Charm La'Donna
Charmaine Jordan, known professionally as Charm La'Donna, is an American dancer and choreographer. She is known for her work with recording artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Rosalía, Dua Lipa and Selena Gomez.
Early life and education
La'Donna was born Charmaine Jordan on May 14, 1988, in Compton, California. She was raised by her mother Debbie, whom she credits alongside her grandmother and "the village of women in Compton, all connected by blood, friendship or simply proximity" for her success. La'Donna's older brother, Yki, is a rapper and songwriter who inspired her to pursue a recording career of her own. She suspended those aspirations after he was arrested and sentenced for 75 years to life in prison.When she was three years old, La'Donna told her mother that she wanted to become a dancer. She was enrolled in a local recreational center that offered dance activities before its counselors referred her to Regina's School of the Arts, where she trained before moving to Miss Monica's Dance School. At age ten, during an audition for a music video, La'Donna was introduced to Fatima Robinson, who later became her mentor. La'Donna attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she graduated from in 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in world arts and culture from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Career
During her senior year at LACSHA, La'Donna was hired by singer Madonna as a backup dancer for her Confessions Tour. Following the tour, she worked as Robinson's assistant choreographer, working on various music videos, television specials and Super Bowl halftime shows under her direction while attending UCLA full-time. Her work with Robinson introduced her to fellow Compton native, rapper Kendrick Lamar, while co-choreographing his performance at the 2015 BET Awards. He recruited her in 2017 as the choreographer and sole female dancer for his DAMN. Tour and choreographed and danced in his opening performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.La'Donna continued to gain recognition by choreographing music videos and live performances for singers Rosalía, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and Meghan Trainor. Her work in the music video for Rosalía, J Balvin and El Guincho's "Con Altura" won her the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography. La'Donna's music aspirations resumed in 2020. She signed a recording contract with Epic Records in February and released her first two singles "So & So" and "Westside". After choreographing the Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show, she released her debut extended play, La'Donna, on April 9, 2021.
Discography
Extended plays (EP)
- ''La'Donna''