Meet Charm La’Donna, the Black choreographer behind Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar & Beyoncé’s halftime shows

Emmy-nominated choreographer Charm La’Donna is the creative behind Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar’s groundbreaking Super Bowl halftime shows.

Every year, the Super Bowl halftime show transforms football stadiums into creative stages where artists transport viewers into worlds far removed from football. And over the last two years, as fans marveled at the performances of stars like Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, a Black woman stood behind the scenes, watching her work come to life. 

Charm La’Donna is a dancer, choreographer, and creative director who has choreographed three Super Bowl halftime shows, including Bad Bunny (2026), Kendrick Lamar (2025), and The Weeknd (2021), and Beyoncé’s “Beyoncé Bowl.” However, before becoming the Emmy-nominated choreographer she is today, La’Donna was a dancer raised in Compton who studied hip-hop, krumping, ballet, jazz, modern, and more. 

“I call myself a hybrid. I have trained in many different styles, art forms of dance, and I feel like all of the styles that I’ve been able to study are blended well and put out through me,” La’Donna told USA Today. “So I take my experiences, I look at the world, and I’m able to blend it in my body, and God allowed me to move and put it out.”

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And with a love for “doing things that people say you can’t do,” it’s no surprise that the 37-year-old has been part of the team of choreographers behind two of arguably the most explosive and controversial Super Bowl Halftime shows. From Kendrick Lamar blatantly calling out “Uncle Sam” in his performance to Bad Bunny’s groundbreaking all-Spanish performance, La’Donna’s portfolio as a choreographer is stacked, but she remains deeply connected to her roots as a dancer. 

“I will never belittle my dancer side. Sometimes people can go, ‘Oh, you’re a choreographer now.’ No! I’m a dancer. I’ll probably still be up there dancing when I’m 60,”  she stressed in an interview with The New York Times. “I love pushing and being pushed.”

Born Charmaine La’Donna, she recalls first discovering her love for dance at 3 years old. Choreographing and performing a solo at kindergarten graduation, La’Donna began building her skills in local recreation center dance classes before moving to more formal studios and attending Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. 

At 10 years old, she was cast in a music video choreographed by Fatima Robinson. Robinson, the iconic choreographer behind Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” would go on to become La’Donna’s mentor. In addition to building her portfolio as a professional dancer, La’Donna received her bachelor’s degree in world arts and cultures from UCLA. 

While her training and experience have shaped her success, part of what makes La’Donna stand out is the trust she builds with the stars and dancers she works with. 

“I do work with very different artists, and I think for me, the key is doing my best to understand the person. I always say none of my artists could look the same because they’re different. They’re different people. And when you get to know them, you understand that, which is why I think the trust is there,” she said in a 2025 interview with Springhill. “The inspiration comes from the artist. Sometimes the inspiration comes from the music. The inspiration comes from some of the students I teach. My inspiration can be drawn from so many things.”

In addition to choreography, La’Donna also uses her music as a form of creative expression. But ultimately, the mult-hyphenate hopes to create an “empire of all arts” that helps “the next generation of artists spread their wings.”

“I love the work that goes into creating the art for whoever to see. You’re talking to the little girl who used to choreograph in her room by herself, and now I see my work all over the world,” she told USA Today, reflecting on being one of four Black women, including Debbie Allen, Chloé Arnold, and Robinson,  to be recognized in the choreography category at the Emmys last year. “I’m so grateful and blessed to be able to work with amazing artists across the board. I feel like every project that I work on has some impact on me.”