118- Brooke Lipton: Emmy Nominated Choreographer, Glee, Palm Royale, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Dancing with the Stars.
Sun Feb 01 2026
Interview date: December 7th, 2025
Episode Summary:
Brooke Lipton—Emmy-nominated choreographer and longtime Hollywood Vibe faculty member—joins Business of Dance to share her journey from booking her first professional job at 12 to building a lasting career in dance, television, and choreography. She reflects on moving to Los Angeles at 18, training relentlessly, learning how to care for her body, and developing the discipline needed to survive in a competitive industry.
Brooke opens up about touring with Britney Spears, becoming a young mother, and making the pivotal transition from performer to choreographer. She breaks down how assisting, understanding life on set, and respecting every department shaped her leadership style and allowed her to create healthier, more sustainable environments for dancers.
In the Q&A, Brooke delivers honest advice on confidence, comparison, and work ethic—urging dancers to go “full out,” attack their weaknesses, stay adaptable, and remember that joy and resilience are essential to longevity in this industry.
Shownotes:
(0:00) – Welcome + introduction to Brooke Lipton(6:10) – Career overview: tours, TV, choreography credits(9:46) – Phoenix beginnings + first job at 12
(12:30) – Moving to LA at 18, full-time training(14:29) – Health, body awareness, and longevity(17:28) – The haircut moment: identity and visibility(21:54) – Britney Spears tours + touring realities(25:49) – Touring while pregnant, life balance(31:52) – Transition into choreography via Glee(34:33) – Hiring dancers and creating opportunities(45:37) – Advice: fundamentals, weaknesses, discipline(1:17:50) – Closing message: confidence, joy, resilience
Biography:
Brooke Lipton’s energy is contagious. Originally known as an exceptional natural dancer, she is now an accomplished choreographer who thoroughly understands the requirements of dramatic TV photography and production.
A native of Phoenix, AZ, Brooke was already a rising star in the LA dance scene at the age of 12. She moved to LA to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer, and has since worked with artists including Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, and Paula Abdul. Brooke toured the world with Britney Spears for over eight years, including the “Dream Within A Dream” Tour, “The Onyx Hotel” Tour and “Circus” promo tour.
Later, she was a key member of the choreographic team on the mega-hit Fox TV series “Glee”, starting as Associate and rising to Choreographer over the show’s six seasons, during which the team created more than 750 musical numbers as well as the show’s two live-performance world tours, plus “The Glee Project” unscripted series and “Glee Live 3D The Movie”.
Brooke’s work has also been featured on many other major TV series including “Dr. Odyssey”, “9-1-1: Lone Star”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Lucifer”, “National Treasure”, “Bones”, and “American Horror Story”. Most recently, she choreographed seasons 1 and 2 of the magnificent new Apple+ series “Palm Royale”.
As a choreographer, Brooke has worked with such iconic stars as Shirley MacLaine, Carol Burnett, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Chenoweth and Ricky Martin, and has two Emmy nominations in Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming one for “Lucifer” and the other for season 1 of “Palm Royale”.
Connect on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooke_lipton/
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Interview date: December 7th, 2025 Episode Summary: Brooke Lipton—Emmy-nominated choreographer and longtime Hollywood Vibe faculty member—joins Business of Dance to share her journey from booking her first professional job at 12 to building a lasting career in dance, television, and choreography. She reflects on moving to Los Angeles at 18, training relentlessly, learning how to care for her body, and developing the discipline needed to survive in a competitive industry. Brooke opens up about touring with Britney Spears, becoming a young mother, and making the pivotal transition from performer to choreographer. She breaks down how assisting, understanding life on set, and respecting every department shaped her leadership style and allowed her to create healthier, more sustainable environments for dancers. In the Q&A, Brooke delivers honest advice on confidence, comparison, and work ethic—urging dancers to go “full out,” attack their weaknesses, stay adaptable, and remember that joy and resilience are essential to longevity in this industry. Shownotes: (0:00) – Welcome + introduction to Brooke Lipton(6:10) – Career overview: tours, TV, choreography credits(9:46) – Phoenix beginnings + first job at 12 (12:30) – Moving to LA at 18, full-time training(14:29) – Health, body awareness, and longevity(17:28) – The haircut moment: identity and visibility(21:54) – Britney Spears tours + touring realities(25:49) – Touring while pregnant, life balance(31:52) – Transition into choreography via Glee(34:33) – Hiring dancers and creating opportunities(45:37) – Advice: fundamentals, weaknesses, discipline(1:17:50) – Closing message: confidence, joy, resilience Biography: Brooke Lipton’s energy is contagious. Originally known as an exceptional natural dancer, she is now an accomplished choreographer who thoroughly understands the requirements of dramatic TV photography and production. A native of Phoenix, AZ, Brooke was already a rising star in the LA dance scene at the age of 12. She moved to LA to pursue her dream of being a professional dancer, and has since worked with artists including Madonna, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, and Paula Abdul. Brooke toured the world with Britney Spears for over eight years, including the “Dream Within A Dream” Tour, “The Onyx Hotel” Tour and “Circus” promo tour. Later, she was a key member of the choreographic team on the mega-hit Fox TV series “Glee”, starting as Associate and rising to Choreographer over the show’s six seasons, during which the team created more than 750 musical numbers as well as the show’s two live-performance world tours, plus “The Glee Project” unscripted series and “Glee Live 3D The Movie”. Brooke’s work has also been featured on many other major TV series including “Dr. Odyssey”, “9-1-1: Lone Star”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Lucifer”, “National Treasure”, “Bones”, and “American Horror Story”. Most recently, she choreographed seasons 1 and 2 of the magnificent new Apple+ series “Palm Royale”. As a choreographer, Brooke has worked with such iconic stars as Shirley MacLaine, Carol Burnett, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Chenoweth and Ricky Martin, and has two Emmy nominations in Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming one for “Lucifer” and the other for season 1 of “Palm Royale”. Connect on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooke_lipton/