Gil Duldulao: The Choreographer Behind the Icon

CHOREOGRAPHY BY GIL DULDULAO

ARTIST: JANET JACKSON - I GET SO LONELY

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

From a teenage audition to decades shaping Janet Jackson’s performances, Gil Duldulao brings his signature movement language to The Manor LDN.

Gil Duldulao’s story with Janet Jackson began earlier than most choreographers could imagine. A Hawaii native who moved to Los Angeles at 16 to pursue dance, Gil auditioned for Janet’s The Velvet Rope tour while still a teenager. He got the job, and what began as a dancer’s role developed into one of the defining creative partnerships of his career.

Over the years, Gil moved from performer to choreographer and eventually creative director, helping shape Janet’s live shows, music videos and world tours. His credits include The Velvet Rope Tour, All for You, Rock Witchu, Up Close and Personal and State of the World, while his wider choreography credits include Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and Nicki Minaj.

That longevity has made Gil’s work part of the visual language of modern pop. His choreography is built around precision, intensity and performance, but there is always a sense of character underneath the movement — the detail that turns a routine into something audiences remember. His work on Janet’s music videos includes “Rock With U”, “Feedback”, “So Excited” and “Make Me”, among others.

Now, that history arrives at The Manor LDN. Teaching Janet Jackson’s “I Get So Lonely”, Gil brings dancers into the world he has helped create for decades — not simply recreating a pop moment, but sharing the movement language behind it. It is the kind of class where the distance between watching the choreography and learning directly from the person who helped shape it suddenly disappears.

Watch Gil Duldulao’s “I Get So Lonely” choreography below and step into a piece of Janet Jackson’s movement history.