Darrell Grand Moultrie: “I Did It My Way”

Dance Mogul Magazine · Exclusive Interview · Choreographer

Darrell Grand Moultrie: “I Did It My Way”

In 2013, the Harlem-born choreographer had just come off Beyoncé’s Mrs. Carter Show. Today he is the choreographer of Dirty Dancing: The Musical, headed for Broadway. Here is the interview, and the journey in between.

Originally published August 5, 2013 · Updated November 12, 2026 · Dance Mogul Magazine

Who Is Darrell Grand Moultrie?

The 2013 Interview

Dance Mogul: When did you develop a passion for the arts?

Mr. Moultrie: I would say very young. I was born and raised in Harlem, and in Harlem, you gotta dance. Like, it’s just in the culture. Any function, whether it’s a birthday or Mother’s Day, no matter what, someone ends up in the middle of the floor dancing, young or old. As a child, I used to make up dances in the projects for the kids in the hallway.

In Harlem, you gotta dance. Like, it’s just in the culture.

— Darrell Grand Moultrie to Dance Mogul Magazine, 2013

Dance Mogul: What caught our attention about you is that you are a very versatile choreographer. You’ve worked with modern companies, ballet companies, the commercial world, and from what I hear, Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus (Hair, Porgy and Bess, Pippin) just tapped you to choreograph the original musical Witness Uganda that she will direct. You mentioned being raised in the projects. It’s normal in society for people to think that you wouldn’t be able to garner the success that you have based on the environment where you were raised. Who were some of your early inspirations?

Mr. Moultrie: So many. Some of my early inspirations were people in my community and family members. My sister used to dance when she was young. I used to watch her in local talent shows. I was always inspired by her. Most of my inspiration came through outreach in the schools. We went to see companies like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, NYC Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem. Dwight Rhoden’s choreography was a huge inspiration once I got to high school.

Dance Mogul: Were your parents exposing you to this stuff, or was it something that you were going out on your own and seeking?

Mr. Moultrie: It was teachers. That’s why I think it’s so important to teach and give back. It was a third-grade teacher, Ms. Gwendolyn McLoud, at P.S. 144 in Harlem. She would produce and direct musicals in our schools on the highest levels. Her choice of shows was diverse and not limiting. We would perform productions like Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady, Li’l Abner and Bye Bye Birdie. She would make us watch many shows on video, and she took me to see many Broadway shows. It was her and some other great teachers at a school in East Harlem called The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

Dance Mogul: Were your parents supportive of the dancing?

Mr. Moultrie: My father passed away when I was 7, so I didn’t really know him, but my mother was very supportive. She was a homemaker, so she made sure everything at home was okay so I could do the things I wanted to do on the outside.

Dance Mogul: Based upon your early childhood experiences and being exposed to those different arts, how did you develop your work ethic? And when did you know that you could become a professional?

Mr. Moultrie: You know what it is… passion. At a young age, I knew what I wanted to do and what I loved: theater and dance. My teachers at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Nina Klyvert-Lawson (dance) and Bertin Rowser (theater), really exposed me to so many different aspects of each genre. They were two of the people that constantly told me that I could do this and helped me to take it to the next level. It was their motivation and passion for what they did that helped me to believe that I could become a professional. They were teaching us how to be great artists, people, and how to take care of our business. As a teacher now, that’s exactly what I try to pass down to the next generation.

Dance Mogul: I was just about to ask you that. Do you feel that that’s missing right now?

Mr. Moultrie: Yes. There are so many young dancers that are clueless about what it takes: the discipline, the networking and, most importantly, self-love. You have to know your weaknesses and your strengths. I believe it’s up to the more experienced dancers and teachers to help the younger artists with that. We ridicule the younger generation for not knowing, but the only way for them to learn now is for us to give it to them.

We ridicule the younger generation for not knowing, but the only way for them to learn now is for us to give it to them.

— Darrell Grand Moultrie to Dance Mogul Magazine, 2013

Dance Mogul: Yes, I understand.

