Ortega, the choreographer of "Dirty Dancing", and assistant choreographer Miranda, started rehearsing several scenes in the movie in the dance studio of Debbie Reynolds, an old friend whom Ronald borrowed through a relationship.
Massive dance scenes.
Three pairs of dancers, of varying sizes and shapes, were looking in the mirror and starting to dance a dance that Ortega had specially choreographed for them to highlight their strengths.
"How is it? I think their dancing is pretty good." Ronald took the assistant director Emile Adolino and watched them in the corner for a while. During the break, he asked the assistant choreographer
Miranda training status.
"It's not bad, but it's still far from Ortega's requirements. We need to continue to rehearse intensively."
"Then leave it to you, let's go see Patrick and Cynthia."
"They are in the dance studio next door." Miranda led the two of them towards another specialized dance studio.
While waiting for Miranda to open the door, Ronald turned back and glanced at a dancer who was twerking. His movements were smooth and exaggerated. Although he looked ugly, his dancing had a unique charm.
Assistant director Emil has been working with Ronald during this time, participating in the preparations for the film. When he saw Ronald, he cast his eyes over to ask for his opinion.
"The camera is at eye level and slightly downwards. This effect will be better. It will show the hip twisting characteristics of the dance without losing the actor's facial expressions."
Ronald nodded, and it was pretty much what he expected. Emil was used to filming live dance videos and was very experienced in what shots could best express the charm of dance. This was where he needed the other party to contribute his capabilities.
It is different from "break dancing" where a person dances alone and is filmed by the camera, allowing the actor to perform on his own.
"Dirty Dancing" is a male-female pas de deux. The communication between the two partners through body, movement, and eye contact plays an equal role in the charm of the dance. How to arrange the camera position, how to light, and how to divide the shots are all important.
It needs to be designed well.
As if he noticed that Ronald was looking at him, the lean dancer showed a smile, and then performed a very coquettish dance step with his partner.
"Very good, I like this move. You will practice this move specifically next time." Choreographer Ortega was unable to make all the dancers show the tacit understanding of dancing together since childhood in a short time, so he had to let
They specifically practice a few movements until they are proficient.
"Oh..." When the dancer heard this, he covered his face with his hands. For dancers, constantly repeating an action is a kind of torture for them.
"Is he?" Ronald asked Emil when he saw the man's "enchanting" look.
"No, we are not all sissies as you think."
"Then how do you know he isn't?" Ronald walked curiously with him to the dance studio next door.
"We seem to have a kind of radar between each other and can spot each other in the crowd. In fact, many of us look very masculine."
"Jennifer, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come?"
Ronald saw the sneaky Jennifer Gray at the door of the dance studio.
"Oh, I want to see their dance rehearsal, and I also want to learn as much as possible."
"Miranda", Ronald stopped the assistant choreographer, "I'm giving you a task. Notify everyone that Jennifer is prohibited from appearing here. As long as you see her, call me and let her go. Just one dance move.
Don't teach her and don't watch."
"Why?" Jennifer Gray just saw Patrick Sweets and Cynthia Rhodes through the crack of the door. The two people were dancing inside, passionate and powerful. She wished she could take Cynthia's place and stick to Sweets.
Together.
"Because I said so."
Ronald didn't want to explain it too clearly to her.
In fact, Gray's current mental state is very similar to that of the baby in the script. After seeing the shocking dance, he wanted to dance with the male protagonist in a close-fitting dance, just like flirting.
But in the script, the baby is a girl who is not very good at dancing, so there is a series of plots in which the male protagonist Johnny teaches her dance from scratch.
If she starts practicing her dance moves now, she won't be able to perform in her true colors when it's time to shoot.
You have to act like you can dance but you can't. This kind of acting that looks like you are still alive is a very advanced skill. Ronald didn't believe that Jennifer could do it.
It would be very difficult for Gray to pretend to be a bad dancer after she has already practiced to a certain degree of proficiency. She is not a dancer like Cynthia Rhodes and has little control over her body.
"Okay, then I'll go outside and wait for Patrick."
"Let's take a ten minute break." Miranda asked the two protagonists to take a break and communicate with Ronald about the progress of their dance training.
"The dance was very good, and I seemed to have a good understanding of each other."
"Oh, Ronald." Cynthia Rhodes took a towel to wipe her sweat, "Can you tell Ortega that it's really boring for us to do a set of high-intensity dance moves for ten hours every day?
