Pandora Marie

Marie "Pandora" Medina, aka Pandora or Pandora Marie (born Marie Faye Medina, July 25, 1981), is an American dancer and choreographer who specializes in the "tutting" and "popping" dance styles. She is a member of the Style Elements Crew, The LXD and Venus Fly. Pandora's career has spanned over fifteen years, primarily as part of the popping dance funk culture.[2]

Pandora Marie
Pandora Marie in Los Angeles
Born
Marie Medina

Santa Ana, California, U.S.[1]
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer
Years active2002–present
Awards
Performing Arts "Achievement Award" - Lowak Sho'li (Carry The Fire) First American Humanities Forum (Chickasaw Nation)
Most Outstanding Female Popper - LA Hip-Hop Dance Awards
Radiotron 2003 (LA)
Radiotron 2004 (LA)
B. Supreme London (UK)
Freestyle Style Session (LA)
How The West Was Won (LA)
Take It Personal (AZ)
Floor Wars (LA)
Cloud Cypher (Canada)
WebsiteLittle Box Of Hope
Pandora Marie

Dance career
Marie "Pandora" Medina in her first "Style Elements Crew" photo shoot

Pandora Marie has worked with musicians such as Common and Pharrell, Justin Bieber, Trey Songs, Flo-Rida, Sean Kingston, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, LMFAO and Gina Rodriguez. Pandora is best known for the Step Up 3D "tutting" scene, a standing ovation on So You Think You Can Dance, a Microsoft Surface commercial, her lead role as Autumn in Jon M Chu's The LXD (The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers), and her supporting role as Karla in the Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos movie Filly Brown. The Danish magazine Gaffa described Pandora as "one of the best Electric Boogie dancers in the world" after her performance in the Danish show "Menneske Robotten" ("The Human Robot").[3][4] The reviewer went on to state that Pandora Marie, and her fellow dancer Koichiro Mori made the dance look easy despite being technically difficult.[3]

In recent years Pandora Marie has expanded her work into the theater and other creative directions. She has performed in theatrical pieces for Little Box Of Hope and DS2DIO, and has worked with Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize. Pandora has also held the principal role of Clara in The Nutcracker in Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark and performed many principal roles in award-winning theatrical productions throughout the US, Scandinavia, and Europe.

Personal life
Pandora Marie in San Diego, California filming with "Stance" to her poem "Time"

Pandora is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Little Box Of Hope (a production company / creative collective) alongside her fiancé.[5] She also has worked with G Koop and Darrick Quali-D Fields and has original songs, poetry and music sold on iTunes, Spotify and other music platforms.

Pandora is both Native American and Mexican American. Her native tribes are Chickasaw and Choctaw and she is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

In 2011 Pandora Marie participated in the "Rise Up and Dance" project, teaching kids to dance as a way to give them a purpose in life. She said, "Dancing is what saved me from going down the wrong path. I want to help and inspire kids just like I was inspired by the dancers in my neighborhood".[1]

Working with Jon M. Chu

In 2009 Pandora was contacted on YouTube and personally cast by Now You See Me 2 director Jon M. Chu in the role of Autumn in the popular online dance series The LXD: Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.[6] This relationship led to many other collaborations such as Disney's Step Up film series,[7] NASA's Earth Chorus, The Conan O'Brien Show, BMW Mini Cooper, Google Zietgeist Conference and more. Her dancing in Step Up 3D was described by one reviewer by stating that Pandora Marie "will have you so hypnotized with her finger tuts... it’ll be nothing short of bewitching".[8]

Awards and honors

Pandora was presented with an award for "Most Outstanding Female Popper" and has held titles in dance competitions all around the world ("battles") Radiotron, UK B. Supreme,[9] Freestyle Style Session, How The West Was Won, Take It Personal, Floor Wars, and more. She is considered to be an influential figure in street-dance culture.[10][11]

Filmography
Pandora Marie backstage for Justin Bieber's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Arthur Christmas)

