Creating Beyoncé's internet-stopping Coachella performance required the utmost secrecy and lots of coordination, said the singer's longtime collaborator and creative director, JaQuel Knight. "It's so much work that goes into it, from working with all the different departments, it's lighting, it's wardrobe, it's choreography, it's content, it's secrets, and keeping it on the hush." said Knight in an interview Tuesday on Cheddar. "So much time prepping in our small black hole, it felt like I was giving birth Saturday night to a baby that we had been creating for a long time now." Knight, 28, has worked closely with Beyoncé for years: He led the team that put together her Coachella performance, which fans have dubbed Beychella, and he was the creative director and choreographer for her iconic 2008 ["Single Ladies"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY) video. He also choreographed her two Super Bowl performances. He started out as a dancer before becoming a choreographer, and said that some of the artists with whom he works are more involved than others in different aspects of the performance. "You have artists that are more involved and it's like, 'OK what's next?' and 'how can we do this and this a little bit more?'" he said. "And then you have people that are like, 'great, let's do this.'" Knight was named one of [Forbes' 30 Under 30](https://www.forbes.com/profile/jaquel-knight/?list=30under30-music) and is the first choreographer to be included on the list. "Forbes was a big thing that I was going after this past year, just because it solidifies me not only as a creative, but as a businessman," said Knight. He is now hard at work on Beyoncé and Jay-Z's "On The Run II" tour, which is scheduled for the summer. For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/jaquel-knight-shares-behind-the-scenes-secrets-from-beyonces-coachella-performance).

Share:
More In Culture
On the Scene: Listening to Classical Music in the Green-Wood Cemetery Catacombs
Classical music concerts have been popular since the age of Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart, but you've probably never thought about attending one in a cemetery. Our own Chloe Aiello spoke with Andrew Ousley, founder of Death of Classical, to learn more about a concert series held in the catacombs of the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
Walk and Talk With 'Fresh Face of Fashion' Madhulika Sharma
You may not know her name, but you've probably seen her face. Madhulika Sharma has graced Vogue India and ELLE Magazine and modeled for popular brands such as Reformation and Skims. Cheddar's own Hena Doba spoke with Sharma to discuss her globe-spanning modeling career, her education in fashion history, and working alongside Kim Kardashian.
First Nonbinary Actors Win Tonys in Writerless Awards Show
The intimate, funny-sad musical “Kimberly Akimbo” nudged aside more splashier rivals on Sunday to win the best new musical crown at the Tony Awards on a night when Broadway flexed its muscle in the face of Hollywood writers’ strike and fully embraced trans-rights with history-making winners.
Worshippers Hear a New Preacher: PastorGPT
The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by different avatars on a huge screen above the altar, led the more than 300 people through 40 minutes of prayer, music, sermons and blessings.
Load More