Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Follow TRAVIS PAYNE at travispayne.com and on Instagram @ travispayne1
For nearly 20 years, choreographer and creative partner Travis Payne worked beside Michael Jackson, from Dangerous and Ghosts to the HIStory Tour, and This Is It, and more. In this episode of club 30s with mjfangirl, Travis takes us inside the world of creativity, imagination, and legacy that shaped some of Michael’s most ambitious projects. In this interview, I teamed up with Randall (therocfiles / rocsmocs.co,) to talk to Travis and we are super excited to share this conversation with you all.
Travis shares what it was really like collaborating with Michael on set and on tour, the evolution of Ghosts through multiple versions and creative shifts, and the reality of bringing massive stage productions to life around the world. He reflects on global influences in Michael’s art, the discipline behind Michael Jackson live performances, and the moments fans never saw happening behind the scenes.
👉 If you enjoy this episode, please LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE to help support the mjfangirl channel and bring more deep-dive conversations to the MJ community.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00- Intro: MJfangirl + Randall welcome Travis Payne (Michael Jackson creative partner)
00:01:01 - Travis Payne credits: Michael Jackson (Dangerous, HIStory, Ghosts, Scream, This Is It)
00:02:57 - Travis Payne origin story: Atlanta dance training
00:04:03 - Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation Tour
00:09:48 - Travis Payne on mentoring young dancers
00:14:37 - Travis Payne’s inspirations (Bob Fosse, Alvin Ailey, Debbie Allen + more)
00:15:34 - the Michael Jackson influence in showmanship
00:18:31 - First time working with Michael Jackson
00:20:44 - Joining Michael Jackson’s Dangerous Tour
00:26:50 - “Dangerous” performance: film references + building MJ’s live cinematic world
00:28:37 - Michael Jackson “Dangerous” at Soul Train Awards: why it was full-circle
00:32:33 - Michael Jackson rehearsal standard
00:33:15 - Bankhead Bounce in “Dangerous”: hip-hop dance + Atlanta culture in MJ choreography
00:38:01 - Divine Nine stepping + “Global Dance”
00:40:26 - Michael Jackson “Ghosts” era begins: the creative process + early concepts
00:41:45 - “Ghosts” filmmaking detail: the “dust” took days to perfect
00:44:01 - Why “Ghosts” was ahead of its time (Thriller legacy + Stan Winston + tech)
00:54:43 - HIStory Tour logistics: Kingdom Air planes and more
01:02:21 - Michael Jackson “Scream” behind the scenes: MJ + Janet collaboration
01:13:00 - MJ Immortal / ONE / Michael Jackson: The Expe
Join our community of Michael Jackson fans at Club 30's patreon.com/mjfangirl
✩ New to mjfangirl TV? Start here!
youtube.com/playlist?
list=PLHSYTrP-eQsZwj1BhnilMph8JD32Ywn-W&feature=shared
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHSYTrP-eQsZqXOeylKYMgZ_-FwOcM3kP&feature=shared
✩ SHOP MY FAVORITE Michael Jackson PRODUCTS & MUST- HAVES!
youtube.com/@MJFANGIRLTV/store
✩ Contact & Socials
Instagram, facebook, twitter @mjfangirlblog
My amazon storefont: amazon.com/shop/mjfangirlblog
Patreon: patreon.com/Mjfangirl
Podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music: “Club 30s with MJFANGIRL- a Michael Jackson podcast”
Business Inquiries - hello@mjfangirl.com
Free Music for Videos 👉 Music by Sebastian McQueen - Emotion - thmatc.co/?l=919D142F
Follow TRAVIS PAYNE at travispayne.com and on Instagram @ travispayne1
For nearly 20 years, choreographer and creative partner Travis Payne worked beside Michael Jackson, from Dangerous and Ghosts to the HIStory Tour, and This Is It, and more. In this episode of club 30s with mjfangirl, Travis takes us inside the world of creativity, imagination, and legacy that shaped some of Michael’s most ambitious projects. In this interview, I teamed up with Randall (therocfiles / rocsmocs.co,) to talk to Travis and we are super excited to share this conversation with you all.
Travis shares what it was really like collaborating with Michael on set and on tour, the evolution of Ghosts through multiple versions and creative shifts, and the reality of bringing massive stage productions to life around the world. He reflects on global influences in Michael’s art, the discipline behind Michael Jackson live performances, and the moments fans never saw happening behind the scenes.
👉 If you enjoy this episode, please LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE to help support the mjfangirl channel and bring more deep-dive conversations to the MJ community.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00- Intro: MJfangirl + Randall welcome Travis Payne (Michael Jackson creative partner)
00:01:01 - Travis Payne credits: Michael Jackson (Dangerous, HIStory, Ghosts, Scream, This Is It)
00:02:57 - Travis Payne origin story: Atlanta dance training
00:04:03 - Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation Tour
00:09:48 - Travis Payne on mentoring young dancers
00:14:37 - Travis Payne’s inspirations (Bob Fosse, Alvin Ailey, Debbie Allen + more)
00:15:34 - the Michael Jackson influence in showmanship
00:18:31 - First time working with Michael Jackson
00:20:44 - Joining Michael Jackson’s Dangerous Tour
00:26:50 - “Dangerous” performance: film references + building MJ’s live cinematic world
00:28:37 - Michael Jackson “Dangerous” at Soul Train Awards: why it was full-circle
00:32:33 - Michael Jackson rehearsal standard
00:33:15 - Bankhead Bounce in “Dangerous”: hip-hop dance + Atlanta culture in MJ choreography
00:38:01 - Divine Nine stepping + “Global Dance”
00:40:26 - Michael Jackson “Ghosts” era begins: the creative process + early concepts
00:41:45 - “Ghosts” filmmaking detail: the “dust” took days to perfect
00:44:01 - Why “Ghosts” was ahead of its time (Thriller legacy + Stan Winston + tech)
00:54:43 - HIStory Tour logistics: Kingdom Air planes and more
01:02:21 - Michael Jackson “Scream” behind the scenes: MJ + Janet collaboration
01:13:00 - MJ Immortal / ONE / Michael Jackson: The Expe
Join our community of Michael Jackson fans at Club 30's patreon.com/mjfangirl
✩ New to mjfangirl TV? Start here!
youtube.com/playlist?
list=PLHSYTrP-eQsZwj1BhnilMph8JD32Ywn-W&feature=shared
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHSYTrP-eQsZqXOeylKYMgZ_-FwOcM3kP&feature=shared
✩ SHOP MY FAVORITE Michael Jackson PRODUCTS & MUST- HAVES!
youtube.com/@MJFANGIRLTV/store
✩ Contact & Socials
Instagram, facebook, twitter @mjfangirlblog
My amazon storefont: amazon.com/shop/mjfangirlblog
Patreon: patreon.com/Mjfangirl
Podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music: “Club 30s with MJFANGIRL- a Michael Jackson podcast”
Business Inquiries - hello@mjfangirl.com
Free Music for Videos 👉 Music by Sebastian McQueen - Emotion - thmatc.co/?l=919D142F
