Travis Payne
Encyclopedia
Travis Payne is an American choreographer, director, and producer
. He is best known for working with Michael Jackson
as the choreographer for This Is It
until Jackson's death. Payne also served as the associate producer for This Is It
, and along with the director, Kenny Ortega
, was extensively and intimately involved in the making of the film. To date, This Is It
worldwide gross revenue totaled $261.3 million during its theatrical run making it the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time.
Payne is the youngest inductee into the Gallery of Greats, and the recipient of numerous nominations and awards. He has been honored with the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
four times for his work with En Vogue
, Salt-N-Pepa
as well as Michael Jackson
and Janet Jackson
on the music video /short-film on "Scream" which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. He also received three American Choreography Awards
, including honors for his work on "Scream" and Michael Jackson's Ghosts. Payne was nominated for an Emmy Award
for his choreography work with Michael Jackson
on the "Dangerous" performance for the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards
opening segment. He was again nominated for an Emmy Award
in 2006 for his work on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He is also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Music Video Producers Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work with the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Ally McBeal
. In December 2009, Payne was featured with a write-up in the Michael Jackson Opus and recognized for his choreography and contribution for his work with the King of Pop.
where he soon met longtime personal idols Kenny Ortega
, Michael Peters
, Debbie Allen
, and Paula Abdul
.
Payne's big break came at the age of 19 after he created a dance video of himself which helped him land his first major gig as part of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 World Tour. From the moment he performed on stage, his talent for dancing was obvious and immediately started fielding offers to work with Prince
, Debbie Allen
, En Vogue
, TLC
, and Michael Jackson
on his Dangerous World Tour
. While working with Jackson extensively, Payne began to see the entire creative process close-up, and soon began to choreograph for such major acts as Madonna
, Sting, Lenny Kravitz
, Faith Hill
, Jennifer Lopez
, Ricky Martin
, Britney Spears
, Usher Raymond IV and Beyoncé. Payne also choreographed the debut music video for Nicole Scherzinger
of the Pussycat Dolls
, and re-teamed with Scherzinger to provide the artistic direction for her critically acclaimed performances on both the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2008, Payne choreographed a tribute segment to Michael Jackson which included Omarion
on the television series Dancing with the Stars
.
In May 2009, Payne started to work with Michael Jackson
and Kenny Ortega
on This Is It
which was a sold-out series of fifty concerts by Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena
in London
. These were Jackson's first significant concert events since the HIStory World Tour
in 1997 and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events, with over one million people attending in total. Unfortunately, the concert series was canceled due to Jackson's untimely demise. On July 7, 2009, Payne helped choreograph the Michael Jackson memorial service
at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles which was broadcast live around the world, from the U.S. to Slovakia to parts of Asia, with an estimated one billion viewers. Following the months after Jackson's passing, Payne worked very closely with Ortega to piece together rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson's This Is It
which was put together from rough footage recorded at the Los Angeles Forum and the Staples Center. Subsequently, the film was released worldwide with a limited two-week theatrical run from October 28, to November 12, 2009. Tickets went on sale a month early on September 27, 2009, to satisfy a high anticipated demand; to date, the film has broken numerous records via tickets both pre-sale and sales worldwide.
In December 2009, Payne also choreographed Lady Gaga
on the The Monster Ball Tour
as well as provided direction for her performances on the 2009 American Music Awards
, The Jay Leno Show
, and Ellen
. He also worked with Mariah Carey
on her "H.A.T.E.U.
" video. To round out the year, he traveled to Japan to work with SMAP
and choreograph a Michael Jackson Tribute which was aired on TV for the New Year's Eve special.
In January 2010, Payne embarked on a peace tour and arranged a surprise visit to the Cebu
province of the Philippines
to work with the dancing inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center
(CPDRC), a maximum security that is also featured in the Michael Jackson Opus. Famous for their "Thriller
" which received 300,000 views per day at its peak, the video has received over 37 million reported views and is considered one of the most viral videos viewed on the internet. Payne along with "This Is It" dancers Daniel Celebre
(aka Da FunkyMystic) and Dres Reid
taught over 1500 dancing inmates to perform "The Drill" as part of the song "They Don't Care About Us
" and was video taped to coincide with the "This Is It" DVD & Blu-ray release on January 25, 2010. The clip went live on YouTube
, Yahoo and TMZ
and immediately captured more than 3 million views within 1 week of its release online.
In April 2010, Payne was honored by The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait, the largest Michael Jackson tribute in the world, endorsed by the Jackson Family Foundation. The tribute is an interactive work of art by artist David Ilan, which is made from one million hand drawn dots. Friends and family of Jackson's get a dot in their name in the area of Jackson's heart.
