Why Tate McRae’s Choreographer Sean Bankhead Considers Her to Be in Her Britney Spears ‘Darkchild’ Era (Exclusive)

Tate McRae is in her “Darkchild” era of Britney Spears, according to her famous choreographer Sean Bankhead.

On Friday, September 12, the 21-year-old pop artist released her latest music video, “it’s ok i’m ok,” featuring moves choreographed by Bankhead. Following the release, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, he discusses why the Calgary, Canada native’s current dance move is reminiscent of the pop veteran’s early 2000s dance move.

“I think it’s the ‘Darkchild’ era, when she did the ‘Boys “Co-Ed (Remix),” says Bankhead when asked about McRae’s current Spears era. “I think it is [it] for me, movement-wise, the sass and badassery is where I feel like I’m channeling some of the choreography.”

Spears worked with producer Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins after the release of her self-titled album in 2001. Britney. One of the most notable remixes on which the two joined forces was “Overprotected”. The 2002 visual shows Spears stripping away all codependency and performing intense, fierce dance moves.

Tate McRae in August 2024.

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Speaking more about the “it’s okay, I’m fine” choreography, Bankhead said he knew he was going to be an instant hit after hearing the different accents in the song and the catchy beat. He highlighted McRae’s strengths, including her flawless dance technique and undeniable hairdo.

When Bankhead first heard the single, he immediately thought it was a “banger”.

“It was good to dance to,” he recalled. “I knew I wanted to have a lot of hair photos and just feel really sexy, confident and strong. Bankhead designed the choreography before performing it at Madison Square Garden. “I thought, ‘There’s going to be a lot of cameras, they’re going to post this, it’s going to go viral,'” he said.

On August 22nd, the “You Broke Me First” singer hit a venue in New York City and teased her latest single, along with moves that are featured in the music video. As intricate as the routine was, it didn’t take long for McRae and her team to learn it from Bankhead. In fact, they learned it within two hours.

Before McRae blossomed into the pop star she is today, she was a child prodigy in the world of dance, winning several awards including the prestigious Junior Female Best Dancer title at the New York Dance Awards in 2015. The following year, she was a finalist at So you think you can dance.

“It challenges me because I really have to push and step outside the box and be creative,” Bankhead says of choreographing for McRae’s dance level.

He continues: “But sometimes it’s also a challenge because I still like artists to look like artists. I don’t want them to look like dancers all the time. So there is a fine line between giving [McRae] too much and not giving her enough. I like my artists to still look like artists. I’ll let the dancers do all the extensive stuff.”

“But Tate sings live and wants to be known as a complete, all-around artist, not just a dancer. So it’s an interesting fine line between, ‘Am I giving a lot, am I giving less?’ And I’m always like, ‘Let’s cut it in half, Dad, so you still stand out and look like an artist, instead of just blending in with the dancers,'” Bankhead said.

Sean Bankhead in September 2024.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

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In December 2023, McRae revealed in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE that Spears inspired her song “Exes,” which was written in just 30 minutes. Since her debut, the rising pop star has received several comparisons to Spears, which McRae sees as an absolute honor.

“I mean, Britney is the queen,” McRae said at the time. “People will compare newer artists to things that happened in the past, so obviously it’s really cool to hear those comments.”

Bankhead, on the other hand, has mixed feelings about the comparisons.

“I love it and I hate it,” Bankhead says of McRae’s comparisons to Spears. “Unfortunately, the internet is now using it as something to pull her down for and it’s a sad part of Stan and Twitter culture. However, Britney Spears was – and still is – a huge inspiration to me in terms of art, choreography and all the amazing choreographers who have worked with Britney. But we make Tate McRae, Tate McRae.”

Along with “it’s ok i’m ok,” Bankhead also choreographed McRae’s “Exes” and the visual for “Greedy,” which received a Best Choreography nomination at the 2024 MTV VMAs. He is also the mastermind behind Cardi B’s “Up,” Victoria Monét’s “On My Mama,” Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby,” and more.

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Source: HIS Education