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KZ Creatives are the freshly formed choreography and casting company behind your favourite music videos. Established in 2019, following their success working with Jungle on the iconic dances behind Heavy California, Casio and Cherry, founders Kane K and Nat Zangi, are creating new waves in the industry. Since their initial launch, they have already worked with a variety of artists and brands such as Labrinth, Trady and Connie Constance. We spoke to them about their emerging company, working in the industry and what dance can offer as a medium today.

How did you two first meet?

Kane: We both trained at the Urdang Academy, a dance and musical theatre college in North London. There we learnt a wide range of performing skills such as ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, commercial hip-hop, singing and acting.

Nat: We became really good friends and we would often just get together and create, getting stuff done in the studio. When we collaborated with Jungle, it just made perfect sense for us to work together. And now he’s my best friend!

The style and creative production behind KZ Creatives projects are so original and fresh, from the distinct choreography to the prominent aesthetics. Is there a specific vision or driving inspiration behind each piece of work, or do you usually approach it one job at a time?

Kane: Normally, it’s a job at a time, so we get given a brief of what the artist wants for their music video and we work with that. In terms of choreography and movement, we take the music, the song and the lyrics to help us explore that choreography through feeling and emotion. For example, what we’ve experienced growing up in London through our teens, taking that and learning how to transcend that into art. We’re quite open to exploring new ways of creating and making our pieces our own. I feel like that’s why it’s blown up so much – because it’s personal to us and people can connect with that.

What do you feel movement and dance can offer over other forms of communication?

Kane: I feel like it’s so popular in mainstream culture now. It allows a platform to communicate things that are happening in this world. I think people can connect with it more than other forms that can be viewed more objectively. I think it has a more touching impact and it’s important we continue to grow and push boundaries. Talk about things that people don’t really like to talk about. I think dance can make people connect to things they haven’t been aware of that are happening in society today and I think that’s the best way of using the platform, personally.

Nat: As choreographers we don’t always have free creative control over all the content we put out there either, but there are other things that dance is doing. I was recently having a really interesting conversation about how dance can portray masculinity or femininity around women and men very differently. Dance allows you to create whatever kind of character you want to be and communicate what you want to do and I think that is a beautiful thing. Words can often be very black and white whereas movement can be perceived in loads of different ways and that’s a really beautiful thing as well.

What impact do you feel can be made through popular art forms such as music videos? Is there anything that KZ Creatives tries to embody and express in their productions?

Nat: As choreographers, we’re in this weird middle ground when it comes to creating art because in working so much with music videos, we’re usually working with someone else’s brief and their ideas, so we’re not always in control with everything that we’re doing. As political as me and Kane are, and as much as we hold our views, KZ creatives hasn’t been created to highlight any specific situation or cause. We just want to create really, really good movement and work with artists that we really believe in and are inspired by. If within that, we are able to add our own flavours and our own opinions, then we will. I do think it’s very important right now, with everything going on with the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s really important to us that we stand with people. We want to express that - we just haven’t had the opportunity to create any work relating to that and other issues, so far.

Kane: For the future, we want to create our own art as well, personal to us and for the dance community. That will be the time when we get to express our opinions within our work as well.

Nat: One thing we do have certain control over is that KZ Creatives is working really hard to ensure that fair treatment is a part of our practice. We always make sure everyone is well looked after, as that’s really important to maintain in this industry.

What have been your favourite projects to work on so far?

Kane: They’ve all been so different and great – but I think one of my favourite ones was the first video we ever did which was Heavy California for Jungle. Even all the moments that were recorded but people didn’t get to see, it was such a special day for everyone. It was so amazing. The location, everything.

Nat: It was 27 degrees and everyone on the job was practically our family, mates that we’d trained with and danced with for ages. The location was some random field, we drove past Stone Henge, so it was very far from London! It was actually shot on a plane landing strip in the middle of a field which is actually quite cool - in one of the shots, a plane in the background starts landing.

Nat: I actually think my favourite videos to work on were the Trady videos because it was interesting to work with someone from such a different background. Chinese culture is very different to British culture and the things that they wanted to show were different to what we wanted to, so that was a different creative process. Before we even got in the room, the conversations we had had were really interesting and I feel that I learnt a lot from that project.

Are there any challenges you face working in the music and entertainment industry? What would you like to see change?

Nat: I personally feel that a big problem the dance industry is facing is the lack of standards. For example, you can be on one job and be getting paid and treated really well, knowing that you’re going to get your cab home and that people are going look after you when you’re in the middle of nowhere and you are dancing in a bikini and heels in 3 degrees.  Some jobs are great. But certain jobs, not so much. We don’t have a union yet, and so it leaves room for a massive grey area of conditions. There’s a company called Dance Network who are working amazingly at creating a conversation and bridging the divide, but I do think that it’s the biggest problem in the dance industry right now, because people are getting exploited. KZ Creatives have worked very hard to change that.

Alongside KZ Creatives, independently you both have such impressive portfolios - combined you’ve worked with artists such as Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Joy Crookes, Ella Eyre, Little Simz and more. What steps did you take to get where you are and what advice would you give to those who want to work in the industry?

Kane: We were both taught that the industry is really tough, to take it with a pinch of salt and that you need to be thick skinned as there’ll be unexpected trials that will happen on the day and this can can lead you down a different path. You just need to try and stay focused. I think being punctual, well-mannered and being a good person to work for, that helps in terms of professionalism as well. Be hungry for it. Love what you do and try to not make it so stressful. That’s something I would tell myself, looking back. Just enjoy it.

Nat: To add to that, I would say with the way things are moving right now, social media has also become a big part of dancer’s lives, whereas before it was more audition based. Now, it’s becoming about you as a person, about your branding and about what you put out there. So what I would say to dancers, is be considered about what you choose to share - the industry is very close-knit and you never know what opportunities can arise from social media. I just think people need to stay focused and professional.

Kane: Being open to train in different fields too, the more skills you have, the more employable you’ll be. Like every other job, be consistent with it. Staying connected to the dance community is a good thing, as I feel it’s developing and growing so fast. So definitely, keep training.

Nat: Definitely. Training, training, training!

Any new projects coming up for KZ Creatives we can be excited for?

Nat: We are planning on putting out our own work directed by ourselves towards the end of the year, so that should be really really cool. We also just released a music video called Monty Python!

Kane: We are also currently working on a new project with a new artist which we’re really looking forward to, it’s coming up soon, so keep an eye out.

You can keep up to date with KZ Creatives, via their Instagram @kzcreatives or website.

You can follow more of Tamiym’s beautiful work, via their Instagram @plantainchronicals or website.

Interview by Saffron Lily