Not only is she one of the GOATs of the sports world, but tennis icon Serena Williams has also proven a few times that she can break it down on the dance floor. Thanks to choreographers WilldaBeast Adams and Janelle Ginestra (who have worked alongside Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown and Usher to name a few) and Delta Airlines, we’re able to see how she can handle choreography from the best in the biz.
A new ad for Delta Airlines depicts the superstar on board a Delta flight, dreaming away as the aircraft moves with ease. In the dream, we can gather that Williams is longing to be a dancer despite her extraordinary gifts as a tennis star. She is seen dancing with all types of dancers, including Adams’ immaBeast company prodigy Taylor Hatala through contemporary and hip hop dance styles.
Fans of the immaBeast family may recognize the viral choreography to “Upgrade U,” as Serena keeps up with the best of them for one seriously entertaining commercial. WilldaBeast can also be seen in the ad, while Ginestra directs and immaBeast Fashion Director, Erica Mer, provided wardrobe.
“It was awesome. Surreal, mostly,” says WilldaBeast on having the opportunity to work with Williams. “Having one of the most powerful women in her craft learn dance from me, and my most well-known dance choreography, was too cool. “
When they first heard that they were going to be working with the legendary athlete, Ginestra says that they almost couldn’t believe it.
“We thought our manager was lying!” she wrote via e-mail. “When we found out we said, ‘we are teaching Serena Williams a dance routine, how freaking awesome!’ We never know what to expect out of this wild ride of a career we have, so we just celebrated at the fact we would be choreographing and directing this legend tennis player, and we’re grateful that this happened…she loves dancing and wanted to showcase that side of her. We had the honor of being selected to be on board to do this spot with her. Totally a magical moment!”
And for those wondering what it’s like to be in the dance studio with Serena Williams, WilldaBeast noted that she worked just as hard as she does on the tennis court.
“Very focused learner,” he wrote. “You can tell she is a professional athlete, because she is very meticulous and detailed. She would look at us and say, ‘I’m going to work my butt off to get this.’ It was rewarding.”
Check out the ad below!