Dance Mogul: Are you afraid you teach to deaf ears sometimes?

Mr. Moultrie: The ones you get, you get, and as a teacher, just accepting the fact that you’re not gonna always get to everybody. You’re not gonna get the whole group. You’re either gonna get most of them or some of them, and you’re still just as successful. You give everybody the same amount of energy, but just be okay with not getting everybody. I think the way you do it is to just do it. You gotta keep talking, and I think that’s why people don’t realize it’s so hard to be a teacher or a mentor, because you gotta keep saying things over and over and over. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to teach.

Dance Mogul: You’ve had numerous opportunities and accomplishments. What have been some of your most memorable that you would like to tell your kids or grandchildren about?

Mr. Moultrie: 1. I think the most memorable one would be telling them how I came up as a kid from East Harlem to becoming one of the directors at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts at a young age, with some of my mentors who taught me.

2. Working as a freelance choreographer in some genres that people wouldn’t expect a young man with my background to do and succeed.

3. Getting selected by Beyoncé to work on the Mrs. Carter Show was pretty huge because it was the first time I got to work on such a huge platform.

I think if I had to leave a legacy behind about my career, it would be that I never let it get narrowed down to what people thought it should be.

I never let it get narrowed down to what people thought it should be.

— Darrell Grand Moultrie to Dance Mogul Magazine, 2013

Dance Mogul: I noticed you said you were selected as one of her choreographers. Can you elaborate on how you got selected? How do you guys balance your creativity with Mrs. Carter’s vision?

Mr. Moultrie: The way it works is, she has two main choreographers, Chris Grant and JaQuel Knight. For this tour, she had different sections where she brought in 8 to 10 other choreographers to help with her vision. I was recommended by two of her main dancers, Ashley Everett and Anthony Burrell. I choreographed a solo for Ashley and also worked with her at one of The Juilliard School’s summer programs. Her creative director, Frank Gatson Jr., is the one that comes to you with the vision that she wants. You create within what Frank wants, based on him knowing her for her entire career. He knows exactly what she wants and needs. Throughout this process, Frank and Beyoncé are giving you notes on things they like, things they want changed, and what they want it to look like. Your ideas have to flow like a faucet. If they don’t like something, you have to be able to change it on a dime.

My task was to create the opening to “Naughty Girl,” which was a burlesque-type dance, and to create a duet for two of her dancers for the intro to “Freakum Dress.” I think I had to change each dance 8 to 9 times before it got to the version that you see now in the show. It’s a very interesting and special situation, because Frank has opened up the door for multiple choreographers to get this opportunity to be featured on their resume. At the end of the day, it’s about sticking to her vision, but bringing something new to the table based on what she wants.

Dance Mogul: What was your most memorable moment of this experience?

Mr. Moultrie: 1. Getting used to going to rehearsals and seeing Beyoncé every day, 10 feet away from you, singing through her entire show. I really mentally had to get used to one of the world’s biggest stars going through most of her catalog you know and love.

2. There was a late rehearsal; she ended up on stage alone with her musical director. It was my last day, and I went to her to say goodbye, and we ended up sitting on stage with her. My assistant and I were getting notes on what she wanted. It was during that time she told us how she respects and appreciates what we do.

Dance Mogul: Are there any other artists you would like to have worked with?

Mr. Moultrie: The first person that pops in my head is Michael Jackson. I am completely obsessed with the Dangerous tour; I think I’ve watched it 3,000 times. I really appreciate the theatricality of all of Madonna’s tours. The Girlie Show was my favorite. I’m open to working with any artist that appreciates creativity and is willing to spend money on it. I believe stage shows should be produced with the fans in mind.

Dance Mogul: That leads me to my next question. Being that you’re a dancer in the dance industry, how important is it for the dancers in the actual dance industry to give back to the dance community at the same time while they’re still achieving and garnering success?

