Guy Amir, better known by that moniker “Guy Groove” is a dancer, choreographer, performance creative director, and teacher who is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2012, Guy earned a BFA the University of Arizona in 2012 and has since worked with some very highly-esteemed choreographers. He has appeared on several commercials and television shows including “The Goldbergs,” “The Middle,” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
Recently, Guy has served as the lead choreographer for JoJo Siwa, a Nickelodeon star who is preparing for the Kids Choice Awards, Halo Awards, the Slime Fest, Live with Kelly and Ryan, and more.
Guy enjoys sharing his craft with others and is a very popular dance teacher in LA. He has huge followings on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube where some of his videos have gone viral!
Guy “Groove” Amir discussed these successes and more via an exclusive interview on September 11, 2018.
TV shows, commercials, and events
Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you discover your love for dance and how did that evolve to include choreography?
Guy Groove (GG): I started dancing when I was 7 years old at my godmother’s dance studio, Charlotte Klein Dance Centers… once I did my first performance I knew that performing was my passion. By 11 years old I knew I was going to make dance my career.
I fell in love with choreography while studying dance at The University of Arizona. I was working as a dancer and dance teacher in LA for 5 years before I did my first major choreography job.
MM: How did you get the name “Guy Groove” and how did you get into commercials and TV?
GG: When I was younger we used to use a “screen name” for instance messengers… Guy Groove was just something I made up, and then made my Instagram name before I was really posting videos or working as a dancer or choreographer… I always feel a little groovy.
Commercials and TV shows are something I have always had extreme interest in. I always have been interested in cameras and making stories using dance, film and music.
MM: How did you secure spots on top-rate TV shows like “The Middle” and “The Goldbergs” and what roles do you play?
GG: When I first moved to LA I got signed with an agency by auditioning, from there I started going to auditions, making connections and proving myself as a dancer that choreographers could trust!
MM: You are now serving as a trainer and mentor to Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa, so how did that happen and is it a fun job?
GG: Working with JoJo is one of the best experiences of my life and career, she is an amazing person! I met JoJo when I was a choreographer for Abby Lee Dance Company and Lifetime TV’s “Dance Moms”. JoJo and I got to work one-on-one multiple times together on “Dance Moms”. JoJo then asked me to choreograph her music video for her single “Boomerang”, that was a huge success with over 580 million views. We knew after “Boomerang” we had something special and made a good team.
MM: How tough is it to plan dance numbers for big events like award shows? Typically, how long does it take to rehearse these numbers?
GG: Planning for big awards shows is a bit stressful but probably my favorite type of performance to create for! There is a lot to the process. I would start by having an audition where we would cast dancers for the artist and then from there step into rehearsals. Every job is
different and sometimes you don’t get much time but usually it is about 3 -4 rehearsals and then its show time! A rehearsal is usually 6 - 8 hours long and show day takes the whole day! On top of all that, I have to prep my work and usually will work for 4 hours a day every day, the week leading up to rehearsals!
Teaching, YouTube channel, and hopes
MM: You are a very successful dance teacher, so what is it about your dances that make so many people want to learn them?
GG: I have been teaching for 12 years and have learned a lot about how to work with dancers of all ages. When I choreograph a dance or routine I just do what feels right and good, but also using my knowledge as a teacher to work things that help the dancer progress. I think I just love to dance so much that when you take my class you learn to love it too, my class is fun, my class is a challenge and everyone in the room inspires each other in some way!
MM: You started a YouTube channel where some of your dances have gone viral! What have those experiences—and other social media happenings—been like?
GG: I started my YouTube channel in high school and had no idea what it really was. I was just posting videos for fun of me and my friends dancing, or dance performances or just simply me doing fun or funny things!
Later on, I started to post videos of my dance classes during college, and then I got really consistent with it when I moved to LA and they slowly started to grow and grab more attention. Going viral is not something I ever expected and it happened gradually so I didn’t just wake up to a viral video. It was really awesome to see my first video that hit 1 million views! I also post a lot of dance content on my Instagram @GuyGroove and a lot of those videos have gotten a lot of attention, even sometimes that artist will repost! I have had Jason Derulo, Chris Brown, Cheat Codes, Kaskade and other major artists repost my work to their music! It’s really awesome to know that artist that created the song appreciates what you do!
MM: What are your biggest hopes for the future of your life as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher?
GG: My biggest hopes are to continue working with amazing people and to always be inspired! I would love to direct and go beyond just choreography! I will always dance and always share my passion with dancers all over the world!
