International Dance Day: Stories behind these 5 iconic dance sequences
International Dance Day is observed annually on April 29 to mark the birth anniversary of modern ballet creator Jean-Georges Noverre. It is also to promote the significance and relevance of dancing as an art and celebrate the different dance forms across the world. So on this day, let's talk of some iconic dance sequences in Bollywood/Hollywood movies and explore the interesting stories behind them.
In a particular dance scene, where Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) and Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) crawl toward one another, the actors were just fooling around but the producers kept that nonetheless. Also, the famous lake scene doesn't have a single close-up shot as the actors' lips had turned because of the freezing temperature. Further, Grey's expressions in the gravity-defying lift are for real!
Choreographed by Saroj Khan, the dance had a tough combination of Kathak and Bharatnatyam steps. Also, since it was set against the backdrop of Durga Puja in a zamindar household, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit Nene had to wear heavy jewelry. But, Rai Bachchan's ears were bleeding due to her earring. Without disturbing the shooting schedule, she completed her portions professionally.
Natalie Portman underwent tough ballet training to ace her character, Nina Sayers, in the film. As a child, the actor was enrolled in ballet classes which she practiced for nine years, so that came handy. For the very confusing climax dance portion, Portman had to lose 9kgs! She was on a diet of only almonds and carrots and trained for eight hours every day.
Salman Khan playing the guitar tune in your head already, right? But, the song was rejected by several music companies for six years! Also, Khan being shirtless wasn't pre-planned. "I had gained muscle at that time and the shirt that Vikram Phadnis designed for me was fitting like a blouse," he had shared. Eventually, the shirtless scene was retained and the rest is history!
Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast remains one the landmark song-dance routines of Bollywood. Featuring then-lovers Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon (it would have been Divya Bharti), Tu Cheez Badi is a major factor that contributed to Mohra's success. But, did you know Tandon was ill and had reportedly collapsed while shooting the song? The filming was shut for two hours till she recovered.
