'Beyoncé Bowl,' Super Bowl choreographer started working with Madonna in high school
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Caché McClay, USA TODAY NETWORKAugust 20, 2025 at 4:02 AM
From the "Beyoncé' Bowl" to the Super Bowl, Charm La'Donna has choreographed some of pop culture's defining moments. Now, she joins a rarefied group as only the fourth Black woman ever nominated for an Emmy in choreography.
This year, La'Donna earned two Emmy nominations for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming — one for her contribution to Beyoncé's NFL Christmas Day halftime show and another for Kendrick Lamar's history-making Super Bowl halftime performance. Both stand among the most talked-about cultural moments of the past year.
"The 'Beyoncé Bowl' was my first time working with Beyoncé, and it was just a beyond amazing experience for me," La'Donna says. "I'm so grateful and blessed to be able to work with amazing artists across the board — Beyoncé and Kendrick included. I feel like every project that I work on has some impact on me."
The two nods make her the fourth Black woman in history to be recognized in the choreography category at the Emmys, joining Debbie Allen, Chloé Arnold and her mentor Fatima Robinson.
Award-winning choreographer Charm La'Donna
And while her work has been showcased on some of the world's biggest stages and tours, she greets the recent recognition with a humble heart.
“I don’t even know if I have the words, to be honest," she says. "The first thing I say is that I’m blessed and grateful. I’m still in shock. It’s an honor just to be acknowledged on this type of platform. It’s definitely a dream come true."
Born Charmaine La’Donna Jordan, the Compton, California, native was raised by her mom and grandmother and began dance training at age 3. Her career blossomed early, with formal studies at Regina’s School of the Arts before she attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
By the age of 10, she was cast in a video under Robinson, who took her under her wing. At 17, while still in high school, Madonna hired her as a choreographer. La’Donna went on to earn a bachelor's degree in world arts and cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles while continuing to work professionally.
"Being from where I'm from and from Compton, and growing up in the city of Los Angeles, that is very heavily rooted in who I am, how I move and my experiences," La'Donna says.
Inspired by hip-hop and R&B, her style mixes street and formal training with a focus on musicality and emotion. However, she sees herself as more than just a choreographer. She's also a storyteller, tastemaker and soon-to-be-director.
"I call myself a hybrid. I have trained in many different styles, art forms of dance, and I feel like all of the styles that I've been able to study are blended well and put out through me," she says. "So I take my experiences, I look at the world, and I'm able to blend it in my body, and God allowed me to move and put it out."
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While this year marks her first two Emmy nods, she has an impressive track record. She has collaborated with top musicians including The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Shakira, Selena Gomez, Megan Trainor and Pharrell Williams.
La'Donna was recently nominated for best choreography at this year's MTV's Video Music Awards for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video. Last year, she took home the same award for her work on Dua Lipa’s “Houdini.”
She's now looking to expand into TV and film, launch mentorship programs for dancers and step into directing.
Charm La'Donna in her earlier years
"I think the accolades are beautiful and we work toward them, but I love the process," she says. "I love the work that goes into creating the art for whoever to see. You're talking to the little girl who used to choreograph in her room by herself, and now I see my work all over the world."
Produced by Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment and Jesse Collins Entertainment, the "Beyoncé Bowl", which is now standalone special on Netflix, received four nods at the 2025 Emmys. Kendrick Lamar also garnered four nods for his Super Bowl performance.
While the award show is slated for next month, Beyoncé already earned her first Emmy for outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction or reality programming as a costume designer along with other members of her team.
This year's Primetime Emmys will be Sept. 14 in Los Angeles.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 'Beyoncé Bowl,' Super Bowl choreographer talks rarefied Emmy nods
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