In a revealing interview, renowned dance artist, producer, and director Jamal Sims, now 54 years old, shared insights into his career and the creation of the iconic “Hoedown Throwdown” dance that he choreographed for Miley Cyrus in the film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Sims was born into a privileged family that nurtured his drive for dance. His journey, which began when he was very young, has led him to working alongside some of the entertainment industry’s most influential figures.
Sims’s love for dance sparked at just seven years old when he was captivated by Michael Jackson’s performance as the Scarecrow in The Wiz. These formative experiences set the stage for his autodidactic, prolific career in concert dance. That’s how he learned as a kid—by voraciously devouring everything on television and MTV. Yet that solid foundation gave him the launchpad into an exciting new world. In time, he would choreograph iconic performances for stars including Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Usher.
His success through his contributing role in Miley Cyrus’s Wonder World Tour in 2009 was a turning point in his career. Sims remarked on the evolution of Cyrus’s image during this period.
“It was great, because she had been in the Disney world for so long. And so, for this new tour she really wanted to kind of leave the young kid vibe and step into a more, you know, young adult,” – Jamal Sims.
His pointing to Cyrus’s entrepreneurial instinct for risk and failure created a productive tension in their working relationship.
“We were able to play with something a little bit more flirty and girly. And then she’s also a risk taker, like Miley is not afraid to do basically anything. I mean, I put her up on a Harley, in the sky, we flew around. She dove into a pit … She was up for everything,” – Jamal Sims.
Sims’s most lasting accomplishment may be the “Hoedown Throwdown” dance. He playfully built up a setup that was different, inspired audiences, and let them actively participate in the show. He articulated a desire for the public to engage not in a literal or verbal way, but through movement and dance.
“I was like, it’d be fun if Miley did a song that was somewhere she could shout out to the audience and they could respond,” – Jamal Sims.
What she found most rewarding was that instead of just following the dialogue with words, the audience got to follow the dialogue with their feet.
Throughout his impressive career, Sims has done plenty more than Hannah Montana and other high-profile projects. He choreographed for Disney’s Aladdin, where he praised the brilliance of Will Smith and the film’s story.
“I’ve been so lucky to be able to work with Disney, because Aladdin with Will Smith was one of my all-time favorite films that I’ve ever worked on,” – Jamal Sims.
He has been using his talents at Disney’s animated film Encanto, working again with Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“In Encanto, I was able to choreograph the animated film, and such a rewarding experience to be able to work with Lin-Manuel and all the directors. It was incredible,” – Jamal Sims.
Sims continued about the freedom that animation gives choreographers, which lets them exceed physical limits.
“In animation, we could do more than humans can. We can jump higher. They can reach longer,” – Jamal Sims.
He wanted the animation to suggest larger gestures and more imaginative choreography.
“So using that element of fantasy and imagination is fun in animation, because you’re not limited to what you can actually physically do,” – Jamal Sims.
Recently, he celebrated his work on The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, which honored the original film’s 30th anniversary.
“I’m super proud of being able to recreate some of the magic of Lion King, which is such an iconic, legendary piece of work,” – Jamal Sims.
Sims is an autodidact, learning to dance by studying the artform on television rather than pursuing traditional training. She’s got some great and insightful advice for aspiring dancers. He pushes them to experiment with different approaches and to not lock themselves into one style.
“Take different people’s classes. You know, a lot of people get to L.A. and they stay in one class,” – Jamal Sims.
He thinks being versatile is more important now than ever in today’s dance industry where you can work on so many kinds of projects.
Sims made the point that we shouldn’t be too shortsighted and look only to social media platforms, such as TikTok, for new audiences.
“TikTok is not the only way you can express your talent of dance,” – Jamal Sims.
He tells dancers to pursue live concerts and theatrical performances when they can.
As he looks to the future, Sims says he’d like to keep bringing back other stories from his time in the director’s chair to the fans.