Television and film roles
Feature films
  • Step Up 3D (Principal Dancer, Director: Jon M. Chu)[13][14]
  • Filly Brown (Actress / Principal Dancer, Edward J. Olmos Productions)
Web series
  • The LXD (Actress / Principal Dancer, Director: Jon M. Chu)[12]
Television
Short films
  • S2DIO City "The Bell" (Principal Dancer, Director: Chris Scott)[15]
  • Dancing With Devotion (Principal Dancer, Director: Alexander Mercado)
  • The Siren (Principal Dancer; Director: Roxy Shih)

Music videos
Pandora Marie getting ready for Justin Bieber's "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" music video
  • Justin Bieber - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Featured Dancer)[16]
  • Justin Bieber - "Eenie Meenie" (Featured Dancer)
  • The Mast - "UpUpUp" (Principal Dancer)[17][18]
  • David Guetta / Flo Rida - "Club Can't Handle Me" (Featured Dancer)
  • Trey Songz - "Already Taken" (Featured Dancer)
  • Common - "Universal Mind Control" (Featured Dancer)[19]

Theatrical and concert stage performances
Pandora Marie in her Queen Tut piece
Theater performances
  • Cirque Du Soleil / Cirque Eloize "I.D." show (Principal Dancer, International Tour)
  • Carmen (Principal Dancer, Denmark)[20]
  • The Nutcracker (Principal Dancer, Denmark)[20]
  • Menneske Robotten ("Human Robot"; Principal Dancer, Denmark)[10][20]
  • "Awaken Tour" (Pandora Marie Solo Act, National Tour)
  • "Illuminated Manuscript" ("Ereshkigal"; featured dancer)[21]
Concerts

Commercials
  • Microsoft Surface (Featured Dancer)
  • The Cosmopolitan Rose.Rabbit.Lie (Principal Dancer)
  • Otra Vez / Sierra Nevada (Principal Dancer)[23]

References
  1. "Artist Dance their Way into Dayton for Cityfolk's "Rise Up to Dance" Performance at Stivers". PR Log. March 11, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  2. The Oxford Handbook of Screendance Studies. Oxford University Press. 2016. p. 703. ISBN 9780199981601. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  3. Seefeldt Stæhr, Maria Therese (January 14, 2010). "Steen Koerner (instruktør) med flere: Menneskerobot, Dansehallerne, København" (in Danish). Gaffa Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  4. Monrad Boel, Nina. "Theatre: Robot boogie at Carlsberg". University DK. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  5. "Q&A with the Dancers of Cirque Éloize iD". Kansas City Starlight Theater. September 9, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  6. "The Green Room: Interview with The LXD's Christopher Scott". Hulu. August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  7. Alonzo, Adam (March 12, 2012). "Rise Up & Dance! Guest artists and film screening". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  8. Chen, Rochelle (August 11, 2010). ""Step Up 3D" is Unexpected Fun". Annenberg Media Center. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  9. "b. supreme Festival". b supreme. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  10. "Drømmen om menneskerobotten" (in Danish). Information. January 21, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  11. "Eat Fresh Breakdance Jam: Extra Credit Crew, Pandora". Live Van. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  12. Anders, Charlie Jane (July 14, 2010). "The dance adventure is just beginning: LXD's Jon M. Chu talks to io9!". io9!. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  13. "Sit down with Pandora from "Step Up 3D"". YouTube. November 24, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  14. "VEVO - Step Up 3D: Behind the Moves, Pt. 2". YouTube. July 10, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  15. "S2DIO CITY: THE BELL ft. Marie "Pandora"". YouTube. July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  16. "Justin Bieber - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town video". YouTube. December 6, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  17. "The Mast – UpUpUp Music Video (w/ Band Interview)". Redefine Magazine. July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  18. "The Mast - UpUpUp (Official Video ft. Pandora Marie)". YouTube. May 29, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  19. "Common - Universal Mind". YouTube. September 29, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  20. Aagaard, Peter T. "Menneskerobot". DUBCNN Magazine (Spring 2010): 47. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  21. Woodruff, Steven (October 3, 2012). "Antics performance debuts New Work at LATC". Dance Plug. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  22. "Roskilde Festival 2010 Programme". ISSUU. p. 36. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  23. "Otra Vez Gose-Style Ale". Sierra Nevada Official Channel. YouTube. May 24, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
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