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Lil Buck

Lil Buck is a Memphis-raised dancer and choreographer who brings Memphis Jookin’ to films, collaborations and stages around the world.

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Lil Buck’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.

Known for

Overview

Name: Charles Riley
Roots: Born in Chicago, raised in Memphis, Tennessee
Specialism: Memphis Jookin’
Breakout: The Swan with Yo-Yo Ma, filmed by Spike Jonze in 2011
Also creates: Choreography, dance films and stage productions

Mini bio

How it started.

Born in Chicago and raised in Memphis, Charles Riley found dance close to home. In his letter to his teenage self, he remembers his older sister teaching him moves and practicing everywhere, including his mother’s kitchen. He developed his Memphis Jookin’ in the city’s streets and roller rink, then added ballet training through a scholarship.

The video that travelled.

In 2011, he performed Saint-Saëns’ The Swan with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Spike Jonze filmed it on his phone, and the video introduced Lil Buck’s glides and toe work to a much wider audience. Work with Madonna and other musicians followed, alongside dance films and commercial projects.

Making room for more dancers.

His work with Jon Boogz includes Color of Reality, a short film with painter Alexa Meade that responds to racial injustice and police brutality. The pair also co-founded Movement Art Is. More recently, his Oxford cultural fellowship led to 1776, bringing dancers from Memphis, London and Oxford together with the Lil Buck Foundation.

Creditschronological, newest first

Stage

20261776Concept, co-writer, co-director, choreographer and performer
2025RESURRECTIONChoreographer, co-conceiver and dancer

Film & television

2020MoveFeatured dancer, episode one
2019Lil’ Buck: Real SwanSubject and producer
2017Stroll for Apple AirPodsFeatured dancer
2016Color of RealityMovement artist and co-choreographer
2011The Swan with Yo-Yo MaDancer

Awards

Quotes

I’m really looking forward to making the most of my time here and just learning as much as I can.Lil Buck, Schwarzman Centre interview

Speaking in November 2025 about his Oxford cultural fellowship and developing 1776.

Trivia

His older sister helped him discover the joy of dancing, as he recalled in his letter to his teenage self.
His early dance spaces included Memphis’s Crystal Palace Roller Rink.
During his Oxford fellowship, he spoke with a bones expert to explore the anatomy behind his movement.