Dean Lee: The Pussycat Dolls' “Buttons”, Reimagined

CHOREOGRAPHY BY DEAN LEE

ARTIST: PUSSYCAT DOLLS - BUTTONS

LOCATION: THE MANOR LDN DANCE STUDIO, FINSBURY PARK, NORTH LONDON

Dean Lee has a long-standing connection to some of pop's biggest performers, so taking on The Pussycat Dolls' “Buttons” feels like a particularly fitting choice. A London-based choreographer and creative with more than 15 years of experience across music, television, theatre, live performance and fashion, Lee has built a career defined by precision, musicality and an instinctive understanding of performance. His work has taken him from the stage and screen to international tours, working with artists including Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Chaka Khan, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, Take That and The Pussycat Dolls.

That connection to The Pussycat Dolls is part of a career that has consistently moved between pop, commercial dance and live performance. Lee has worked across major television productions including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, The Royal Variety Show, The Masked Singer and So You Think You Can Dance, while his live credits include Janet Jackson's Together Again tour and her Metamorphosis residency in Las Vegas. His work has also extended into fashion, with collaborations involving names including Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier and Philip Treacy.

For this choreography at The Manor LDN, Lee turns his attention to “Buttons” — The Pussycat Dolls' 2006 hit featuring Snoop Dogg. The track became one of the group's defining songs, reaching number three on the UK Official Singles Chart, and its combination of attitude, rhythm and performance makes it a natural fit for Lee's commercial choreography.

Rather than simply recreating the world associated with the original track, Lee brings his own choreographic perspective to the music. The result is a routine built around the qualities that have become central to his work: sharp movement, musical detail, performance quality and the confidence to make every count land.

Filmed at The Manor LDN in Finsbury Park, North London, the session gives dancers the opportunity to learn choreography directly from a choreographer whose career has spanned some of the industry's most recognisable artists and productions. It's commercial dance with a serious performance focus — and a fitting track for one of London's most experienced choreographers.