The first time Kayla Brackson got a glimpse of Britney Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U" video, she knew she had to learn the dance. So Kayla, who was only in middle school at the time and not allowed to watch anything Britney-related, grabbed her Walkman, snuck out to the tree house in her backyard and secretly practiced the steps over and over again.'
"It just made me want to move. It was exciting," said Brackson, who is now 21. "It felt rebellious to do the dance because it was Britney."
"I'm a Slave 4 U" was just one of Spears' many iconic videos that resonated with fans and dance enthusiasts alike. Now, in anticipation of the upcoming video for her chart-topping single "Hold It Against Me,"experts and fans are looking back at the dance videos that impacted them most and what they're expecting from her latest clip.
"She's such a phenomenal performer," said Robert Baker, owner and director of Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood, California, where Britney learned much of the choreography for many of her early videos. "She kind of draws you into her world, and that's what a great dancer does. They have a unique ability to speak through movement."
Baker listed "I'm a Slave 4 U," "Circus" and "Toxic" as some of Britney's most powerful dance videos, but said it was " ... Baby One More Time" that really set off a phenomenon.
"I think across the country and across the world, the same thing happened — this huge run to 'let's go learn that dance,' " he said, adding that his academy received a flood of requests after the premiere of the video from people wanting to pick up the routine.
Baker said Britney has been able to adapt to the times, and he has high expectations for the "Hold It Against Me" video, which is being choreographed by Brian Friedman. "What I'm hearing, one of the early things is that this new video is going to be phenomenal."
Aaron Mix, who runs the @britneysarmy Twitter account, got hooked on Britney after watching her " ... Baby One More Time" clip when he was 5 years old, and he's already planning to learn the dance moves for "Hold It Against Me.""I think this one's going to be her biggest video yet," he predicted.
Jordan Miller, who runs the Britney fan site BreatheHeavy.com, said he hopes the upcoming video will go back to Britney's dance-heavy roots.
"Fans are really, really looking forward to her busting out moves," Miller said, naming "Overprotected (The Darkchild Remix)" as one of his favorite Britney dance videos.
Miller, who started his site six years ago, said Britney's choreography is what sets her apart from other pop stars. "People aren't looking at what she's wearing or the aesthetics of it; they're looking at her moves," he said. "She's so solid that anything she does is going to be imitated or mimicked."
JaQuel Knight, one of the choreographers for Britney's 2009 Circus Tour, as well as Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" video, shared a similar sentiment.
"Britney definitely has her own lane, and she shaped that lane 10 years ago," he said, adding that he's very excited about her latest project. "I want Britney to do a 5, 6, 7 and 8. I'm ready to see Britney dance."