On Sunday on the second night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the Outstanding Choreography category was awarded. This year, there was no clear frontrunner in a race that included four So You Think You Can Dance choreographers — Christopher Scott, Travis Wall, Al Blackstone and Mandy Moore — along with The Late Late Show with James Corden choreographer, Chloe Arnold.
The winner this year — for the second time in a row — was Mandy Moore for her pieces, Brand New and To Make You Feel My Love. The first was a cinematic number filled with 100 dancers on their way to Season 14 Academy Week on SYTYCD and the other was a quiet, yet beautiful, duet with Robert Roldan and Taylor Sieve.
Mandy talked about the challenges of creating the group piece — the first of its kind on the dance competition show.
"FOX said they wanted to do a big opening, Nigel [Lythgoe] said it had to be with the 100 kids from the Academy, you have no time to shoot it, you have one day and go!" Mandy explained to Red Carpet Report on Sunday. "Trying to organize that and organize alongside Mike Yurchuk, our EP [executive producer], and obviously, Jeff Thacker. Running around the campus and shooting things guerrilla-style on the campus and no one knowing we were there is one of my most favorite [moments]."
The second win comes after a whirlwind two years of success that began with the premiere of La La Land. America learned that there are two Mandy Moores in the public eye; it wasn't just one actress from This Is Us moonlighting as a choreographer.
What many people don't realize is how hard Mandy worked to get here and that her talents were long recognized before the Oscar-nominated film. She's spent years performing, teaching and choreographing along with mentoring the next generation of talent.
This was her seventh Emmy nomination this year. Last year she won for Dancing With the Stars, but this win for SYTYCD was particularly special.
"Funny enough, this one I feel like I am still shaking because I didn't think I was going to win because I was up against Travis and Chris and Al who have had incredible work as well as Chloe. I think this one represents a lot of time with the show," Mandy shared backstage in the press room after her big win. "I've been there since Season 1. I've been nominated seven times for the show and I've never won. This means a lot. I feel like I'm going to give Nigel the biggest hug tomorrow. I wouldn't be here or be anything in the choreography industry without So You Think You Can Dance."
With the finale of SYTYCD happening on Monday, Sept. 10, Mandy is gearing up for a busy fall season as a creative producer on DWTS, premiering on Monday, Sept. 24 and making her debut as a judge on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors on Sunday, Oct. 7.
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