CREW SPOTLIGHT: Vincent Jameson

Behind every performance is more than the artist standing at the center of the stage. There are musicians, dancers, choreographers, directors and creatives helping turn a song into something people can actually see. For Chipelo, one of the people who has helped define that movement from the beginning is Vincent Jameson, a dancer, choreographer and now teacher whose creativity has become a recurring part of Chipelo’s performances and music videos.

Vincent has been dancing for eight years and teaching for roughly a year and a half, but his relationship with dance and movement started long before he was standing in front of a class or choreographing for another artist.

“Hello, my name is Vincent and I am a dancer, a choreographer. I've been dancing for eight years now and also have been teaching dance for like a year and a half now.”

THE STORY OF VINCENT

Like a lot of dancers, one of Vincent’s earliest introductions to movement came from watching Michael Jackson, but eventually just watching wasn't enough for him. Vincent began finding dance battles and other dancers online, teaching himself by recreating the movements he saw. Vincent never followed a formal blueprint in the beginning, he simply watched, he replicated, he experimented, and he gradually began developing a movement style of his own, as he said in his own words:

“I kind of just started watching different dance battles and just teaching myself how to dance and just replicating everything that I saw, basically.”

Today, Vincent describes his style as heavily connected to the way he freestyles. Lines, grooves and concepts he's collected throughout his dance career become ingredients to his movements versus strict rules. When it comes time to choreograph, he pulls from that vocabulary and translates the freedom of freestyle into movement that can be taught and performed, but not all of his inspiration comes from dance.

Vincent describes himself as “very childlike,” and some of the things influencing his creativity are the same things he likes to enjoy outside of a studio: cartoons, superheroes and fictional worlds. He specifically points to Ben 10, DC and Marvel as sources he pulls from when trying to approach choreography differently. It’s an interesting reminder that inspiration doesn't always have to come from someone else doing the exact same thing you do. Alongside all of those influences, there is one part of Vincent's identity that carries significantly more weight in how he understands his ability to dance: his faith.

“This is more than just me dancing, but God moving through me every single time I dance.”

Vincent describes dancing as a release, but also as an opportunity to become a vessel through which his faith can reach other people. That perspective comes up repeatedly whenever he talks about where he wants his career to go. Dance is something he wants to become better at, but becoming a better dancer isn't necessarily the final destination. The larger goal is what he can give somebody else through it.

FROM COLLEGE AUDITIONS TO THE CREW

Long before Vincent worked with Chipelo as a choreographer, the two were college students auditioning for the same dance team at Towson called Vibe Dance Team. He describes the first time he saw Chipelo walk into the audition room as:

“He came in with a skateboard, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that dude mad tough.’”

The two then practiced together and quickly became friends afterward, and when Chipelo randomly reached out and asked if Vincent would be interested in choreographing one of his songs, Vincent said yes. One collaboration then became another. Chipelo would reach out when he had performances or opportunities, Vincent would create choreography, and the friendship continued developing alongside the work. What started as two college students meeting through dance gradually became a creative partnership spanning many performances and music videos. Over time, one of the most important parts of that relationship became trust. Rather than dictating every movement Vincent should create, Chipelo became comfortable giving him all the space he needed to interpret the music himself.

“He understood where my mind would go when it comes to me listening to his songs. And he would just allow me to be able to flow.”

That freedom allows Vincent to listen, create on the spot and trust that his instincts will eventually lead somewhere useful. There's another wrinkle to that creative process, though: all of Chipelo's music is in Spanish, a language Vincent doesn't fully understand. Instead of treating that as something preventing him from choreographing, Vincent learned to approach the music through feeling. He listens to the rhythm, the delivery of the words and the way Chipelo performs them. When the meaning of a lyric matters to the movement, he'll simply ask what it means and use the explanation as another foundation for the choreography.

“I'm able to adapt as much as I can when it comes to the music I listen to. And I just go based off feeling more so than anything.”

In a strange way, that language barrier emphasizes something fundamental about dance and art in general: that movement is a language, it can communicate on its own.

