Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet goes viral with Madonna short film and Storm video
Updated 24 June 2026, 15:00 UTC | Brussels — Belgian-French choreographer Damien Jalet is drawing fresh international attention after work linked to Madonna’s Confessions II short film and the Gener8ion video Storm spread across culture and music feeds, according to De Standaard, Interview Magazine and Wallpaper. The Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet is best known outside Belgium for turning contemporary dance into striking images for cinema, pop and fashion. His latest visibility comes from two separate pop-culture moments: Madonna’s new album-era film presentation at Tribeca, reported by Interview Magazine on 9 June, and Storm, the Romain Gavras-directed Gener8ion and Yung Lean video described by Wallpaper on 8 June as a viral clip with more than 14 million YouTube views since late April. Wallpaper credits Jalet with the video’s choreography and says it was filmed in Belgium. De Standaard frames the moment as a breakout wave for the choreographer, using the phrase madonna-kortfilm clip storm to connect both works. The centre of gravity is cultural, not institutional: Jalet’s work shows how dance direction has become a headline part of global pop visuals. Belgium enters because Jalet is Belgian-French, trained through European dance networks, and because Storm used a Belgian school location that later objected to parts of the finished video, according to Omni’s report citing The Bulletin.
Trust & Evidence📚 6 sources· ✓ Editor reviewed· 🧠 AI-checked· Trust status: not yet independently verifiedView evidence & verification Hide
Verification record
- 📚 6 verified sources — De Standaard · Interview Magazine · Wallpaper · Damien Jalet official biography …
- 🧠 High confidence — AI-checked, editor-approved
- 🇧🇪 Belgian impact: High
- 📜 Provenance recorded & timestamped
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About this story
Damien Jalet is a Belgian-French choreographer and dancer whose official biography says he works across dance, visual art, music, cinema, theatre and fashion. His credits include Suspiria, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Anima with Thom Yorke, Madonna’s Madame X tour and major stage works with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Kohei Nawa and Marina Abramovic.
How to read this story
The history
Jalet’s current visibility follows a long pattern in his career. His official biography lists collaborations with Les Ballets C de la B, Paris Opera Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre and GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and says he became Madonna’s creative adviser for the Madame X tour in 2019.
Regional impact
Belgium’s direct link is cultural and practical: Jalet is Belgian-French, and Wallpaper reports that Storm was filmed in Belgium. Omni, citing The Bulletin, reported that Collège Cardinal Mercier objected after seeing smoking and violent scenes in a video partly filmed at the school.
Local impact
For Belgium, the impact is mainly cultural visibility, plus a location issue involving Collège Cardinal Mercier reported by Omni. This is not a Belgian policy story.
International angle
The main story is international culture: Madonna, Gener8ion, Yung Lean and Romain Gavras operate in global music and film networks, while Jalet supplies Belgian-linked choreography to that circuit.
What this means for you
Belgian culture followers can watch Storm online, follow Madonna’s Confessions II rollout, and track Jalet’s programme through his official site. Schools and venues approached for shoots should ask for final-use clauses and clearer content descriptions.
Opposing perspectives
- Music-video makers and dance audiences
Supporters of Storm treat the video as a high-impact pop artwork in which choreography is the main engine of the spectacle. Wallpaper’s interview with Romain Gavras presents the work as heavily prepared and built around non-professional-looking young performers whose sudden coordinated movement creates the surprise.
- Collège Cardinal Mercier administrators
The Belgian school where parts of Storm were filmed objected after seeing the final video. Omni reported, citing The Bulletin, that the school had been told the theme concerned young people in the eye of the storm, but later objected to smoking and violent images associated with the location.
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.