Alyson Stoner Worried About Ruining Missy Elliott’s Video Vanguard Tribute Before Her VMA Performance of ‘Work It’
Alyson Stoner became the self-proclaimed “little white girl from the Missy Elliott video” in the early 2000s. As a child, she danced in several of the rapper’s music videos. Some of the memorable moments of the multitalented celebrity were in Elliott’s videos for her songs “Gossip Folks” and “I’m Really Hot.” However, her performance in the “Work It” video would reunite Stoner with the Grammy Winner almost two decades later.
Alyson Stoner and Missy Elliott met in 2002
Stoner was born in Toledo, Ohio, on Aug. 11, 1993. When she was young, she moved to New York City to pursue dance and acting. Soon, her mother, LuAnne Hodges (née Adams), uprooted them to Los Angeles for more opportunities. Once there, she took dance lessons at a studio in LA. In 2002, she connected with Elliott, who hired her as a backup dancer.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody alum wrote in Rolling Stone that working with the “Hot Boyz” artist changed her career trajectory. During her op-ed about reuniting with Elliott years later, she said she channeled the lessons she learned from the rapper back in the early 2000s.
“I leap out of bed toward the narrow full-length mirror and assess my 26-year-old self. It’s with an adult frame and personhood that I will embody and relay the movements I first performed in 2002, and I look no further than Missy for guidance,” Stoner said. “I think of the joy and unifying power that characterize her artistry and imagine this transcendent moment being shared equally among everybody.”
Missy Elliott asked Alyson Stoner to perform the choreography from ‘Work It’ for her MTV Video Vanguard tribute
After working with Elliott on three music videos, Stoner made her mark on Disney Channel. On the network, she appeared as a guest on its hit shows such as That’s So Raven, Phineas and Ferb, and Jonas Brothers: Living The Dream. Additionally, Stoner landed a starring role as Caitlyn Geller in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
In 2019, MTV announced that Elliott would be the recipient of its Video Vanguard Award. The award recognizes musicians who use their creativity in their videos and is a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. For her honor, Elliott made her creative director, HiHat, contact Stoner. During their phone call, the Step Up actor said her team gave her “nearly complete creative freedom” for the performance. However, she was required to repeat the choreography from the 2002 music video.
“HiHat playfully recounts my perfectionism from nine years old, accurately predicting that I‘m already silently stitching potential sequences together in my head,” Stoner recalled.
Although she remembered the steps, the Disney alum was anxious about going on stage. She hadn’t repeated the choreography live in years and didn’t want to mess up her “lifelong hero’s” tribute.
“Note to self: Don’t mess up Missy’s Vanguard performance tomorrow,” Stoner thought the night before the VMAs. “I giggle out loud because I know it won’t happen.”
Alyson Stoner’s net worth after Missy Elliott
Stoner performed at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards with a solo performance of “Work It.” The dancer showed off her buzzed haircut and rocked a yellow jumpsuit for the act. For many Elliott fans, the tribute was nostalgic and honored the videos of the early 2000s.
Since working with Elliott and the Disney Channel, Stoner has worked on her digital brand. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she currently has a net worth of $1.5 million. In addition to lending her voice to shows such as Milo Murphy’s Law, she has a self-help YouTube channel.
