what are they going to tell me? Danity Kane number one, Puff Daddy..like every time I did it they took it away from me. I said there’s something I’m not doing right and then I said let me make it so obvious. Three and a half years later, Lady Gaga is number one in the world and I’m very proud of that collaboration. That was one of the first times as a creative director that the entire thing- the fashion, the creative process -someone listened and wasn’t afraid of my fearlessness. They took it, ran with it and did the work.

What made you decide to work with Lady Gaga?

It wasn’t a decision because it wasn’t a label in place to pay me. There was only a relationship from a record executive who didn’t have a deal in place. It was because I was so free to create as opposed to all these other artists that try to tell me what to do. There was no label there, there was no manager there, it was just me and God. So it was like freedom, our gifts were just going. Who we are was just breathing life into this project. There was no money so I was just doing it because I believed in her and she believed in me and that is probably one of the hardest things in this business to find.

How do you think the industry perceives the beauty of black women in the industry?

[When a black woman] takes ownership over her sexuality and her beauty, they’re still offended and it’s like we can’t be beautiful as a white woman. We can’t be as sexy. We can’t be as free and they’ve engraved this thing in our heads that if we celebrate our sexuality, it means we’re hookers. “Embrace it,” is what I say because then you find the power in it–the power being that God gave us this beauty. God gave us this sexuality as black women. It’s soulful, it’s earthy, it’s riveting and it is offensive because it’s so good. I’m not saying [they] all [do it],but you see a lot of artists take from black girls and dilute it. I’m just not down with that.

What was it like working with Nicki Minaj?

When I first met Nicki, I was so blown away by her fearlessness. The first time I saw something like that was with Gaga so I was so excited because I began to understand that the process of Gaga kind of perfected my gift. It was like iron sharpening iron. So when I saw Nicki, I was clear about how much talent and ability she had, how big her dreams were, how much of a performer and a world changer she could be with her music and shows. We connected the first time working with Puffy on the BET Awards and it was a great process. Don’t get it twisted, she will stress me out in the ninth inning.

How do you deal with that last minute phone call that an artist changed their mind and want to do something else or maybe an artist got nervous about something you want them to do?

Nicki calls every day with a new idea and I love it. I try to challenge my gift and my humility and I take myself out of it and I fight for them. I always say, “I’m like a bridge over troubled water.” I don’t ever want to take credit for what God has blessed me with and my ability but I know I’m confident in it. I know that He has burnt the weakness out enough and perfected the ability, that I am confident when I say something to my artists. When I fight for them, I know they will be number one. When they decide to switch up and call, I can handle it because I say, “I am the best. I know I am the best. When you come to me, you will become the best.” In those moments the best doesn’t get frustrated, tired or give up, so I remind myself that I can’t give up.

How did your new show “Dance Scene” come about?

I was doing “American Idol” for Puff Daddy and E! called me about a number of shows they were doing and every show they offered me I was like, “No, thank you.” I’m not Flava Flav. I don’t have a clock on. I’m not desperate to get on television for no reason. I did “Making the Band.” I knew that I was having a strong enough career without wanting to take a risk just to be on television. Ryan was watching me with Puffy and then they saw me with Gaga and they then understood the passion, the drive and just how much I really do for the artist and in the music industry. Ryan said that, “this story needs to be told or the world needs to see the option.” I just about fell out because I told Ryan if I could reach every young girl–and yes, of course every young black girl– they wouldn’t feel limited by just wanting to be an artist. They’ll know they could create it and could get behind the camera. Ryan’s amazing and a big brand, but he’s still about helping people.

Can you tell us more about the show?

The show is amazing. I just saw the first episode and there was a fight. I had the gloves on. To keep it real, I was petrified. I wanted to protect my superstars because I can not reveal our intimate collaborations; that’s not possible. I didn’t want to be less on television then who I am in my real life. I didn’t want to be a dancer or choreographer looking less than one of my artists. My gift deserves more. So when they would ask me to do something corny, I would be like, “This is a reality show. What do you mean can you walk back out and come back in? If you didn’t get it, you missed it.” After the fight, they began to understand and the creativity got on track. The first episode is phenomenal. I broke down and was just crying because I never saw someone get me and I never had that much freedom because they weren’t intimidated by my gift. It’s not about me. It’s not a cocky thing, it’s a confidence. Most times when people have a huge gift, they’re like, “Get back. Your light is too bright, get back, get back.” Ryan wanted me to come on, come on. It was the first time. We’re on E! right after Khloe and Lamar.

What would you want viewers to take away from the show?

They could be who they believe themselves to be. If there’s hope and heart, no matter how tough it is, you will see victory. You will get to a place where your dreams can come true, you will get to a place where you’re life will reflect what you feel inside. There is a place where you can have true peace, joy and fulfillment. The whole show is inspiring because I’m transparent and I lift the veil of bullsh*t in the industry, from how to fit in to how to act when you do get a number one record.

Words of advice for all the struggling artists chasing a dream?

I think the first advice for anyone wants to pursue a dream or career in this business or any business is first to really acknowledge want you want to do as a young person and really find your passion. If you know you want to be a singer then know that and choose to know that. If you want to be a dancer or choreographer, know that and then understand that it’s going to be hard work. Sometimes it’s not going to be easy or overnight. Overnight isn’t necessarily for success but everybody is different. So I think the most important thing is when you’re young, really understand that it’s going to be hard work. It’s going to test you, you’re going to want to give up, people lie to you, you will be disappointed, you will face adversity but you will always make the choice to go back to your dream in your heart and what you believe you were born to do.

If you always make that choice, then you’ll always make it because even if you have overnight success like some of my groups [like Danity Kane], you get thrown into a business that’s about profit and then people attach themselves to your gift and they put you on the hype train. They gas your ego up. You drink the Kool-aid, you will choke. Don’t be so quick to want to make it overnight or want to be in that place of worldly status because there is always a glitch in the matrix and you have to be built to be number one or you’ll slip. Danity Kane got to number one and they didn’t spend enough time being humble or doing the work so when they got in the ring, and they got beat. Now they have to start all over again. Overnight success and short cuts draw blood. There are no short cuts because even when you think you’ve made it or the world says you’ve made it, there is still more work to do. Making it, is getting up every day and fighting to remain humble, grateful and to find a bigger purpose or another level to why you are who you are. It’s not over until He calls you home and that’s when you’ve made it.

Introduction by @Rhapso_DY

Photography by Hannibal Matthews,

Interviewed & Styling by Toye Adedipe.

LaurieAnn Gibson’s new reality show “Dance Scene” airs every Sunday at 10:30pm on E!