Jennifer Lopez is a true triple threat — actor, singer and dancer. Her skills know no bounds and those talents will be on display this weekend at the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with Shakira in Miami, Florida.
The stats for the show are astounding. According to J.Lo's creative directors Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo a.k.a. NappyTabs, there are approximately 130 dancers, three costume changes and 27 props for the four-minute set. The dancers have been rehearsing nine hours a day to make it all happen perfectly. Parris Goebel is choreographing the dances for J.Lo.
We all know that her set will be a show-stopper because J.Lo knows how to make her vision come to life with her entire team. This comes from years of developing her brand, first as a dancer, now as an entrepreneur.
It's fun to take a look at some of the moments that defined her as a force to be reckoned with and we hope some of these iconic moves might pop up at this weekend's Super Bowl.
Fly Girl
The Fly Girls on In Living Color were the show’s resident dance troupe. Rosie Perez was the choreographer, and other famous dancers in the troupe included future Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba and Laurieann Gibson. No one seems to remember that J.Lo only joined the show in Season 3 and left after Season 4. It’s almost like she was the only dancer in the troupe — a true superstar.
The clip from J.Lo’s first episode in 1991 shows her looking a little hesitant on her last move. It’s kind of hard to believe that she might have second-guessed herself, given how strong she is now. It makes us feel good to know that J.Lo is human, too.
“Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
“Love Don’t Cost a Thing” was shot in 2000 and features the fashion and the movement that was on-trend during that time period. The dance break alone is a classic Lopez look — hoop earrings, baggy jeans and dance moves that sit deep in the pocket. The video was choreographed by Darrin Dewitt Henson and was nominated for a 2001 MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video.
Dance Battle with Jimmy Fallon
In a 2017 appearance, J.Lo had to battle Jimmy Fallon on the dance floor by drawing types of dances out of “Velvety Dance Bag.” These dances were anything but normal. J.Lo nailed it with her “washing machine on spin cycle” dance — girl had hairography and all while she swiveled her hips. Jimmy had a comeback with “walking on a moving bus,” but there was no beating J.Lo once she danced the “hot cowboy.”
“Ain’t It Funny”
This 2001 video, which features a dance break with flamenco-inspired movement, pretty much confirms that J.Lo can do any style of dance. We totally believe that she had years of flamenco training, when in reality, she probably picked it up in the rehearsal studio a week before the shoot.
This song also had an interesting history since it was written for J.Lo's film, The Wedding Planner. Director Adam Shankman felt that the single didn't fit with the movie because of its heavy Latin influence. "Love Don't Cost A Thing" was used for the film and this song slid into her second studio album.
American Music Awards with Maks Chmerkovskiy
In 2013, the American Music Awards decided to feature a tribute to legendary salsa singer Celia Cruz. There was no better person for the job than J.Lo, who did a full-blown four-and-a-half-minute performance complete with costume changes and an extraordinary over-the-head lift with Dancing with the Stars pro Maks Chmerkovskiy. It’s ah-mazing.
Toddlerography with James Corden
Things aren’t always so serious when it comes to dance with J.Lo; she’s participated in silly sketches like the infamous “Toddlerography” segment with James Corden. J.Lo and Corden had to follow the movement created by the tiny tykes to her music.
The kids had her running, spinning on her stomach and even diving into a straddle split from a dancing position. These kids are tough!
“I’m Glad”
The video for “I’m Glad” gives us a stripped-down version of J.Lo, who ditched her backup dancers to dance solo. The 2003 video gives the audience a recreation of the beloved 1983 film Flashdance, from the ripped sweatshirt to J.Lo’s curly hair and leg warmers. You see the sexy nightclub dance along with the iconic audition scene at the ballet school.
Paramount Pictures didn’t enjoy this tribute as much, however. The studio sued J.Lo and Sony Music for copyright infringement, as did dancer Maureen Marder, whose life was the inspiration for the film. Paramount settled with Sony and J.Lo, but Marder’s suit was dismissed.
Live @ Fashion Rocks
J.Lo performed the song “Booty” at Live @ Fashion Rocks in 2014. She took her usual hot hip-hop style and flipped the script by doing an homage to Bob Fosse. The Sweet Charity-inspired number, “The Rich Man's Frug,” had musical theatre geeks squealing across the country. It proved that J.Lo’s respect for dance runs deeps.
Super Bowl LIV 2020 will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 2 on FOX.
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