Mr. Moultrie: It is extremely important. There is something about going back while you’re doing it that keeps you balanced. You’re always learning while teaching. It allows you to bring firsthand experience to your students. You can inform them of what’s going on, and find new and exciting ways to get them to the theater. Most importantly, you can talk to them about rejection and how real it is. I enjoy telling them about my accomplishments, but I think it’s really important to let them know the other side of the business.

Dance Mogul: You mentioned legacies, so I have two questions for you. One: What would you like your legacy to be? And also, how important is it for dancers of today to leave legacies? You know, because we’ve seen people like the Nicholas Brothers, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson get forgotten over time, but it’s those very people who have paved the way for us to have the opportunity to dance so freely. So how important is it for dancers to leave a legacy that their children and other people’s children are gonna see 40 years from now?

Mr. Moultrie: The idea of leaving a legacy is something I don’t attach to, but the idea of doing memorable work and putting your best foot forward will set a lane for a legacy. I think the word legacy is directly linked to the word passion. Love what you [do]. Do it the best that you can, and do it as much as possible.

I think the word legacy is directly linked to the word passion.

— Darrell Grand Moultrie to Dance Mogul Magazine, 2013

Dance Mogul: What would you say to parents that have children that are into the arts?

Mr. Moultrie: Don’t put your child in dance classes or art classes for glorified babysitting, because when they grow up to love it and develop a passion, it’s not fair to tell them that it’s only a hobby and to get a real job. Stand up and behind your kids in whatever they want to do involving the arts, and do the research and discover that there are a plethora of careers in the arts.

Dance Mogul: I definitely understand. I just want to say thank you for your time, because I tell everybody, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, and we appreciate it. Not only do I benefit from it, because I teach dance to kids as well, but I just know that your words are gonna be out there for generations, because we plan on being here for a long time. So your message is gonna keep being reiterated over and over and over, like how you said when you’re a mentor, you say the same things. So we’re trying to make it easier for the kids, so that if you want the information, all you have to do is go to dancemogul.com and then apply it.

Dance Mogul: One more thing: let the people know how they can reach out to you, whether it’s your Facebook, Twitter or your website.

Mr. Moultrie: Totally. They can reach out to me on darrellgrandmoultrie.com, Facebook and Twitter.

Interview reproduced in full from DMM’s August 5, 2013 feature, with spelling and punctuation corrected. The photo credits that closed the original are now placed with each image.

From the Hallways of Harlem to Broadway

Moultrie’s interview is a map of how talent is built. It did not start with a lucky break. It started with a third-grade teacher, Ms. Gwendolyn McLoud at P.S. 144, who staged full musicals and took him to Broadway shows. It continued at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts with teachers Nina Klyvert-Lawson and Bertin Rowser, who taught their students to be great artists, good people and responsible professionals.

That foundation carried him through LaGuardia High School and The Juilliard School, then onto Broadway as a performer. By 2013 he had made a full circle: the kid from East Harlem had become one of the directors at the conservatory that trained him. And he was choreographing in places few people expected, from ballet companies to a Beyoncé world tour.

His Beyoncé story also names a whole network of DMM subjects: lead choreographers Chris Grant and JaQuel Knight, creative director Frank Gatson Jr., and dancer Anthony Burrell, who recommended him. And the choreographer he names as his high-school inspiration, Dwight Rhoden, co-founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet with Desmond Richardson.

Career Timeline

Where Is Darrell Grand Moultrie Now?

In 2013, Moultrie said his legacy would be that he never let his career be narrowed down to what people thought it should be. More than a decade later, his credits prove it, across Broadway, opera, ballet and touring musicals.

Choreographer of Dirty Dancing: The Musical

His biggest current project is a new stage production of Dirty Dancing, directed by Lonny Price, who played Neil Kellerman in the 1987 film. The North American tour opened at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul on August 12, 2026. In October 2026, producers announced that the tour will stop for a limited Broadway engagement at the Lena Horne Theatre from February 12 to September 5, 2027, with opening night on March 14. For a dance-driven story like Dirty Dancing, the choreographer’s job is central to the show.

