Canadian choreographer remembers Whitney Houston

Most of us who were around during the 80s and 90s can think of a story that somehow involved Whitney Houston, whether it was the way one of her songs made us feel at a key moment, the excitement of seeing her live in concert, or an event in our life that played out to the soundtrack of one of her albums.

Canadian choreographer Sean Cheesman's stories hold a slightly more personal note.

The native Calgarian, who has worked with everyone from Michael and Janet Jackson to Britney Spears, spoke to the Calgary Sun about his time with the singer as choreographer of her blockbuster film, The Bodyguard.

Houston died Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. She was 48.

Though her later life was tinged with addiction and tragedy, Cheesman recalls the singer at her peak as a force of nature.

"She was lovely. She had a great sense of humour — very comical, she always had everyone laughing," he told the paper.

"We just immediately took to each other," he added. "She was a great person."

When Houston learned of Cheesman's spartan set accommodations (which he likens to a "cubicle"), the superstar invited him to share her far more luxurious trailer for three weeks.

After filming wrapped, Houston invited the choreographer to her 1992 wedding to Bobby Brown, and later tapped him to work on her video for "I'm Every Woman."

Though they lost touch over the years, Cheesman said he continued to keep tabs on her life and career through the media. What he learned often troubled him.

"It was sad for me to see what she was becoming, someone so gifted and talented," he said. "It was the pressures of the business, I'm assuming.

"When I would see and read things it was a person I didn't know, but, you know, when you are going through those problems you become a different person," he later told the CBC. "We all have our demons we have to deal with ... that was her struggle but that wasn't who she was."

But despite her struggles, Cheesman said he was shocked to learn of her death.

"I thought it was a hoax — I'm still a little numb," he said. "A flood of memories came all at once."

Sharing the sentiments of many who blogged and Tweeted this weekend, Cheesman said he's not surprised her death has caused such a massive public outpouring of grief.

"Her songs were like the soundtrack of our lives for that time so it's almost like losing a part of your life."

(AFP photo)