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Laurieann Gibson, choreographer to stars from Diddy to Lady Gaga, has a new E! Network show called “The Dance Scene.” More than reality TV, more than just another dance program, “The Dance Scene” takes you into the creative process. I had the pleasure of interviewing this inspiring sister about love, passion and power.

Laurieann Gibson:     Good morning, Abiola, how are you today?

Abiola Abrams:    Hi, there, Laurieann, I am thrilled to be talking to the queen of BoomKack herself.

Laurieann Gibson:    I’m so happy that you’re thrilled.  What a blessing.

Abiola:    First of all, Laurieann, I’m so proud of you with your new show. Girl, you leave your blood, sweat, tears, and passion on the dance floor, on the screen, all over everybody’s shoes. Tell us all about your new E! show “The Dance Scene.”

Laurieann Gibson:    The new E! show “The Dance Scene” is beyond hot.  I mean it’s remarkable and besides it being an incredible blessing. Ryan Seacrest being genius and the network E! being like visionaries, it’s a roller-coaster ride.  It’s like the reality of the dance world, the professional, not a trophy world.  The reality is my world everyday as a creative director, as someone who came up from nothing and is just continuing a site to provide information and help.  And that’s the biggest part of my gift is I pull what I pull out of people and help the fulfill their dreams so what am I left with?

It shows that, my personal life, how do I maintain the inspiration for today’s No. 1 artists and how to I make sure my dancers don’t do what I went through, how do I make sure they don’t give up, how do I birth new artists?  It’s a roller-coaster ride of information.

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Abiola:     It’s a roller-coaster ride of information, but I would also say, LaurieAnn, it’s a roller-coaster ride of inspiration.  Girl, you said you came from nothing.  I’m picturing you coming from Toronto on the Greyhound bus.  Tell our listeners how you got started.

Laurieann Gibson:    Well I’ve been dancing from a young child.  I believe I was dancing in the healthy realms.  My mom says I have all the scars on her to prove it, but born and raised in Toronto, Canada and just had the heart and the passion for the dance, and just had a hunger to survive and came to my circumstance and something was calling me that was bigger than myself, a desire to help and inspire and through the dance.  I couldn’t understand it as a young girl, so I jumped on Greyhound bus.  I studied at Alvin Ailey and put in the time, paid my dues, stuck on the floors and had lots of roaches and rats as friends, and just persevered.

Uptown Records, Mary J Blige,  Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott, just kept moving and then the Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, different opportunities, they expand.  Jonas Brothers and then finally meeting Lady Gaga and having all my armor and all of what it takes, the bullets of my guns to bring a very talented girl from the beginning of her career to where she is now.

Abiola:    Yes! I let people on AbiolaTV.com, Facebook and Twitter @abiolatv know that I was going to be interviewing you and they all said you were an inspiration to them.  So I have to ask you, Laurieann, what inspires you, what makes you keep going when you’re tired and over it?

Laurieann Gibson:    It’s a grateful heart, gratitude even when it gets really tough, I just believe that someone else unfortunately doesn’t have it as good, their circumstances, their lack of access but their desire is the same so ultimately I feel sometimes this deep, burning desire to get every young person to understand what they’re capable of doing and not what they can’t do, and there’s not a lot of hope, and there need to be hope.  Enough of the liars, enough of the people telling people what they can’t do.  We’re only as good as our next generation so I just feel compelled to tell the truth, let them know, if I can do it with nothing, without a famous last name, without a lot of money, then I am proof that you can be who you dream yourself to be.

And that is nobody’s telling you it’s because they’re intimidated by you.  They’re intimidated by what God has blessed you with, something in you that’s natural and that’s gifted specifically for you, and that you’re enough.  And so it’s a desire to see people succeed instead of like one man on top with twenty cars, you know what I mean?

Abiola:     Okay, I guess you were just “Born This Way,” right?

Laurieann Gibson:     Yes, “God makes no mistakes!”

Abiola:     All right, so you’re not going to get out of here and talk to Abiola, the Love Journalist, without us talking about love, Laurieann.

Laurieann Gibson:     Oh, my goodness. (laughs)

Abiola:     Well we want to get all in your business.  Now what made you decide, LaurieAnn, to come out of the closet with your relationship with your man?  Basically, you guys have been business partners for years but no one really knew what was going on.  What made you say, okay, now’s the time to bring it out?

Laurieann Gibson:     And did I bring it out?  (laughter) I’m still in denial.  I’m in denial because it took so long, it takes so long.  You cover your heart, you work with a lot of male artists and part of being single, and it’s just, it can be an ugly business, and there was a fear of, oh, they’re not going to be there for me, and there was a dedication and commitment to my artists that I would provide.  They don’t have to feel weak, like call me anytime.  The creative energy was just always there.  So I was just living in fear and what allowed me to understanding when Joe was a friend and a supporter and somebody who began to remind me of my ability and what I was doing, and let go of those insecurities and that manipulation.

I just really know that through his unconditional love, God has delivered me from those insecurities, and it’s like, if they want to hire me because I have a man, then –

Abiola:     Then so be it, then so be it.

Laurieann Gibson:    But I’m still in denial a little bit.

Abiola:    Well is Joe your soul mate, Laurieann?

Laurieann Gibson:    I’m not going to say that.  I don’t know.  I mean, I do know but –

Abiola:    Okay, well is he – okay, let’s put it this way, is he your Steadman?

Laurieann Gibson:    You know what, yes, all right, at this moment in time I will say, yes.  When I have a ring on my finger –

Abiola:     Okay, note to Joe, note to Joe, somebody let him know.  All right, so what can we see coming up for the rest of this exciting season of The Dance Scene?

Laurieann Gibson:    There’s some really good work, but I don’t want to tell you everything! (laughs)

Abiola:    Well we are toasting champagne glasses with you, LaurieAnn Gibson, we will be watching and I wish you nothing but love, continued beauty and happiness, all good things.

Laurieann Gibson:    Thank you so much, that is so sweet, and thank you for the encouragement, I really appreciate it.

Abiola Abrams, known as the Lifestyle Passionista is a love journalist, MTV Made Ladies Man Coach and BBC Entertainment Correspondent. Find her weekly web TV series on her award-winning blog at AbiolaTV.com.

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