FROM “JUEVES” TO “UN CHANCE MÁS”

When Vincent looks back at the projects he has created with Chipelo, two stand out for very different reasons. The first is “JUEVES.”

It holds a special place because it represents where the creative relationship really started. Vincent describes it as one of the first major moments where the two began choreographing together, making it difficult for anything that came afterward to completely replace it as a favorite. But creatively, “UN CHANCE MÁS” represented something different.

“That was actually a really fun one to do. And it just gave me a new perspective on being a director, in a sense.”

Instead of only thinking about individual dance moves, that project pushed Vincent toward thinking about a larger concept. Music videos tell a story, they involve different teams of people, and shooting day itself is a whole different beast. With that music video, Vincent was able to work with multiple people, help shape choreography around the music video and think more broadly about how movement functions within a visual production. For him, that experience was more than just another credit to put on his resume, it helped him see another version of what he could become creatively.

“It really helped me be able to just become a better creator, in a sense.”

While music videos and performances might be the polished result people eventually see, some of the memories that stick around have absolutely nothing to do with choreography. When asked about a favorite behind-the-scenes memory with the Crew, Vincent remembered trying to help Chipelo park his car while shooting the music video for “UN CHANCE MÁS.” There was a mini cart there. Vincent didn't realize it was there, and he backed over it.

The basket did not survive.

“I broke—I ended up breaking the basket. And I felt really bad… but at the same time, it was a little bit funny.”

CREATING A SPACE TO BE YOURSELF

As Vincent continues developing as a dancer and choreographer, his priorities are beginning to extend beyond whether someone can perfectly execute the choreography he gives them. He wants people taking his classes to feel safe enough to be themselves. Rather than teaching choreography with the expectation that every dancer should look exactly like him, Vincent wants students to understand the movement and then find themselves inside of it.

“I'm giving this, but at the same time, I'm going to do my best to be able to implement myself into what I'm giving.”

It's a philosophy built around confidence rather than imitation. The choreography may come from Vincent, but the person performing it shouldn't disappear. That goal also reflects something Vincent is working on personally. He wants to become more confident in what he uniquely brings to a room instead of being afraid to showcase it.

“There's nobody else that is like me… God created only one me.”

For somebody who began dancing by replicating what he saw other dancers doing, there is something poetic about where this philosophy will take him. Now it isn’t about replication, but about the individuality behind the dancer performing his moves, a full circle moment.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR VINCENT?

Vincent isn't opposed to choreographing more music videos, performances, tours or larger productions. In fact, he enjoys creating for artists and building movement specifically for stages and visual projects, but if he had to choose where he's increasingly feeling pulled, his answer isn't necessarily toward the biggest stage, it's toward the classroom.

“I feel like I'm more so into this teaching bag, where I would rather just teach around the world and just teach random classes.”

Five years from now, Vincent imagines himself traveling and teaching in places far outside what he's accustomed to now. Europe is one destination he specifically mentions, but the larger idea is to enter unfamiliar environments and continue inspiring people to dance, even when language barriers exist. Vincent repeatedly returns to his faith when discussing his future. He has things he wants, but he's also comfortable with the possibility that his life could move somewhere completely different.

“It's whatever God wants for me.”

If teaching around the world is where that leads, he wants to embrace it. If the plan changes, he believes there is a reason for that too. Either way, he wants to inspire.

As Vincent continues to grow as a dancer, choreographer, and instructor, his passion for movement remains at the heart of everything he does. Whether he's performing on stage, creating choreography, or sharing his knowledge with students, Vincent continues to find new ways to express himself through dance and inspire those around him.

For anyone interested in experiencing his energy firsthand, Vincent has a simple invitation:

“If y'all ever around, just take my class. It's a fun time. I feel like y'all will enjoy it.”

From rehearsals with the Chipelo Crew to teaching his own classes, Vincent's journey is a reminder that growth as an artist never truly stops. As he continues to explore new opportunities and develop his craft, we're excited to see where his passion for dance takes him next.

Be sure to follow Vincent's journey, support his work, and catch him on stage or in the studio.