Aliya Janell opens up about her early beginnings as a dancer, starting her hit dance class Queens N’ Lettos and becoming the choreographer for BET’s new reality series “BET Presents: The Encore.”
Janell is a star. From catching the eyes of millions online with her invigorating and upbeat choreography, to providing a space where dance lovers can express themselves completely in her Queens N’ Lettos dance class, Janell has quickly become one of the faces you need to know in the dance and choreography industry.
Her work is so remarkable that it grabbed the attention of Nicki Minaj in 2017 when Janell posted one of her Queens N’ Lettos masterclasses on Instagram. The video gained her more than 20 million views, and it ultimately led to Minaj hiring her to choreograph the rapper’s hit “Chun-Li.”
But, her start as a dancer was when she was a young kid performing in her high school’s show choir program.
“Show choir, just being in this prestigious program, it was something to respect because we worked so hard,” said Janell. “Like, if I hadn’t done show choir, I probably wouldn’t have been as ready as I was when I got started. It really, really prepared me. Not only just, you know, the singing and dancing, but the work ethic. The rehearsals that we had to do, cleaning up after ourselves, you know, making sure our appearance is right. It taught me so much. I am really grateful for that experience.”
After high school, Janell moved on to college. But, instead of pursuing dancing, she took up mass communications. She says dancing was the reason she opted to take on mass communications as a degree.
“[Dancing] was actually the reason why I went into a totally different lane. Because I was just doing it. But me going to college, you know, community college at that, was me…kind of just doing it for my parents. And doing it for my family,” explained Janell, adding that it was a decision she made to make her parents feel more comfortable.
“People who grew up in the traditional world of like the ‘you have to get a 9 to 5 after school, and then after school, you get a beautiful partner, marriage and then kids, you know.'” People kind of in that world don’t really see art as a career. As a sustaining career. So, you know, to kind of massage them a little bit, I went ahead into community college to say that I was in school. But, on the other side of the token, the majority of the day I was dancing and doing my thing, and going out on auditions. So, I didn’t really want to go to school for dance. That was the thing. I wanted to go to school for something else. A plan B if you will. I never really liked the plan B idea. But, did it. And you know still had my, still had the plan A on and going.”
Janell’s road to success eventually brought her to being the choreographer on BET’s new reality series “BET Presents: The Encore,” which stars former solo artists and members of girl groups including Shamari Devoe (of Blaque), 702 sisters Irish and LeMisha Grinstead, Nivea, Cherish twins Fallon and Felisha King, Pamela Long (of Total), Danity Kane’s Aubrey O’Day, and Kiely Williams of 3LW and The Cheetah Girls. In 30 days, the ladies must form a supergroup and create an album. The ladies must also put together a huge performance, which is where Janell comes in.
“At first, it was difficult because I was trying to find choreography that not only everyone could do, but everybody liked. And I realized in the experience that we have a wide range of women, a wide range of talent, and not everybody…not everybody is dancers. You know what I’m saying? Not everybody likes to dance and perform. Some people like to be behind the scenes, some people like to be the ones singing. So, I realized that and kind of figured out a formula of making different types of choreography for the different women in the house.”
“BET Presents: The Encore” has become one of the hottest shows to watch every Wednesday, and Janell said fans could possibly bank on a season two. Janell says she think season two will have a new group of artists. “I’m still all for season one right now. But, it was such a good experience by the end of it…I heard a little, a two somewhere I there. That’s all I got, though, but I hope, I really hope that they do continue this experiment. And they do continue this process of helping people who have been ‘forgotten’ go back to the light because they deserve it, and there’s room for everybody.”
You can watch “BET Presents: The Encore” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PDT) on BET.
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