Sheinelle Jones Dances with Legendary Choreographer Fatima Robinson and Gets a Huge Compliment on Her Skills

Sheinelle Jones is channeling Beyoncé, Prince and more legendary artists as she steps onto the dance floor with acclaimed choreographer Fatima Robinson.

Robinson, a “pioneer” of hip-hop dance who helped bring the genre into mainstream pop culture, appeared on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle Friday, May 22, and reflected on her decades-long career working with some of the biggest icons in music.

The choreographer, director and creative producer was just 21 years old when she collaborated with Michael Jackson in the early ‘90s for his unforgettable “Remember the Time” music video. But she tells Sheinelle Jones that her love for dance started long before then.

“I would record music videos and learn the steps. That was my classroom, you know?” she explained. At the time, her mother was against her pursuing a career in dance.

“Parents didn’t really understand art in that way. They were taught that art can’t support you. Whereas I was like, ‘No, this is where I feel closest to God, so I have to follow this feeling,’” she remembered thinking as a child. Her mother was religious, so Robinson decided to make dancing her form of church.

Sheinelle stepped into Robinson’s world and asked the “queen of dance” for a few tips. The TODAY co-host showed off her moves as the two danced around a rehearsal studio.

“You can dance,” Robinson said to a delighted Sheinelle. “No, like you can dance dance.”

Robinson began as a self-taught club dancer in the early days of the Los Angeles hip-hop scene. But even after collaborating with the King of Pop, she still faced self-doubt.

“Of course I had impostor syndrome. I mean, I got thrown into it,” she recalled about the first stage of her career. “I would also question why I was there. You know, you definitely have those moments. But you push through those, because you are supposed to be there. And you know what? You’re not going to have the answer to every question. You answer it, and it’s OK to not know. And it’s also OK to change your answer.”

She also encountered critics in the beginning who doubted the success of hip-hop.

“I bumped up against people really thinking hip-hop dance was a true art form of dance. They saw it as a street dance, it was a passing fad. And so for me in the beginning of my career, that was part of my goal, is for people to see us as true dancers,” Robinson explained.

She continued, “Look at it now. Hip-hop is being taught everywhere. It’s all over YouTube and TikTok. I like to say, I’m one of the pioneers of that dance.”

When she sees viral TikTok dances, she appreciates how far the genre has come.

Since her breakout moment with Jackson, Robinson has worked with Aaliyah, Pharrell Williams, Mary J. Blige, Backstreet Boys, Rihanna and more artists. She described Prince, whom she partnered with as well, as “one of one.”

Robinson has also become Beyoncé’s long-time collaborator, with the two teaming up from the Grammy winner’s “Dreamgirls” era to her “Renaissance Tour.”

“We work so hard. She is such a beast when it comes to work, and I love that work ethic, because it really inspires you to get in there, grind and make it happen,” Robinson said.

The choreographer has been nominated for three Emmys and was recently honored with the Arthur Mitchell Visionary Award from the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She accepted the award from friend and mentor Rosie Perez.

After decades of choreography, Robinson told Sheinelle that the art form still makes her feel alive.

“You feel connected to the universe,” she said about the power of dance. “There is a way in which you move the energy in your body, it makes sense. You’re closer to the intuition that you hold.”

She added, “Dancers will know, it is your true being and your soul coming together as one. It’s really beautiful.”