In October 2010, CBS
announced that Payne would join Kimberly Wyatt
and Executive producer, Lead Judge and Personal Idol Paula Abdul
on the judges panel for her new dance competition and reality show Live to Dance
. CBS describes the series as broadcast television's first all-ages, all-genres dance series that is based on Sky 1
's UK dance show Got to Dance. The different acts will compete for a $500,000 prize in front of the panel of judges, and viewers will eventually get to vote for their favorite dancers during the semifinal and final rounds. Live to Dance
kicks off with a two-hour special January 4 before moving to its regular hour-long slot Wednesdays, starting January 5.
Payne also choreographed for Hong Kong singer, Andy Lau
along with Stacy Walker for the Andy Lau Unforgettable Concert 2010 throughout the year. In addition, he also worked with Han Geng to choreograph the singer's titletrack for his first solo album, along with four other dancers from This Is It. When the album promotions arose, Payne performed with the singer and the dancers on various Chinese variety and talk shows as the opening.
In November 2010 Payne was seen on Michael Jackson The Experience on Dance School
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is best known for working with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
as the choreographer for This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
until Jackson's death. Payne also served as the associate producer for This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
, and along with the director, Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
, was extensively and intimately involved in the making of the film. To date, This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
worldwide gross revenue totaled $261.3 million during its theatrical run making it the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time.
Payne is the youngest inductee into the Gallery of Greats, and the recipient of numerous nominations and awards. He has been honored with the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
four times for his work with En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
as well as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
on the music video /short-film on "Scream" which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. He also received three American Choreography Awards
American Choreography Awards
The American Choreography Awards was a ceremony and show that honored outstanding choreographers in the fields of feature film, television, music videos, and commercials. They were first known as the L.A. Dance Awards , then as Bob Fosse Awards, and a.k.a. Fosse’s , and eventually the American...
, including honors for his work on "Scream" and Michael Jackson's Ghosts. Payne was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his choreography work with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on the "Dangerous" performance for the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
opening segment. He was again nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 2006 for his work on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. He is also a two-time recipient of the prestigious Music Video Producers Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work with the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
. In December 2009, Payne was featured with a write-up in the Michael Jackson Opus and recognized for his choreography and contribution for his work with the King of Pop.
Life and career
Payne was born in Atlanta with a natural talent and began dancing at the age 4. He began formal training at the age of 9 where he studied at Norma's Academy of Dance under the direction of the late Norma B. Mitchell and her daughter Djana Bell. In 1984, Payne went to Northside School of the Arts, and studied under the direction of William G Densmore and performed in Atlanta's Showbiz Kids. He then joined the Harrison Dance company under the direction of Gary Harrison before moving to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he soon met longtime personal idols Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
, Michael Peters
Michael Peters
Michael Douglas Peters was an American choreographer.-Biography:Peters was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in New York City to an African American father and Jewish mother. His first major breakthrough came when he did choreography for Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" in 1975...
, Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
, and Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
.
Payne's big break came at the age of 19 after he created a dance video of himself which helped him land his first major gig as part of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 World Tour. From the moment he performed on stage, his talent for dancing was obvious and immediately started fielding offers to work with Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on his Dangerous World Tour
Dangerous World Tour
The Dangerous World Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, included 69 performances to an audience of 3.5 million. All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own "Heal the World Foundation". The...
. While working with Jackson extensively, Payne began to see the entire creative process close-up, and soon began to choreograph for such major acts as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Sting, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Usher Raymond IV and Beyoncé. Payne also choreographed the debut music video for Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
of the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
, and re-teamed with Scherzinger to provide the artistic direction for her critically acclaimed performances on both the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
and So You Think You Can Dance. In 2008, Payne choreographed a tribute segment to Michael Jackson which included Omarion
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...
on the television series Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
.
In May 2009, Payne started to work with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
on This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
which was a sold-out series of fifty concerts by Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena
O2 arena
O2 Arena may refer to:*The O2 Arena the arena within the O2 in London.*The O2 , an entertainment complex built within the former Millennium Dome, North Greenwich, that contains the arena.*O2 World in Berlin*O2 World in Hamburg...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. These were Jackson's first significant concert events since the HIStory World Tour
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
in 1997 and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events, with over one million people attending in total. Unfortunately, the concert series was canceled due to Jackson's untimely demise. On July 7, 2009, Payne helped choreograph the Michael Jackson memorial service
Michael Jackson memorial service
A public memorial service for Michael Jackson was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California 12 days after his death on June 25...
at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles which was broadcast live around the world, from the U.S. to Slovakia to parts of Asia, with an estimated one billion viewers. Following the months after Jackson's passing, Payne worked very closely with Ortega to piece together rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
which was put together from rough footage recorded at the Los Angeles Forum and the Staples Center. Subsequently, the film was released worldwide with a limited two-week theatrical run from October 28, to November 12, 2009. Tickets went on sale a month early on September 27, 2009, to satisfy a high anticipated demand; to date, the film has broken numerous records via tickets both pre-sale and sales worldwide.
