Mēsha Kussman is a director and choreographer who specializes in creating large ensemble musical numbers for camera. Her choreography credits include The Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar!, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Offer on Paramount+, Justin Bieber, Lizzo and more. She is also the founder and artistic director of the international aquatic entertainment company Aqualillies.
BIO
Mēsha grew up in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury, a child of free-love, steeped in counterculture and the arts. After graduating from N.Y.U.'s Experimental Theater Wing, she started her professional career creating avant-garde performance-art installations in N.Y.C. When she moved to L.A. she was hunting for a commercial outlet for her experimental antics. So, naturally Mēsha started as an assistant to director Dennis Dugan on Adam Sandler movies. When she pivoted to working with choreographers Rich + Tone (J. Lo, Madonna..) it brought her back to her love of dance.
In 2008 she founded a dance company focused on transforming pools around L.A. into installation performance spaces. Aqualillies has since become an international water ballet phenomenon collaborating with Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Missy Elliott, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Usher, Glee, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel... and pushing her work from stage to screen. Working with the Coen Brothers to create the epic water ballet scene starring Scarlett Johansson for their feature film Hail, Caesar! has brought Mēsha to the ultimate culmination of her passions: directing for film.
Her work on screen recalls ‘a feminist Busby Berkeley’, reclaiming the body in new spectacles that feed todays ravenous shame-free audience.
DIRECTING
Conceives of high-concept visual narratives
Melds dance, film and emerging technologies
Uses heightened aesthetics to communicate internal worlds
Thinks of camera movement and editing as choreography
Works with production designers to create physical spaces that can be automated as choreography
Addresses sensitive social issues with care and grace
Upholds a positive environment + working efficiently with a team
CHOREOGRAPHY
Designs large-scale spectacles and ensemble numbers for camera
Works with non-dancers
Combines genres of movement from a variety of styles
Casts and manages dancers with various skills
Creates a supportive environment in rehearsal and on set
Designs choreography based on how the camera will capture it
Makes adjustments to the choreography on the fly
Presents materials in rehearsal to prepare the director and camera crew
Breaks away from familiar mainstream choices and searching for novel concepts
Choreographs and rehearses oners