It wasn't easy for Janet Jackson to pay tribute to her late brother Michael at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.
During rehearsals, "Janet was getting a little emotional," says choreographer Tyce Diorio, who performed during the show.
After a medley involving Diorio and other Jackson-esque dancers performing Michael's past hits, Janet, 43, took the stage to dance and sing to their 90s duet "Scream."
"It's never been done before and to have an artist like Janet assemble all these choreographers together, it just feels really good," Diorio tells Usagazine.com. "Of course, Michael really inspired all of us, so we're really happy to be there and be a part of it and dance with each other.
He tells Usmagazine.com "the most emotional moment was just standing all together in the room. His music was playing, and we all had our costumes on, and we just kind of looked around each other. I don't think it could ever be replicated again. It was just a moment in time between dancers and choreographers. It was really exciting."
Before the tribute, Madonna also remembered the King of Pop, who died June 25 at age 50 of acute propofol intoxication.
She joked that her two sons, Rocco, 9, and David, 4, are now obsessed with Michael. Said Madonna, "There's a whole lot of crotch grabbing and Moonwalking going on in my house!"
