Etienne Blake 
With the return of The Wiz as a stage revival came a few interesting changes. Among them was no Toto. Against this disappointment was A-list choreographer JaQuel Knight’s, 34, opportunity to work his magic with the dance routines he created for the show. Backed by an impressive track record with many artists, such as Beyonce, Shakira, and Cardi B, there was little doubt and much excitement.
Taking his talents to the stage offered both opportunity and challenge. In an interview with Slate, Knight explains that he had always loved theatre. Drawing from his background in music videos, working with mega stars like he goes on to say that “in the commercial concert world, we’ve evolved that space.”
Knight’s additions with artistic flair flourishes did not go unnoticed. As a review from the New York Times points out, Slide Some Oil to Me had shifted from a striking tap-dance number to something with a hip-hop heart.
Knight took the task with some heart and further explained what made the musical dear to him, stating that The Wiz had a “certain level of Black excellence” with a whimsical and dream-like gravity. It’s a celebration of the 50-year-old play’s legacy and cultural, artistic impact while elevating the narrative beyond the conventional.
In particular, Knight was proud of his work in the second act and his treatment of the dance scenes at the entrance to Emerald City, in which the rhythm went beyond the hip-hop touches, bringing in a style that captured the grace of ballet and the expressive profile of jazz.
Most of Knight’s choices were not just choreographic but also had a narrative and character element, as he explained that you can know someone “from how they move.”
Ultimately, it seems that Knight sought to honor the legacy of this cherished narrative and bring it up to modern speed while preserving the spirit of the original. He expressed to the news outlet that he saw the production as the “past, present, and future” of how he saw “Black dance, Black music, and Black instrumentation.”
It seems that many have welcomed Knight’s bold stride into the theatre. His approach fits the evocative message of Black music and entertainment’s artistic merits and long history. It doesn’t just invite the viewer to see a revival of the past, but instead asks them to walk through the enduring artistic history and evolution of Black music when The Wiz first debuted back in the 1970s.
Brandon Foley 
Maggie Crisp 
thereneetomato 
Alex Tisdale 
