‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Choreographer Miguel Zarate On Tailoring Moves To Each Queen So They “Truly Start Shining”

deadline.com:

As the choreographer of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Miguel Zarate’s goal is to ensure that every Queen stands out and hits their mark. “I always tell the girls, ‘if you look like trash, I look even worse,’” he says. “It’s my job to make them look amazing.”Iconic drag artist and host RuPaul searches for “America’s next drag superstar” in this VH1 reality competition.

The contestants compete in various challenges that test their performance skills, and choreography tends to be one of the more difficult skills to master.

It’s not just about mastering the skill, as each Queen needs to make sure they don’t blend into the background of the performance.For the dance numbers, Zarate is given a script before each Queen has a role, so he has to create a base for the choreography before they step on stage.

As they start to learn the basic movements, Zarate can then tailor the individual performance a bit to make each Queen stand out.DEADLINE: Did a lot of the Queens have previous experience with choreographed dancing this season? MIGUEL ZARATE: I think in particular, if you’re a drag queen, you have some sense of the body and movement, but there’s been moments where the girls cannot dance at all.