Shall we Dance?
The latest addition to the long list of dance films from Dirty Dancing and Strictly Ballroom in the 80s to the more recent Moulin Rouge and The Company, is Shall We Dance?, which centers around a lawyer’s search for a solution to save his troubled marriage and finding it in his passion for Ballroom dancing, featuring international stars Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere. Its choreographer, John O’Connell, is an Australian who has already established himself within this medium, having choreographed some of Australia’s most successful movies. Angela Gilltrap went to meet him to find out more about the man himself and his latest project
Film is an exceptional medium for choreographers. Would the ‘greats’ truly be great if we had never seen their work? If we never had a reference point in which to analyse a Jerome Robbins Jet Jump, a Bob Fosse Finger or a classic Fred Astaire moment. Film allows fans to see choreographers and performers at their best. It’s like having a visual history of dance. It also acts as a global show reel for producers, directors and casting agents to see a choreographer’s work no matter where their geographical location.
John ‘Cha Cha’ O’Connell has a long list of film credits including Peter Pan, The Matrix Reloaded, Scooby Doo, The Quiet American, Romeo and Juliet, Muriel’s Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and of course, Moulin Rouge. Recently, he returned from Canada where he was choreographing Shall We Dance, a new Hollywood film starring Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.
The movie is based on the Japanese film of the same name. Basically it revolves around Richard Gere’s character, an ordinary guy who is searching for something more in life. On his way home from work one night he discovers a Ballroom dancing school. He decides to give it a go, secretly taking lessons from Jennifer Lopez’s character. His life is turned upside down as he discovers a new found sense of freedom and expression, his wife on the other hand, suspects he’s having an affair. I won’t give the ending away you’ll just have to see it yourself.
O’Connell had a team of Ballroom champions assisting him on the film as he was required to choreograph several different dance styles including Waltz, Tango, Flamenco, Line dancing, Disco and Hip-Hop numbers. Liz Curtis, the assistant choreographer, was able to source some of America’s leading Ballroom dancers, which allowed O’Connell to workshop routines to maximize the rehearsal time he had with his all star cast.
Surely arriving at work to teach Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez how to waltz must have been intimidating? “I’ll admit I was a bit nervous at first, but at the end of the day they’re just people. I really enjoyed working with all of them. Richard for instance was so determined to get it right he used to ring me at 1am and want to rehearse. So we had a portable stage made, so he could practice wherever and whenever he chose.” And Jennifer? “She’s great. Really down to earth. She’s a dancer so she said to me straight up, ‘just let me know if I’m doing it right’.”
Despite being a multi-million dollar production, O’Connell admits that working on this film doesn’t really differ from work on a low budget movie. “Obviously there are differences, when you go to work there are queues of people waiting for autographs, but ultimately you still have the same problems with scheduling and rehearsal time — basically there’s never enough,” he laughs.
John O’Connell describes his style of choreography as ‘shopping’. With limited rehearsal time, he goes in with a concept and idea already formed. During pre-production he will often sit down with the director and sketch out the movement and concept on butchers paper. From there it’s a case of trial and error. Choreographing the Tango number, for example, he got two of his dance assistants, who were champions in Latin American, to start improvising. From there, he chose which shapes he liked — picking and choosing as if he were at a grocery store. The dance then began to gain momentum and grow into a routine. It was then refined and taught to the actors. Some movements had to be adapted to suit the actors but the basic shape of the dance was pre-conceived.
Shall We Dance? is yet another Dance Film, a genre of movies that is becoming increasingly popular after the success of Chicago and Moulin Rouge. Hopefully this trend continues, making way for other choreographers and dancers to gain maximum exposure. For O’Connell, film has catapulted him into another realm of movie making, bridging the geographical gap between Australia and the rest of the world. Broadway is the next stop, as he heads to New York to choreograph a new dance piece called Syncopation starring Neve Campbell. With a number of awards already under his belt it seems that whatever medium he chooses, John O’Connell is sure to succeed.
Shall We Dance? opened in cinemas in the UK in October.
