Laurieann Gibson is here to make the world dance!
The renowned Emmy Award-nominated director, producer, author, choreographer and pop culture innovator has joined forces with Cinedigm to launch the BOP (Born Out Of Passion) Network. It will be the first multimedia streaming service offering an all-inclusive slate of global dance-related programming.
“Not only is BOP a dream come true, but it is born out of passion,” said Gibson in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. “BOP is all things dance. It is a new, global network streaming service, an entertainment value that has yet to be established and experienced. It is the joy that dance brings, the hope and aspirational aspect of it, the whole razzle-dazzle.”
Laurieann Gibson started out as a dancer, however, throughout her career she has built superstars — from Diddy to Megan Thee Stallion to Alicia Keys and beyond. She’s even cultivated international superstars on hit reality shows like “Beyond the Spotlight,” “Dance Moms,” “Making The Band,” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Now, she’s helping to bring BOP Network to life through this new partnership with Cinedigm. BOP will be the only destination for 24/7 access to premier dance content, which includes documentaries, licensed movies, musicals, music videos and series. The network will also feature scripted and non-scripted original content as well as dance tutorials led by Gibson, her peers, and other industry influencers.
“It’s a privilege to partner with Laurieann to launch BOP,” said Chris McGurk, Chairman & CEO of Cinedigm in an official statement shared with AT. “Her career and track record of success is an inspiration for anyone brave enough to pursue their dreams. Having built so many well-known brands throughout her career, we look forward to tapping into that drive while helping her create the next superstar in her repertoire, by launching this first-of-its-kind global streaming platform.
The Power Of Dance
Gibson understands the power and the influence that dance has, which is why it was important to communicate that to the world through technology.
“Dance is ultimately one of the most powerful art forms to tell stories,” she continued. “It’s driving culture in a way where it has never been out front like it is today like we see with TikTok, ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ or even ‘So You Think I Can Dance’ [where I served as a judge].”
BOP is now a dream turned into a reality for Gibson who says after her team shared the full pitch deck about building a global universe for dance with the Cinedigm team, they were shocked that a platform like this didn’t already exist.
Dancing Your Dance
“Not only do I think it’s important, I think it is completely necessary to dance your dance, meaning, understand your path, live your life — the one that was designed specifically for you,” Gibson expressed.
Dancing your dance is more than just moving your body, it’s all about doing what you were called here to do, which is why launching BOP was a no-brainer for Gibson.
“These things are necessary to ensure mental health. I really believe that dancing your dance opens the door to living your best life possible,” she told us. “Dancing your dance is eight steps to unleash your passion and live your dream. I’ve built superstars from this method. Everyone can dance. They dance at weddings, they dance when they’re first born, they dance at everything. So, I feel that dancing your dance and no one else’s is definitely the gateway to living the best life possible.”
BOP will live across a broad OTT landscape through distribution partners that include Pluto TV, Samsung, TCL, Vizio and more.