In December 2009, Payne also choreographed Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
on the The Monster Ball Tour
The Monster Ball Tour
The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American recording artist Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her album The Fame Monster and comprising a set list of songs from that and her debut album The Fame , the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 2009 through 2011...
as well as provided direction for her performances on the 2009 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
, and Ellen
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
. He also worked with Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
on her "H.A.T.E.U.
H.A.T.E.U.
"H.A.T.E.U." is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart...
" video. To round out the year, he traveled to Japan to work with SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
and choreograph a Michael Jackson Tribute which was aired on TV for the New Year's Eve special.
In January 2010, Payne embarked on a peace tour and arranged a surprise visit to the Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
province of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to work with the dancing inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center
Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center
Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, also known by its initials CPDRC, is a maximum security prison in Cebu, in Cebu Province, Philippines.Byron F...
(CPDRC), a maximum security that is also featured in the Michael Jackson Opus. Famous for their "Thriller
Thriller (viral video)
Thriller is a viral video featuring the dancing inmates of a high-security penitentiary. In 2007, the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center , a maximum security prison in Cebu, Cebu, the Philippines, imitated the zombie dance featured in the music video of Michael Jackson's...
" which received 300,000 views per day at its peak, the video has received over 37 million reported views and is considered one of the most viral videos viewed on the internet. Payne along with "This Is It" dancers Daniel Celebre
Daniel Celebre
Daniel Celebre is a Canadian dancer.-Career:Daniel Celebre , also known as Da FunkyMystic, was inspired to dance professionally by Michael Jackson's performances...
(aka Da FunkyMystic) and Dres Reid
Dres Reid
Dres Reid is an American dancer.-Biography:Reid was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and raised in Charlotte, NC....
taught over 1500 dancing inmates to perform "The Drill" as part of the song "They Don't Care About Us
They Don't Care About Us
"They Don't Care About Us" is the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, released on April 1, 1996. The song remains one of the most controversial pieces Jackson ever composed...
" and was video taped to coincide with the "This Is It" DVD & Blu-ray release on January 25, 2010. The clip went live on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Yahoo and TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
and immediately captured more than 3 million views within 1 week of its release online.
In April 2010, Payne was honored by The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait, the largest Michael Jackson tribute in the world, endorsed by the Jackson Family Foundation. The tribute is an interactive work of art by artist David Ilan, which is made from one million hand drawn dots. Friends and family of Jackson's get a dot in their name in the area of Jackson's heart.
In October 2010, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
announced that Payne would join Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American showgirl, singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She joined the Pussycat Dolls in 2003...
and Executive producer, Lead Judge and Personal Idol Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
on the judges panel for her new dance competition and reality show Live to Dance
Live to Dance
Live to Dance was a United States television reality program and dance competition on the CBS network. Dancers from all over the country auditioned for Live to Dance in "specially constructed Dance Domes"...
. CBS describes the series as broadcast television's first all-ages, all-genres dance series that is based on Sky 1
SKY 1
The Box is an entertainment channel in New Zealand available on SKY Network Television.The channel shows are a variety of the most recent shows such as from the United States, for example CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Simpsons, Family Guy, World Wrestling Entertainments hit shows, and...
's UK dance show Got to Dance. The different acts will compete for a $500,000 prize in front of the panel of judges, and viewers will eventually get to vote for their favorite dancers during the semifinal and final rounds. Live to Dance
Live to Dance
Live to Dance was a United States television reality program and dance competition on the CBS network. Dancers from all over the country auditioned for Live to Dance in "specially constructed Dance Domes"...
kicks off with a two-hour special January 4 before moving to its regular hour-long slot Wednesdays, starting January 5.
Payne also choreographed for Hong Kong singer, Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
along with Stacy Walker for the Andy Lau Unforgettable Concert 2010 throughout the year. In addition, he also worked with Han Geng to choreograph the singer's titletrack for his first solo album, along with four other dancers from This Is It. When the album promotions arose, Payne performed with the singer and the dancers on various Chinese variety and talk shows as the opening.
In November 2010 Payne was seen on Michael Jackson The Experience on Dance School