Evil choreographer Christopher Scott explains the behind-the-scenes process of the Ozdust ballroom dance between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera). Up to this point in EvilIn the story, the two characters are in conflict with each other. This changes when Galinda, who has not yet changed her name to Glinda, joins Elphaba and dances with her at the Ozdust Ballroom. Following Elphaba's example when she is being mocked and dancing with her is a genuine moment of connection that bonds Elphaba and Glinda forever.
When speaking with TelaRantRachel Foertsch, Scott was asked about the emotions he wanted to portray when choreographing the dance. Scott emphasized that the focus was always on what would feel real and what would make sense in that moment for Elphaba and Glinda. He explained that the scene is not about being a bad dancer, but rather about being a different kind of dancer, which was discussed backstage with Erivo. Check out Scott's comments below:
For me, it was always like, “What makes sense in this real moment?” It just needs to be real. I think when you're on camera and dealing with filmmaking, and you can get straight to the point, you just have to come from a place of reality. I had a lot of deep conversations with Cynthia, and there was always one thing where it was like, she's not going to be a bad dancer in this, because she's not like that. It's not about being a bad dancer. It's about her being a different dancer. So that was the approach. And from then on, it was just a process of experiencing it to know if we were on the right path. It wasn't just like, “Okay, here's a dance. Let’s hope it works.” It was like, here are some ideas. Here's some movement. We will develop them. Let's keep everyone else out of the process. We'll bring Ari in when it feels right. We're not going to teach her anything. If she really should follow Elphaba, then let's let her really follow, and let's see if that's reality, because musicals are sometimes difficult, and people always have that thing where, “I don't understand why they start singing and to dance. " So for me, that's my job, is to make sure there's a reality to it, so that when people watch it, even if they still believe in musicals, they can at least watch it in a way like, "Oh, that didn't surprise me." And to do that, you need to have a process.
What does this mean for the wicked
The choreography contributes to one of the best scenes in Wicked
The intention behind Scott's choreography shines through as the dance becomes one of Elphaba and Glinda's best scenes. Elphaba's dancing style is unconventional, but it is visually stunning and fascinating to watch, and it looks beautiful when Glinda follows Elphaba's example. Not over-teaching Grande-Butera and only bringing her in after developing and practicing several dance ideas with Erivo helped make the dance and overall scene feel like a natural inclusion in the story.
This approach, along with trying not to dance badly, was not only a smart choice from a narrative standpoint, but also a wise decision given the strengths of EvilIt's cast. Erivo, Grande-Butera, Fiyero actor Jonathan Bailey and many other cast members have extensive musical theater experience. It is likely would have felt insincere if Evil tried to make his musical theater actors dance badly. It's more effective to simply make them dance differently.
Dance choreography is a key element of Wicked's success
EvilReviews were largely positive due to the film's ability to succeed as a musical. While a lot of attention was paid to the cast's vocal performances, credit also needs to be given to the film's dances and the choreography behind it. If the choreography hadn't been effective in the Ozdust ballroom dance scene between Elphaba and Glinda, the development of their friendship wouldn't have been as authentic, which would have detracted from the entire film. Instead of, the dance scene is one of the Evilthe most beautiful moments and helped make the film a cinematic triumph.