Choreographer Kristin McQuaid Finds Dance Inspiration Through Grace VanderWaal’s Music

Photo credit: Dance Dish/Kristyn Burtt.

Over the last year, choreographer Kristin McQuaid has been working on a trilogy of dance videos inspired by the music of Grace VanderWaal. First came “Light The Sky,” then “Moonlight” and now, “Florets.”

WATCH: Red Carpet Interviews At The Premiere of Kristin McQuaid's "Florets"

The third video, directed by David Javier, stars So You Think You Can Dance All-Star Kayla Radomski and Samual Krumrine as two people with a spark, but the video leaves you wondering if they made that final connection. The stunning visuals, set in the Hollywood Hills and on the cliffs of Malibu, create a romantic, gauzy atmosphere.

For McQuaid, the artistry of Grace’s music is something that has sparked an incredible movement in her own work.

“I chose the song, ‘Florets’ from Grace’s album because it was the song that I wanted to keep on repeat,” she explained to Dance Dish. “The lyrics are amazing. The flow of the song is brilliant and Grace’s vocals are outstanding.”

In working with Radomski and Krumrine, she had two different dynamics going on — a professionally trained dancer and someone who wasn’t a dancer at all. However, the movement created was so natural, it’s hard to believe Sam hasn’t trained in dance.

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“One challenge I wanted to put myself up to was creating a movement video on actors. Kayla Radomski is a professional dancer and actress, but Sam Krumrine is only an actor,” Kristin shared. “This was extra challenging for me to make the movement seem natural for him and most importantly, comfortable. What Sam delivered in this video blew me away. He was the hardest worker and he kept trying until he knew I was happy.”

Her work with Radomski came easily, though. The choreographer and dancer have worked together since Radomski was a child. There’s already an unspoken language between the two of them.

“Kayla always brings something to the camera that you just can’t teach,” she said. “She is a true star and I am so thankful she was a part of this video.”

When it came to the more technical aspects of the video, McQuaid tried something different this time around. She allowed Javier to create the treatment and storyline for the video. It took the pressure off and she was free to “create the visuals” and bring them to life with her choreographic touch.

More: Kristin McQuaid & iamnotshane Find a Way to Make Dance Happen — From a Distance

It’s clear that this particular VanderWaal something left a mark on her personally — it completed the trilogy in a beautiful way.

“As I get older, I keep realizing that so many things change in life. People go in and out. Trends go in and out. Relationships go in and out. We never know what our next path in life is and that’s what is so astonishing,” she summed up. “I relate ‘Florets’ to life — they grow, they are a wish, they are alive, they fade away and then we find new growth.”

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