Barry Lather - Biography

Biography

Director, Choreographer, Dancer, Singer

Barry Lather grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and was raised in a dancing family of five children. His mother, Joan, was a dance instructor and father, George, had his own dancewear business. Barry moved to Los Angeles after high school and trained on scholarship at Joe Tremaine's Dance Center. In 1985 got his start in the entertainment industry dancing in the 3-D film Captain EO (featuring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola). Barry went on to dance in various commercials, the TV series "Fame" & "Dancing to the Hits", a TV special working with Kenny Ortega and Janet Jackson's music videos "Nasty" & "When I Think of You" in 1986, both choreographed by Paula Abdul.

Shortly after those videos, Lather was given the opportunity to choreograph for Janet Jackson on the American Music Awards and Grammy Awards in 1987. Following the success of those two performances, Barry then choreographed Janet Jackson's video The Pleasure Principle, winning an MTV Award & Billboard Music Award for "Best Choreography" in a video. The following year, Lather won a second Billboard Award for choreography with Sting's video "We'll Be Together". He went on to choreograph multiple commercials, TV performances and videos for Michael Jackson, Prince, Paula Abdul, Sting, George Michael, Sheena Easton, Troop, Shanice Wilson, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, a short film for Michael Jackson, "Ghosts", in 1996, and several television shows such as The Drew Carey Show and Nickelodeon's critically acclaimed show "Roundhouse". He has received two American Choreography Awards, "Bob Fosse" Awards for his choreographic work.

Lather choreographed the Super Bowl Halftime Special in 1998 featuring Motown artists Boyz II Men, Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson and The Temptations, the prestigious Academy Awards in 1996, Grammy Awards, MTV Awards, Billboard Awards, BET Awards and American Music Awards. His choreographic film credits include: Robin Williams and Edward Norton in Death to Smoochy, directed by Danny DeVito; and spectacular production numbers in Blues Brothers 2000, directed by John Landis, and the films "Vegas Vacation", "Super Mario Bros" & "Unconditional Love". Lather received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Choreography for the Miss America Pageant in 2000, featuring Donny Osmond.

While choreographing, Lather also recorded an album as a solo artist with the label Atlantic Records/WEA in 1990, titled Turn Me Loose. Releasing the single and music video, "Love in the Third Degree" directed by Peter Kagen.

For the past 15 years, Lather has directed many large productions adding another stage to his director/choreographer career, directing world tours & live television performances for Usher, P.Diddy, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Ciara, Pussycat Dolls, Sean Kingston, Ashlee Simpson, Pharrell, Gwen Stefani, and Seal. He also was creative consultant on Britney Spears' "Dream within a Dream" world tour, working along with director Wade Robson. Lather was creative director for Usher's Showtime special One Night, One Star, broadcast live from Puerto Rico; Usher's "The Truth Tour" in 2005, and Usher & James Brown's show stopping performance on the 2005 Grammy Awards. In 2006, Lather directed Mariah Carey's tour The Adventures of Mimi, a major contribution to her successful comeback. Lather co-directed pop superstar Rihanna's European Tour (which opened in Paris in November 2007) and two Dancing with the Stars live arena tour productions. In the summer of 2008, Lather was creative director for Usher's opening performance on the BET Awards, as well as Rihanna's performance of "Take a Bow".

Lather has also choreographed several ice show productions that have toured the globe, working with Olympic gold medalists Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, & Scott Hamilton. He has directed & choreographed theme park shows for Paramount Parks, Disney, EuroDisney in Paris and large productions for cruise ships as well.

In the fall of 2008, Lather directed and choreographed Donny and Marie Osmond's hit Las Vegas Show at the Flamingo Hotel, and directed Rihanna's opening performance of "Vogue" on the "Fashion Rocks" TV special, Rihanna's rock-inspired American Music Awards Performance in Los Angeles and the Royal Variety TV special in London.

Barry recently directed Usher's performance on the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance", Britain's Got Talent, X Factor, 2010 BET Award performance, 2010 American Music Awards and the dynamic MTV Video Music Awards performance in Los Angeles. Barry worked with R & B singer Keri Hilson, Sean Kingston, Estelle, The Dream, Jason DeRulo, and directed & choreographed the innovative Freestyle Motocross theatrical show "Nuclear Cowboyz" that toured the States in the winter/spring of 2011 in its second season. Barry directed Usher's epic "OMG" World Tour in 2010-2011, Usher's dynamic Grammy Award performance joined with Justin Bieber, R & B artist Miguel on the BET Awards and his fall Tour, Nicole Scherzinger's T.V. performances on American Idol, Ellen & So You Think You Can Dance. In 2011, Barry directed and choreographed production performances on the Country Music Awards & a CMA Christmas TV Special.....and directed Usher and Romeo Santos performance on the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. November 2011, Barry directed Justin Bieber's live American Music Awards performance of the single, "Mistletoe".

In the summer of 2012, Barry's choreography was seen on the ABC show called DUETS with John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Nettles. After DUETS, Barry directed legendary rocker John Fogerty's Canadian Tour and Miguel's new Tour promoting his second album Kaleidoscope Dream.

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