Dancing With The Stars choreographer Dave Scott dead at 52: Beloved talent also worked with Wicked director
Dave Scott, the choreographer in residence on season eight of Dancing With The Stars, has died at the age of just 52.
Born and raised in Compton, he enjoyed a dazzling career during which he also worked as a resident choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance.
He also staged the dances for Step Up 2: The Streets, helmed by Jon M. Chu, who went on to direct Crazy Rich Asians and the two-part film adaptation of Wicked.
His loved ones announced his passing on his Instagram page this Tuesday, one day after the fact, but did not specify a cause of death.
'It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Dave Scott, who touched so many lives with his warmth, kindness and spirit,' they wrote.
'During this difficult time we are doing our best to honor his memory in the way he deserves with love, dignity and respect,' they added.
'In lieu of flowers, we ask for donations to contribute towards memorial arrangements and helping us celebrate Dave Scott's life in a meaningful way, with a celebration of life,' they concluded underneath a picture of Scott.
Their caption offered the additional message: 'Today we have lost an icon, a legend, a father and a dear friend. The weight of this loss will send ripples through time. But his memory and legacy will continue to live on.'
They touchingly wrote: 'We love you Dave Scott and everything you've accomplished and the joy and comfort you've brought to people will never be forgotten.'
Friends flooded into the comments to express their grief, including Dancing With The Stars pro Derek Hough, who posted praying and broken heart emoji.
Mariah Carey's ex Bryan Tanaka, who was one of her backup dancers for years before they started dating, wrote: 'You inspired so many including me. The power in your movement spoke so many things. I see you.'
'Dave was like a big brother to so many of us,' wrote Glee actor Kevin McHale. 'When I felt reallllly out of place amongst so many great performers, he always made me comfortable and confident. Watching him dance and teach was a gift.'
'This one hits hard,' added another Glee star, Harry Shum Jr. 'You gave me so much confidence as a performer and welcomed me with open arms to your dance world that many were inspired by. Thank you for spreading so much joy with your love of dance. May you rest in peace brother Dave.'
Scott was behind the dances in a variety of projects like the films You Got Served with Meagan Good and Made Of Honor with Patrick Dempsey, as well as television series ranging from So You Think You Can Dance to Bones.
Stomp The Yard, the 2007 dance drama starring Meagan Good, Chris Brown, Columbus Short, Ne-Yo and more, was also choreographed by Scott.
In addition to his work in movies and TV, Scott choreographed for musical artists like Tyrese, Brian McKnight, Ginuwine and Bow Wow.
He even staged a dance-off of Miley Cyrus and Mandy Jiroux versus the legendary Australian rock band ACDC at the Teen Choice Awards.
Debbie Allen, the star and choreographer of the TV series Fame, hired him as the head of the hip-hop intensive at her dance academy in Los Angeles.
His fascination with hip hop dance 'when I was 15 growing up in Compton,' he said during a 2008 interview with Dance magazine.
'Everybody was doing B-boy moves. It started off on my street. We took a bike ramp down, put cardboard down and started doing back stands and all of that kind of stuff.'
He recalled: 'I learned how to dance by watching TV, watching videos and stuff like that. My favorite was Michael Jackson. It was ridiculous. I watched all of his videos and redid the choreography and added on stuff.'
Scott noted that he 'I was always creative because I taught myself how to dance. So I always had the desire to create something and choreograph.'
He shared that 'when I started dancing, I got a tour. Then I just started adding pieces of choreography to the tour. But, really, I have always been, from the time I started to dance, more of a creator a choreographer.'
Scott described his work as a 'triple reward because when I do my choreography, I always put myself in the audience and act like: "What can wow me?" And so I do the choreography, and then the reward is that you see what you created come to life.'
He added: "The second reward is, a lot of people choreograph, but they really don't dance. Third, I dance hard, like pretty much harder than the people I hire. To be a part of it, it's a good feeling.'
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