THE BIZ : Making the World Safe for Choreography

Julie McDonald believes in hoofers’ rights. As in the two-legged variety. A former dancer, McDonald became L. A.’s first dance agent in 1985. Now she is one of the leaders in efforts to form the first union for choreographers working in film, TV and commercials. “Actors, stuntmen, directors, cinematographers and art directors all have a union,” she says. “Choreographers are the only group not unionized and it’s going to change in the next year.” Top local choreographers and dancers’ agents have been working out the details for the past 18 months, she says, and last month they announced an affiliation with a parent theatrical union in New York.

McDonald, 38, gave up the klieg lights for a desk and a phone after she injured her knee while shooting a television commercial. “After I hurt myself, I knew my days as a performer were numbered. But I wanted to stay close to the dance field. When I signed on with Joseph, Heldfond & Rix, they were only representing actors,” she says. “I wanted to establish a dance division. As a dancer, I never felt taken care of by anybody. When I started doing this people thought I was crazy.”

One of the first to sign on was Paula Abdul, in 1986. “I met Paula while she was working on the ‘What Have You Done for Me Lately?’ Janet Jackson video,” says McDonald, who still represents Abdul as a choreographer.

Now McDonald represents more than 200 dancers and choreographers, who work in jobs ranging from Michael Jackson tours to Pepsi ads. “I remember when entertainment types thought the only place to find good dancers was New York,” she says. “Now they’re coming here instead. I’m real happy about that.”

Still, McDonald believes a choreographers’ union is necessary to set standards for everything from property rights to pay scales. “For every choreographer working in Los Angeles, there’s probably 25 who are not,” she says. “That’s why they need a union: To make sure that when they’re working they get top dollar for their time.”