Music Video Monday… Shakira – Did it Again

by Sticky Toffee Pudding

Stating that Shakira knows how to dance is a bit like saying Trevor off Eastenders (remember him?) was a bad man – talk about the bleeding obvious! From the moment the Columbian songstress first exploded onto our screens with her vigorous hip wiggling and provocative moves, Shakira has been known to push the art of gyration to new peaks, raising the bar for other performers whilst spawning a generation of teens all desperate to learn her ‘signature move’.

Now I must admit that  I’m not usually one for appreciating outbursts of pent up sexual frustration splattered onto my screen through the medium of dance, no matter how talented – the video for ‘She Wolf’, can only be described as some bizarre ‘mating call’ type ritual of sexual desperation (alright we know you’re flexible love but no need to get in a cage and flash us your butt).

And yet I couldn’t help but admire the creative flair of ‘Did It Again’, the second single from her latest album. Indeed Shakira has done it again; in fact some would even go as far as to say that she has actually managed to out do herself. Whilst retaining all her raw sexuality Shakira presents an astoundingly beautiful piece of contemporary dance with the sort of precision, focus and intensity that you would imagine receiving from a respectably priced theatre production.

Indeed she did have some help. The choreography was composed by Katrin Hall, the Artistic Director of the Icelandic Dance Company, who studied at the National Theatre Ballet School of Iceland. (A classical dance specialist – no surprises there then.) Whilst the video was directed by the majorly talented Sophie Muller, who has worked with Blur, Eurythmics, No Doubt and PJ Harvey to name but a few. And she certainly met her match with Californian street-dancer Daniel ‘Cloud’ Campos. (He’s toured with Madonna dontcha know?)

It’s said Muller and Shakira scored the global for a choreographer that could realise their artistic vision and boy did they find her with Hall. With influences from Lawrence Alma- Tadema’s painting’s and Moroccan culture the video is a wonderful translation of creative energy. They even managed to thrown in some Korean drum dancers to boot. And of course you get to watch Shakira jump around on a bed in sexy lingerie. On second thoughts maybe the butt flashing isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Shakira – Did It Again [HQ] (Official Music Video) (2009) from dugpa on Vimeo.