Already."
"I really have to take a break, otherwise my ankle won't be able to bear it." Patrick Swayze also agreed.
"I will tell him that I will have a day off tomorrow and I will invite everyone to go to the hot springs."
Seeing that everyone was disgusted with the boring and repetitive dance training, Ronald knew that they could not continue and needed to find something to change their rhythm.
"Yeah..." Cynthia and Patrick congratulated each other with high fives.
"I have promised them that I will take a break tomorrow and go to the hot springs for a vacation." Ronald said to the choreographer Ortega who followed him in.
"Okay, Miranda, you go tell the guys and girls outside, but you have to work hard for me today."
"Yes, sir", Cynthia absolutely hates choreography. With this dance training method, the better you dance, the more restrictive you feel.
After a short rest, Patrick and Cynthia began to rehearse standard ballroom dancing.
They are different from other group performers who specialize in Dirty Dancing. They also have a plot where they perform extraordinary ballroom dancing in front of vacation guests, so their training is harder than that of outsiders.
Ronald watched them wearing tights and dancing, and couldn't help but frown a little.
"What's wrong? They dance very well." The assistant director Emil has seen many dancers and knows that these two are among the top actors in Hollywood musicals.
Patrick Swayze's dancing level is much higher than that of John Travolta, who represented America and danced with Princess Britannia. Cynthia Rhodes is even more professional. In fact, the two of them are going to perform on Broadway, which requires a higher level of dancing.
It's also more than enough for high-end musicals.
"It seems a little too high, please stop."
Ronald stopped the rehearsal. He discussed it with the choreographer, and Ortega nodded in agreement and went to prepare new dance moves.
Then Ronald called Patrick Swayze and Cynthia Rhodes together, "I asked Ortega to reduce your dancing level a little and stop dancing too professionally.
In the movie, Johnny and Penny are children from poor families who have not received formal dance education. They are self-taught by watching dance programs on TV, and they need some wild moves. You should try to be more professional.
The dance moves have more of a lover’s temperament.”
"Okay, let's discuss it."
In the subsequent dance training, Ronald saw some exaggerated movements that were not very standard, but very enthusiastic.
Dance enthusiasts often cannot do particularly difficult movements, so they renovate some small movements, which is often more work than professional dancers.
"Very good, just follow this path." Ronald was very satisfied with choreographer Eltega's ability to adapt the movements according to circumstances. The new movements achieved the desired effect.
"I said, don't be too strict with them. Long-term training will cause boredom and resistance. Try to have some entertainment time every day. I can find some movie copies to show them, or they can play how they want, you
Just let them play.
Working every day and not playing will soon turn people into idiots." Ronald still asked the choreographer Ortega to pay attention to allowing the dancers to rest.
"They are all dancers. At the end of each day, I let them dance the dance they like."
"very good!"
Ronald saw that the progress here was in line with expectations. He thought that by the time the movie was turned on, they would have been able to perform the tacit understanding of dancing together since childhood.
"Let's go first and introduce you to a top expert in the industry." Ronald turned around and called the assistant director Emil, and the two of them said goodbye and left.
"Oh...sorry", Ronald opened the door and went out. There happened to be a young man standing outside the door who was about to come in. The two of them pushed and pulled the door at the same time. Suddenly the door opened quickly and almost hit his head.
"It's okay, I haven't noticed my hair style." The young man carefully touched his hair and looked at the mirror on the wall. Fortunately, it was not messy.
"Are you here to find someone?" Ronald asked.
"I'm here to see Cynthia." The young man stretched out his hand, "My name is Richard."
"Cynthia is inside, but you'd better wait, she's still rehearsing her dance."
"Okay, I'll wait for her here." Richard seemed to have an easy-going nature, so after hearing what Ronald said, he went out with him and waited outside the door.
"Are you from the dance industry or the film industry?"
"I make movies, what about you?" Seeing that the other person didn't recognize who he was, Ronald chatted with him for a few words.
His hair is very interesting, it is combed high in an afro style, but his two temples are trimmed very short, and his hair is long at the back.
"I am a singer and I also write songs for others. I may have the opportunity to write songs for Barbra Streisand in the future."
"That's a good thing for you." Ronald nodded to him and walked out with his assistant Emil.
"Who is this? You have such a big air." Richard waited for a while and found that no one was paying attention to him, so he gently pulled away the people in the dance studio and stood in the corner, looking at Cynthia with admiration in his eyes.