A History Of Janet Jackson's 10 Best Dance Videos

The Pleasure Principle (1987)

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Choreographer: Barry Lather

As Janet’s second video to win best choreography at the MTV Video Music Awards, “The Pleasure Principle” is also iconic for its style. Not just her form-fitting pair of Guess jeans with a matching jacket, but the knee pads, tight-knotted tee, Band-Aid and wristband. The outfit suggested early on that there’s going to be some athleticism showcased in “The Pleasure Principle” and it didn’t take long before she delivered. Janet nearly trademarked a number moves thanks to her expert-level execution of feats such as kicking down the mic stand, the run-jump onto the chair, the sharp silhouette striking against the backlighting and that often-imitated scene with the broken mirror. This is the video fans point to to suggest that “Janet did it first,” but it’s also one of the few times she grooved without a partner or an entourage. Mya and Tinashe are among the starlets who have paid tribute to the choreography of Barry Lather, who is said to have earned the job after knocking it out of the park with Janet’s American Music Awards and GRAMMYs performances in 1987.

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