NEWS & CHOREOGRAPHY UPDATE


Toni Basil is a multi-award winning performer/choreographer/director/producer that has been at the vanguard of dance and music throughout her career, as well as a member of legendary street dance group The Lockers.
    • Look for Toni in the new DISH Network commercial directd by Matt Dillmore.
    • Also check out Matt's interview with Toni on his monthly radio blog- www.thehomeofpussyfoot.com
    • Toni's films will show in conjuntion with the Pacific Standard Time Celebrates LA Artists, at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 North Raymond Avenue Pasadena, CA 91103 on December 3, 2011, 8:00pm. This show will repeat at Cinefamily on Saturday January 7, 2012. These are 16 and 8mm films shot and edited by Toni Basil in the late 60's. Click Here to view

    • Toni was opening presenter at the World Dance Awards.

      9/23/2011 cover of LA Weekly
      .
    • Toni is the figure that forms the handle of the cup on this image created by Kenny Price. Click Here

    • Toni’s judging and choreography appeared on the finale episode for RuPaul’s Drag U.

    • June 18th and 19th Toni was in Tokyo Japan teaching and judging the prestigious “Funkmaster Camp” and “Freestyle Session"



      Check out her judges demo shot by Poppin' Pete from the DJ booth: To view this video Click HERE, then log into facebook.

      To see the promo from the event click HERE

    • Bette Midler's "The Show Girl Must Go On" was Emmy nominated in the "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special" category. Filmed in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, the show premiered on New Years Eve on HBO. Toni was the Choreographer and Dance Director of this two year running hit show. Toni created a promotional film for the show titled “The Showgirls Journey”

      Click here for The Showgirls' Journey

    • On Aug 2nd 2009 Toni received The Living Legend of Hip Hop Award at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships.
      To view award, presentation photos and videos click here.

    • This special accolade was also announced when Toni was a Guest Judge on So You Think You Can Dance in 2009 click here
      As well as in 2008 click here

    • On july 31st 2010 Toni judged the World Locking Battle at Hip Hop International.

    • The legendary dance group The Lockers have started their own website www.thelockersdance.com

    • In 2009 and 2010 Toni continued her work with two of the most legendary women in showbiz, Tina Turner and Bette Midler.

      !

    • In addition, Toni was featured on the premiere episode of
      Kathy Griffin's : My Life on the D List". click here

    • Toni produced and choreographed the segment
      saluting       Sid and Marty Krofft For the 2009 TV Land Awards
      as well as the 2010 TV Land Awards hosted by Tim Allan. click here

    • In 2008 & 2009 Toni served as associate director and choreographer of the Tina Turner World Tour. A complete DVD of the show is available now, click here to see a video clip.

    • Toni was interviewed by lasvegasmagazine.com discussing a few of her favorite things, titled "Oh Vegas, Your So Fine" click here to view article.

    • Watch Toni with DJ Doc from KJLH radio Saturday Night Mix Down demonstrating Top 5 V4 Old school Dance part 2 with Pop'n Pete :: Check it out! ::

    • See what Pharrell Williams had to say about the Toni Basil inspiration for Gwen Stefani’s “Hallaback Girl” Click HERE

    • Then click on these other links to see the other videos they refer to

      Street Life

      North on South Street

      Just added to youtube

      Time after Time from Word of Mouth

      Thief on the Loose from Word of Mouth

      Catch a fun link of Toni Basil’s vaudevillian family, Wells and the Four Fays

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A multiple Emmy Award and Grammy Award nominee, She has choreography and directorial credits on over 50 videos and has choreographed and co directed concerts for Tina Turner, David Bowie, Bette Midler, David Lee Roth, Mick Jagger as well as many others.
In 2008 Toni received Hip Hop International's highest award "Living Legend of Hip Hop." Former recipients include Don Campbelllock Campbell, Boogaloo Sam, M C Hammer, DJ Kool Herc, and Grandmaster Caz

Toni is one of the 7 original lockers that is considered "the group that changed the face of dance." She is recognized as a seminal influence in bringing street dance to the attention of the American public. She is currently writing a book on the history of American Street Dance.

Toni was presented with an Emmy award for a commercial featuring MC Hammer. She has worked on an incredible range of television programming, from TV Lands Salute to Soul Train, NAACP Image Awards, Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street and numerous Music Awards shows.

Toni's most notable feature film credits include choreography for such classics as American Graffiti, and Legally Blonde. Her subtle choreographic hand was visible throughout Tom Hanks directorial debut; That Thing You Do,

Toni Basil received a Gold Album for 1981's Word Of Mouth and a double platinum record for her smash single Mickey, and holds the same from the UK, Canada and Australia. She received a Grammy nomination for her Word Of Mouth long-form video album, which she produced, choreographed, and directed.

Billboard magazine's #1 song for the month of December, 1982, Mickey was installed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the groundbreaking singles of the 1980s, The Mickey music video, resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1992, Toni earned herself a place as an American Video Artist in the coveted Museum of Modern Art's calendar.

She starred, co-directed, and choreographed two self-titled BBC-television specials, which were re-aired in record time due to unprecedented audience response, and are credited as launching Mickey as a hit single in the U.K. charts and, ultimately, worldwide as well as appeared in a wide variety of television shows.

Toni has acted in numerous films including, Easy Rider, and Five Easy Pieces.

Toni directed short art films. "Game of the Week" 11:20, "A Dance Film" 2:05, "Our Trip" 6:25, and "The Ping Pong Match" 2:45. Pre-dating music videos, these avant garde pieces found a new audience and were exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art and New York's Grey Art Gallery .The L.A. Times noted that filmmaker Toni Basil's deft editing transformed an ordinary ping pong match between Gray and Stockwell (Both noted American actors) into an energetic dance routine.

As a classically trained dancer, Toni continues to dance and attend Locking, Hip Hop, and African dance classes by day, and underground dance clubs at night. She has immersed herself in the Latin music and dance scene, and has guest performed singing, dancing and playing percussion with the top Los Angeles based salsa bands. 

She adds to her list of expertise in world dance and partnering Afro/Cuban, Tango, Flamenco, Salsa, east coast and west coast swing.

Continuing in the family tradition (her father- an orchestra leader and mother a vaudevillian) She has excelled in every entertainment medium; stage, music, commercials, television, film and video. Her unique form of artistic mastery is at the heart of all of her work. She remains a true pioneer in the dance world, a visionary, and a genuine American treasure.

Want to know more? Surf the web on google.com for Toni Basil, and choose from over 69,000 references.

Representation: Julie McDonald • Tony Selznick • Andrew Jacobs