5 Things to Know About Demi Lovato Dancer & Choreographer Jojo Gomez
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5 Things to Know About Demi Lovato Dancer & Choreographer Jojo Gomez 1/2/2018 by Regina Cho Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Jojo Gomez and Demi Lovato perform during WiLD 94.9 FM's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at SAP Center on Nov. 30, 2017 in San Jose, Calif. Demi Lovato shared a sweet New Year’s kiss with one of her dancers after her performance in Miami on Sunday night, catching fans' attention. It turned out to be a great time to shine a light on the woman behind the smooch, Jojo Gomez, who is a well-known choreographer with an A-list celebrity clientele and runs a successful dance class in Los Angeles. Gomez has worked with Justin Bieber , the Backstreet Boys , Tinashe and more, but the best thing about her is her journey as a professional dancer. Here are some things you should know about the talented choreographer: Demi Lovato Lands Second Pop Songs No. 1 With 'Sorry Not Sorry' She moved from New Jersey to California immediately after her high school graduation to pursue her dancing career. Gomez knew early on that she wanted to be a professional dancer, so college was not the main thing on her mind as senior year came to an end. The day after her high school graduation in 2011, she flew out to Los Angeles and started looking for an agent. It was extremely helpful that her parents supported her every step of the way and have always taken her goals seriously. She was signed to a talent agency within a few weeks and has never looked back ever since. In 2011, she danced in the Britney Spears tribute at the VMAs. Gomez’s first professional audition was a huge one, but she decided to take on the “go big or go home” attitude from the very start. After killing her audition, she landed a spot to dance at the VMAs in 2011, the year Britney Spears received a tribute and won the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. This was a monumental accomplishment, as Britney Spears has always been Gomez’s biggest inspiration. Her YouTube channel , where she posts videos of her classes and routines, now has more than 400,000 subscribers and 50 million views. Most of Gomez’s bookings come as a result of being found on either YouTube or Instagram, so she pridefully views her social media as her résumé. She frequently uploads videos from her class at Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles, where her classes sell out almost every week. Plenty of videos of her choreography have gone viral, including her takes on “Flawless” by Beyoncé , “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor and “Work” by Rihanna . Lovato even paid a personal visit to one of her classes after hearing about Gomez’s take on “Sorry Not Sorry.” She choreographed Tinashe’s music video for “Company.” When Tinashe’s manager found Gomez via Instagram and contacted her, Gomez initially thought it was a prank. The choreographer says she vibed with Tinashe as a sister, and the instant connection was no surprise considering they are both dancers and are very close in age. The two also have similar styles in terms of choreography and fashion. When the video was finally released, Gomez said it felt like a dream come true and she cried for days. Tinashe and Gomez have maintained a great friendship since then. She started her own brand after constantly being criticized for her body. After being told the same thing at several auditions, that she was “talented but needed to lose weight,” Gomez decided to channel that frustration into creating her own path to block out the negative noise. She stopped relying on auditions and started to create more of her own content to share. Along the way, Gomez has been very vocal about body positivity and aims to inspire other dancers, especially young female ones, to love their bodies. .