Kiwi choreographer Parris Goebel has named her number one favourite celebrity she's collaborated with, choosing one pop music superstar above the likes of J-Lo, Justin Bieber, Ciara, Nicki Minaj and Sam Smith.
In a quickfire interview as part of a promotional campaign for the new OPPO 5G smartphone, Goebel said Rihanna took the title, adding that choreographing the singer's 2019 Savage x Fenty lingerie show was one of her favourite dance projects ever.
The Royal Family Dance Crew founder couldn't choose a clear winner when it came to her portfolio, however, citing her work on Jennifer Lopez's 2020 Super Bowl halftime show being tied with the Fenty show for a career highlight.
Goebel also shared some insight into her creative process in the dance studio, in which she regularly films rehearsals with her dancers on her phone and reviews the footage to make tweaks to the movement.
"The key thing for me when creating is to get into a studio, play the music and just start moving to the track," she explained.
"It is all about bringing the musicality of the song to life along with what the lyrics are saying."
Goebel said that while her big-name clients always have a specific brief for their projects, she doesn't let anything get into the way of her creative expression.
"I like to let the creative expression flow and not put down any restrictions or boundaries and first just feel the music and see what naturally evolves."
Goebel has worked with Rihanna on many occasions throughout her career, choreographing several of her VMA performances before the Savage x Fenty show, which made waves at New York Fashion week for its choreography, set design and a diverse and inclusive range of models.
The 28-year-old recently received a medal as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to dance, after being named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list in 2019.
