LargeUp TV: Learn the Dances From Rihanna’s “Work” Video with Blacka Di Danca

Video by Blacka Di Danca and Martei Korley
Photos by Martei Korley

When you hit the club tonight, and Rihanna’s “Work” comes on, you’ve got a few options. Sure, busting an old-school Bogle or Tatie is an appropriate response to the track, inspired by Richie Stephens’ Sail Away riddim from 1998. It may also be a perfect excuse to wine and bubble a little closer with that someone beside you, just like Rihanna and Drake do in the newly-released two-part video for the Billboard Hot 100’s current No. 1 single. If you are really on your game, though, you’ll take a page from the extras and dancers in the first, Director X-helmed version, and buss some of the straight-from-yaad steps seen during the course of the video.

LargeUp’s own Blacka Di Danca was on set (catch him at 3:13 and 3:26), bringing his style and swagger to the shoot at Toronto’s The Real Jerk restaurant alongside choreographer Tanisha Scott and fellow dancers like Ponytail (of classic Sean Paul video fame), our family Sir Ledgen, and Tabby Rockstar, creator of the “Dancehall Dab.”

In this tutorial video, Blacka and the Danca Family (Nelly Danca and Aliyah Danca) demonstrate how to do each step seen in the video: the “Aji Bounce,” created by Aji Happnaz; “Badda Wave,” created by Elite Team; “Paper Bag,” created by Ovamarz; and “Kreech,” created by Kreecha, as well as “Seasoning” (created by Slip of the Danca Family), new steps done behind the scenes but didn’t make the final cut.

Watch below, get the story behind the “Work” video shoot here, and follow Blacka’s movements here and here.