I met Randi Liberman when she was subbing for dancer Hero Thomas’ class at Los Angeles’ Millennium Dance Complex. I enjoyed her choreography so much that—because I couldn’t make her regular class—I’ve decided to take private lessons from her. Originally from Montréal and now working as a dancer, choreographer and teacher in Los Angeles, Randi currently dances for pop artist Ava Max, teaches hip hop dance at Millennium Dance Complex and choreographs for various rising music artists. I took the opportunity to interview her about her rising career.
What was it like growing up in Montreal, Canada, and what inspired you to become a professional dancer and move to Los Angeles?
RL: Growing up in Montreal, Canada, it became clear at a very young age that dance was going to be a large part of my life. As a kid I was constantly running around the house singing and dancing, with my younger sister Tara following at every step. My father was not far behind with the camcorder, and every slumber party with friends became a full on production and dance recital. As soon as I was old enough to take classes, dance easily became the most exciting part of my week. I began assisting my teacher and therefore teaching others at the young age of 11. I also started choreographing and teaching at my neighborhood youth group at 14 and was running the dance program at my summer camp at 17. I began training in all styles of dance with Hip Hop as a clear favorite, and by the time I was 20 years old, I was dancing and teaching every day on top of attending University and keeping up with my studies. I began performing with local artists, and in shows across Montreal, but my passion for dance was only growing and I knew that if I truly wanted to pursue my dreams of dancing on the biggest stages next to the best artists in the world, I’d have to make my way to where all the action truly happened — Los Angeles. Dancing and teaching has been a part me since I can remember, and the idea that I could pursue this as a career was more than intriguing to me. So I began working on my Artists Visa, making trips to New York and LA to train and saving money through my teaching, to finally be on my way to the next big step in my journey. At 28 years old I was leaving my friends, family and everything I knew behind, to pursue my wildest dreams. Although the journey has been full of bumps and roadblocks, I’ve had some of greatest once in a lifetime experiences and wouldn’t change it for anything.
Besides dancing for artists like Ava Max, you also choreograph for other artists. What has been the favorite artist or music video you’ve choreographed so far?
RL: I would have to say my favorite project I’ve choreographed for an artist recently is Breakthrough the music video for Emmy Meli. Emmy is such a hard worker and we’ve been training together in dance and movement for almost 2 years now. Her voice is absolutely out of this world and the girl can dance! Getting to create choreography to such a fun song like Breakthrough, hiring the right dancers for the job and then working so closely with the director on set, made this such a great experience from top to bottom.
What’s the one major difference between being a dancer / performer vs. being a choreographer? What do you like more?
RL: In my opinion, dancing and choreographing are 2 very different skills, and teaching a 3rd. Although they all definitely overlap, the skill sets you need for each differ greatly from one another. I believe that my experience as a dancer/performer gives me a lot of great knowledge when delving into movement coaching and choreography for artists. Not only do I know what it takes to perform at a high level, but I also understand what is required to have a great show whether its a televised event, a small intimate theatre or one of the largest stadiums across the globe. Choreography for artists also requires not only creativity, but being good at understanding your artist, being able to meet them at their level of abilities and then elevate their performance. I believe that my years of experience teaching all levels & ages of dancers, is definitely what helps me relate to and work well one on one with artists. Despite what many may think, being a choreographer is way more than just making up dance moves, as you are often a part of so much more, including direction, set & costume design, and even personal therapist haha. I would have to say that I love all aspects of my job and especially the fact that because of all of these different facets of my passion, I am able to live my life through dance.
Do you have a particular dance or music genre you lean toward as a choreographer?
RL: My favorite genres of music would have to be RnB, Hip Hop & Pop; basically anything with a strong beat and flowy lyrics that I can groove to! Although I am drawn to these genres most, my love for music runs deep and I adore the fact that you can dance to almost any genre of music! As I always say, the music is your map; it is the thing that should be the driving force of your dance & movement. For the most part choreography is created specifically to a particular piece of music and as a dancer/performer it is your job to emulate the music through your dance. Therefore my goal is to create choreography that just feels right to the music-it should just make sense when you see it performed.
I know your work as a dance teacher. For you, what’s the most important skill to be a teacher of dance?
RL: I believe that being a teacher is a great responsibility, and one that I don’t take lightly! I will never claim to know everything, but what I do know from my many years of experience I will share with the best of my knowledge and abilities. I think one of the most important skills as a dance teacher, is to be able to make your students feel comfortable – enough to try something new if even if it feels out of their comfort zone. As a teacher or coach, much of your job is giving others the confidence to push past their fears and actually feel good about the learning process and therefore about their progress. It is also important for a teacher to be able to break down movement to a basic level. Everyone learns differently and if you can take it back to the basics, you can also find different ways to explain things to better get through to your students. Patience is another great virtue that teachers must have as you need to be willing to meet the dancer or class at their current level to then find out how to push them further towards growth. I want my students to feel like we are on equal levels,
I just happen to know more about dance and want to share that knowledge so that they can improve, grow and ultimately feel great about themselves.
In terms of your dance career, what has been your most memorable milestone so far?
RL: I have so many great memories from my dance career so I’ll give you a few of my standouts!
Booking my first job in LA was definitely a highlight. I had been working so hard for months; taking classes, meeting people and surviving as a visa holder only able to work in my craft (no job at Starbucks to pay the bills). I was so happy to finally see a familiar face as the choreographer on my audition call, so I danced my but off at that audition and booked my first dance job since moving to LA. It turned out to be a promo tour with artist Dawin, with a great group of people, and taking me across the globe to places like Dubai, Asia and Australia. It truly felt like one of those moments when everything just comes together; the months of hard work adapting to LA, having a choreographer who could vouch for my character, and being prepared for the opportunity. It really made all of the blood, sweat and tears worth it!
Another memorable moment was definitely performing at the Bell Center in Montreal (my hometown) for all of my friends and family while on tour with Bebe Rexha opening for the Jonas Brothers! My parents and friends hadn’t had the chance to watch me dance in years, and getting to perform for them in our hometown arena was a true dream come true.
And one more milestone would have to be dancing on the global stadium tour with The Weeknd. Having had the chance to travel the world to so many places I’d never been, making lifelong friends along the way, while doing what I love behind one of the worlds biggest artists was a true highlight!
What is one thing you’re most passionate about now and do you have a dream project you want to create as a dancer or choreographer?
RL: I am currently in a really beautiful place of having the opportunity to continue to perform and dance, while simultaneously building a community & great relationships through my teaching and choreographing. I feel very fortunate to be able to do a little bit of all of my passions within dance and I am looking forward to where this next chapter will bring me. I would love to choreograph a full tour someday for an awesome artist whom I admire and respect, as well as choreograph for television and film.
What is one advice you would give to a beginning dancer who wants to come to LA and blossom like you?
RL: To anyone contemplating the move to LA, I would tell you to take the leap and just do it (like Nike says!). There will rarely be that perfect moment where the stars align and everything makes sense, but instead there will be a bunch of small steps forward which will ultimately lead you closer and closer to achieving your goals. LA is known as the land of opportunities and so I truly believe that if your willing to put in the work and time that it takes, you can forge your own path and find success in the way that is meant for you. I would advise you to spend time looking inwards to discover who you truly are and what you actually want for yourself in your career. On that note, I would also advise you to figure out your identity without dance, as the industry can tend to be overwhelming at times and allow you to lose yourself and your identity when things feel tough within your craft – we are all human 1st! I believe that once you discover who you truly are as a person as well as who you want to be in your dance, there is almost nothing that can stop you from accomplishing those big dreams of yours!
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