Galen Hooks Retaught Her Iconic "River" Choreography

Choreography by Galen Hooks

Ask almost anyone who's spent real time in the dance world about Galen Hooks' choreography to "River" by Bishop Briggs, and you won't need to explain which routine you mean. It's one of those rare pieces that transcended the platform it was first posted on, studied and referenced by dancers who weren't even training yet when it originally went viral. Years later, it hasn't lost a single ounce of its impact — which is exactly what made it such a genuine honour to have Galen Hooks reteach it in person at The Manor LDN.

That kind of staying power doesn't happen by accident. Hooks is a world-renowned choreographer and creative director whose credits include Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Usher, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, and Rihanna, alongside VMA-nominated choreography for Camila Cabello's "Havana." It's a résumé that explains why a single routine of hers can still carry this much weight, and why "River" specifically has become something close to a modern classic within dance culture — the kind of piece new dancers discover and instantly understand why it mattered in the first place.

Watching Hooks reteach it live meant getting everything a video breakdown can never capture: the intention behind a specific angle, the timing that looks effortless right up until you try it yourself. Sessions like this are exactly why no other dance studio in London brings through this calibre of teacher — the kind of choreographer capable of reteaching a genuinely iconic piece of dance history, in person, isn't a booking most studios can make. At The Manor LDN, it happened.