Exclusive Interview  ·  Choreography

Kiki Ely on Step Up: High Water, Step Sisters and Building Atlanta's Dance Scene

The Atlanta choreographer talks assisting on two major 2018 dance projects, working on set alongside talents like Savion Glover and Galen Hooks, and why she refuses to sugarcoat the business for young dancers.

By Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Originally published January 4, 2018  |  Updated October 2026

📸: @jwrphotography

In January 2018, two major dance projects arrived within weeks of each other: the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water and the Netflix film Step Sisters. Atlanta choreographer Kiki Ely helped bring both to the screen. She spoke with Dance Mogul Magazine about the work, the talent on set, and the city she and her partners spent years building into a professional dance capital.

The Interview

Dance Mogul: It’s been a while since we had a good dance movie or series. How do you feel about being apart of Step Up’s big roll out this month?

(Choreographers: Marv Marvelous, Jamaica Craft, Kiki Ely)

Kiki: Wow, you really don’t realize that until the projects are released. I’ve had my head down, just working hard. As far as Step Up: High Water Jamaica Craft was the head choreographer and Marc Marvelous and I assisted for the entire series. It was a great opportunity and experience. We had a chance to hire dancers in the Atlanta area and even give them acting roles. The project was really inclusive in terms of bringing the best of dance to the screen. We had amazing talent like Savion Glover and Galen Hooks bring what they do best to the set to help make the best project possible. I was able to make a cameo and dance in two episodes of the series as well. Make sure you check it out on January 31st exclusively on YouTube Red.

Dance Mogul: You mentioned giving opportunities to dancers in Atlanta. I know that’s your home base and you and your partners have been cultivating that professional dance scene for many years. They say that Atlanta is becoming the new Hollywood, the new land of opportunity, is this true?

Kiki: Most definitely, we saw it happening 15 years ago. We knew ever since Drumline and Stomp the Yard that things would pick up here once people got a taste of the energy and vibe. That’s why my partners and I stuck to our guns and just continued to grow ourselves and our scene organically. Now some of the most popular shows are shot here like OWN’s Greenleaf and BET’s The Quad and those shows hire tons of dancers, so there is a lot to look forward to in the future.

(Choreographer KiKi Ely and Director Benny Boom on the set of “BET’s the Quad”)

Dance Mogul: You also had a chance to work on Step Sisters, tell us about that experience?

Kiki: Another great experience that involved exceptional talent. Aakomon was the head choreographer and he brought in Binkie and myself to assist because stepping is my thing, that’s my world. It’s a great movie, I’m glad Netflix picked it up. It has a little bit of everything in it from comedy to real stepping. The auditions were amazing, so many step teams came out from the Greeks to the dancers actually just forming their own step teams and auditioning. It was so many to choose from, again Atlanta really showed up and out. I have my own step that was able to be apart of the movie as well.

Dance Mogul: Do you think things are starting to come full circle for dance being in the forefront of people’s minds?

Kiki: There is no escaping it, dance is everywhere. If you look on social media there is always a challenge or a major music artist sharing dancers dancing to their music. You have WOD coming back on TV and with entities like Netflix and Youtube picking up dance movies and series, dance is becoming more of a household thing for everyone.

Dance Mogul: You and Sakinah are always on the move and you guys still manage to be hands-on with your convention AtLA TakeOva. With dancers needing so much guidance nowadays conventions like yours are starting to stick out more and more. What can we expect this year?

Kiki: More Knowledge, exposing young dancers to knowledge is the key. It is our job to show them what really goes on and to do that you have to take a hands-on approach. That process can be intense sometimes because we don’t sugarcoat anything. We really give them the ins and outs of the business and let them know the business doesn’t except any excuses. It’s rewarding to see dancers book jobs and thank us for helping them and the dancers letting us know they are learning so much from our convention. It shows that this is what we were meant to do, along with having our own careers, we are here to help people grow as well. In addition to our convention, we are also celebrating the 1 year anniversary of our studio AtLA Entertainment Studios. We have some great young people that we are training to be working professionals.

Where Is Kiki Ely Now?

Kiki Ely and her creative partner Sakinah LeStage have continued to work across Atlanta and Los Angeles as choreographers and creative directors. As reported by Respect magazine in 2020, the pair have more than two decades in the industry, with dance and creative-direction work connected to artists including Usher, Ne-Yo, Ciara, Nelly and T-Pain. Through ATLA Entertainment Studios they shifted further into artist development, working with young artists including Layton Greene and launching the ATLA Artist Academy to teach aspiring performers branding, stage preparation and professionalism — the same "no sugarcoating" philosophy she described to DMM in 2018. Dance Mogul Magazine will update this section as new projects are announced.

Why This Interview Matters

Kiki Ely's story is about building where you stand. Rather than leaving for Los Angeles or New York, she and her partners stayed in Atlanta, grew the scene organically and were ready when film and television production arrived. Her answer to young dancers — knowledge first, no excuses — is exactly the kind of real-world mentorship Dance Mogul Magazine exists to amplify. And the presence of a legend like Savion Glover on a new-generation series shows how dance knowledge keeps moving between generations, from Broadway masters to streaming screens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Kiki Ely do on Step Up: High Water?
She assisted head choreographer Jamaica Craft, alongside Marc Marvelous, for the entire series, and danced in cameo appearances in two episodes.

Who choreographed Step Sisters?
Aakomon was the head choreographer; he brought in Kiki Ely and Binkie to assist with the stepping.

Was Savion Glover involved in Step Up: High Water?
Kiki Ely named Savion Glover, along with Galen Hooks, among the talent who brought their work to the set.

Continue Your Journey

•  Savion Glover — The hoofer who turned tap back into music

•  More Exclusive Interviews

•  Celebrating Black Creative Directors & Choreographers

•  Dance Industry — Careers, business and the working dancer

© 2026 Dance Mogul Magazine LLC  |  dancemogul.com  |  Inspiring Self-Empowerment Through Dance Culture