Tony Testa

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Tony Testa
File:Descendants 2 premiere.png
Born
Anthony Joseph Testa

(1987-03-31) 31 March 1987 (age 39)
Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.
OccupationsChoreographer, Filmmaker, Photographer, Mixed-media Artist
Years active2005–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2015; div. 2020)​
Websitewww.tonytestaofficial.com

Tony Testa (born 31 March 1987) is an American choreographer, film-maker, photographer, educator and performer.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

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Testa started dancing at age eight in his hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado at Westin Arts Academy & Artistic Fusion Dance Academy.[5] His career as a choreographer began at 16 years old when he made a demo reel using his mother's video camera. The reel was seen by Janet Jackson, who hired him to be a choreographer for her promotional tour shortly after.[6][7][8]

Career

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Testa and Janet Jackson
Testa with Janet Jackson in 2008

After moving to LA in 2005,[9] Testa choreographed for Britney Spears,[10][11][12] Jennifer Lopez,[13][14] Versace,[13] Ariana Grande,[13] Demi Lovato,[15] The Grammy's,[13] & over 20+ kpop projects for SM Entertainment.[16][17][18] He was hired by director & mentor Kenny Ortega[19] as an associate choreographer for Michael Jackson's final tour, This Is It,[10][20] & co-choreographer for Dancing With The Stars, The Rocky Horror Picture Show,[21] and Descendants 2.[22]

In 2010 he choreographed Kylie Minogue[23] in "All The Lovers", "Better Than Today" and "Get Outta My Way" music videos & in 2011 was the associate director and choreographer for her Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour.[24] In November that same year, Testa co-directed the opening of the American Music Awards with Wade Robson, and served as the Creative Director for both Season 1 of The Voice UK[25] and for One Direction on Saturday Night Live (Season 37, Episode 18).

File:Tony Testa LACMA.jpg
Testa rehearsing at LACMA (2015)

His choreographies have been featured at the LACMA alongside Noah Purifoy "Junk Data",[13] & in shows directed by Franco Dragone.[9] In 2021 he was on the cover of GASP ZINE: issue 10 "The People's Issue",[26] & his photography was shown at both GASP GALLERY & in Vanity Fair Magazine (Italy).[27]

Testa is also a dance educator for the New York City Dance Alliance[28] and Monsters Dance[29] conventions.

Collaborative Films

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File:ORIGIN BTS.jpg
On set for ORIGIN with Johnson (2023)
File:DisInteGrated Poster.png
DisInteGrated (2021)

In 2021, Testa & long time collaborator, Wade Robson, co-created an experimental short film featuring choreography performed by Testa. After its premiere on films.dance "DisInteGrated"[30][31] was an official selection for 6 film festivals including Hollyshorts[32] where it screened at the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theater. With an original musical score by the British jazz singer, Zara McFarlane,[33] DisInteGrated won best experimental film at the Los Angeles Movie Awards[9] & was featured on Nowness.[34]

In 2023 Testa and Keean Johnson, co-directed "Origin" starring Popin' Pete and Robert Green. The film was shot mainly underwater, where Testa called upon his freediving experience[9] to make the picture. The performers trained for several days in a scuba diving training facility to prepare for shooting. Origin premiered live at the Monsters Dance finale in a warehouse in Brooklyn, NY (2023)[35] & was an official selection for the BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta, GA.[36]

B1: Movement Through Images

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File:B1 movement through images.png
b1 premiere in Fort Collins, CO (2024)

After apprenticing with Greek Theater Director, Dimitris Papaioannou,[9] Testa's focused shifted away from commercial projects and towards creating original works. He converted his garage into a blackbox theatre and began prioritizing choreographic experiments with a camera.

In 2022 he assembled a group of 22 performers and created a deeply ambitious film & photographic series which premiered at a horse barn/hunting lodge[37] in his hometown of Fort Collins, CO.[38]

File:Tony Testa TED 2025.png
Testa rehearsing B1 "Human Remains" at TED 2025 in Vancouver, BC

“Human movement connects individuality to the power of the whole at every phase: in the studio, in the camera, in the performance space and in our collective awareness”, Testa says.

B1 was met with universal praise by ArtsMeme,[39] & LA Dance Chronicle.[40] "His use of props and technology was incredibly inventive and meshed well with his choreography, which combined tap, contemporary, hip-hop and, surprisingly, boxing. The piece felt cinematic and visceral, packed with energy", said Steven Vargas for the LA Times.[41] His solo performances of "Human Remains", an excerpt of the B1 film, were performed live by Testa at Congress viii in Los Angeles, & at the TED 2025 flagship conference in British Columbia.[42]

B1: Movement Through Images has since exhibited in Burbank, CA, Phoenix, AZ,[43] & Vancouver, B.C.

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ Top Los Angeles choreographers frolic in fountains for Dance Camera West | arts•meme
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  10. ^ a b Choreographer Tony Testa Checks Out 'Viva Elvis' | Las Vegas Review-Journal
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  17. ^ SHINee meets Tony Testa - Yahoo News Singapore
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