Choreographer Parris Goebel on Working With Lady Gaga on the Mayhem Ball Tour, Conceiving That Dress for ‘Abracadabra’ and Using Kitty Litter in the Grave Box

Renowned choreographer Parris Goebel, whose recent inclusion on Variety’s Women’s Impact report highlights her industry influence, traces her professional journey to a deep-seated, lifelong passion for movement. She recalls, “Dance was something I was born loving,” noting that her earliest memories are of dancing at home rather than a single moment of discovery. This enduring commitment has resulted in major collaborations, such as her work on the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, and again in 2023 for Rihanna’s celebrated performance.

Goebel’s reputation for creating visually arresting performances led Lady Gaga and her creative partner Michael Polansky to bring her on board for Gaga’s Coachella set and the subsequent Mayhem Ball tour. The tour’s design is built around the concept of a grand opera house, featuring stone columns and archways that enable seamless transitions between numbers. One standout moment includes Gaga’s entrance in a caged dress filled with “mayhem” dancers, while another sees a dramatic chessboard face-off during “Poker Face.” Goebel explains that working with Gaga—whose real name is Stefani Germanotta—means constantly pushing creative boundaries: “With Stefani, every idea is challenged to become bigger, more epic, and bolder.” This drive for theatrical innovation has been a hallmark of Gaga’s career since her 2008 debut, establishing her as a master of blending spectacle with emotional depth.

Among the many complex sequences, Goebel identifies the “Paparazzi” segment as both the most demanding and emotionally resonant. In this powerful scene, Gaga rises from a sandbox designed to resemble a grave, donning a rainbow cape and using crutches. Goebel proposed a slower, more poignant interpretation of the song, with the cape symbolizing resilience and rebirth—a tribute to Gaga’s capacity to endure and continually reinvent herself in the public eye. “An artist who survives the test of time, as she has, demonstrates true fearlessness and an unapologetic spirit,” Goebel observes. This segment echoes Gaga’s own advocacy for mental health and self-acceptance, themes she has championed through her Born This Way Foundation.

Regardless of a project’s scale, Goebel maintains the same wholehearted approach to her craft. “No matter the stage, I give everything I have,” she states. With more than ten years in the industry, she has grown increasingly selective, now focusing on collaborations that genuinely inspire her. Although she doesn’t accompany the tour full-time, she made a point of attending the Los Angeles dates to witness the final production. Looking forward, Goebel is expanding her artistic reach: she is currently signed to Diplo’s label, with a complete dance project slated for release next month, signaling her continued evolution as both a choreographer and recording artist.