Fat Ham, Goddess and the awards

Moultrie choreographed Fat Ham, James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, at The Public Theater and then on Broadway in 2023. He received an Obie Award Special Citation for the production in 2022. He also choreographed the world premiere of the musical Goddess at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and in October 2025 the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation named him the 2024–25 Joe A. Callaway Award winner for Excellence in Choreography for that show.

Full-circle moments

Two credits close loops opened in this interview. In 2013, DMM noted that Diane Paulus had just tapped him to choreograph Witness Uganda. He did so at the American Repertory Theater, and he later co-choreographed the show’s off-Broadway version, Invisible Thread, at Second Stage. And the young performer who understudied Mereb in Aida on Broadway now lists Disney’s new revival of Aida among his choreography credits.

Still teaching

The teacher he told us about never stopped. He was a Fall 2024 artist-in-residence at USC Kaufman, a special guest at the University of Arizona’s Jazz Dance Showcase in September 2025, and continues to set work for university and ballet companies, including BalletX. He also choreographed the opera El Público at the Teatro Real in Madrid.

What the Next Generation Should Learn

1. Teachers change lives. A third-grade teacher who staged real musicals set Moultrie on his path. If you teach, never underestimate a school production.

2. Refuse to be narrowed. Ballet, modern, Broadway, opera and Beyoncé: he built a career by saying yes to genres people didn’t expect from him.

3. Let your ideas flow like a faucet. On a major tour, he rewrote each number 8 or 9 times. Flexibility under pressure is a professional skill.

4. Talk about rejection. He believes students need to hear about the other side of the business, not only the wins.

5. Parents: take the arts seriously. Don’t treat dance class as babysitting. Research the many real careers the arts offer.

Why It Matters to DMM

DMM asked Moultrie in 2013 whether today’s dancers should think about legacy, naming the Nicholas Brothers, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson as artists who paved the way. His answer, that legacy grows out of passion and memorable work, is the philosophy behind this update. His journey from Harlem hallways to a Broadway-bound Dirty Dancing is exactly the kind of lived story that helps a young dancer believe their own path is possible.

Read more about the artists he named in our feature on the Nicholas Brothers, and explore other Black choreographers shaping Broadway, including Camille A. Brown. More conversations live in our Exclusive Interviews.

Darrell Grand Moultrie: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Darrell Grand Moultrie?

Darrell Grand Moultrie is a Harlem-born choreographer and master teacher, a 2000 graduate of The Juilliard School, who works across Broadway, ballet, modern, opera and commercial dance. He choreographed Broadway’s Fat Ham and the new Dirty Dancing: The Musical.

Did Darrell Grand Moultrie choreograph for Beyoncé?

Yes. He was one of the choreographers on Beyoncé’s 2013 Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. He told DMM he created the opening to “Naughty Girl” and a duet for the intro to “Freakum Dress.”

Who choreographed Dirty Dancing: The Musical on tour and on Broadway?

Darrell Grand Moultrie is the choreographer of the new production directed by Lonny Price. The North American tour launched on August 12, 2026, and a Broadway engagement at the Lena Horne Theatre is scheduled for February 12 to September 5, 2027.

What awards has Darrell Grand Moultrie won?

His honors include the Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship (2007), an Obie Award Special Citation for Fat Ham (2022) and the 2024–25 Joe A. Callaway Award for Excellence in Choreography for Goddess.

Was Darrell Grand Moultrie on Broadway as a performer?

Yes. He appeared in Aida, where he understudied Mereb, and Hairspray, and he was in the original Broadway cast of Billy Elliot: The Musical.

The Story Continues

At the end of our 2013 conversation, DMM promised that his words would be “out there for generations.” This update keeps that promise, and adds the chapters he has written since.

The kid who made up dances in Harlem hallways is now staging one of the most famous dance stories in film history for Broadway. He did it his way.

Sources & Further Viewing

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