Take The Lead upcoming new movie releases starring Antonio Banderas
Official Take The Lead Hip Hop Dancing Movie Site Starring Actor Antonio Banderas & Jenna Dewan
Take the Lead hip hop dancing movie starring actor Antonio Banderas and Jenna Dewan
As Friedlander and Houston continued to develop the script, conversations had already begun about the actor who might best bring the character of
Pierre Dulaine
to the screen.
Antonio Banderas
was the obvious first choice. "Pierre is a person who can walk into a room, command attention and convince you to do the impossible. He has presence and charisma, and so does Antonio," says Nabatoff. For Godsick, Banderas appeals to everyone. "It's simple: women want him and men want to be like him."
"Antonio's such a good person that you know that he would have the purity of heart to bring insight to the character. He understands what it is to give. Both Antonio and Pierre have an old world flavor to them that rings true," says Friedlander.
Banderas committed to the character because "Pierre is different to anything that I have done before." He was also interested in the story's social relevance. "The story is urban, contemporary and international. It uses
dance
as a vehicle to talk about problems that are out there on the streets of America, streets of Europe."
With Banderas on board, the process shifted to finding the remainder of the ensemble cast. The filmmakers wanted to fill the roles of the students/dancers with actors who seem to be legitimately from the
South Bronx
. "I spent a lot of time in
New York
hanging around playgrounds and schools watching kids, what they did and how they related to each other, how they looked and how they dressed. I really wanted them to look real," says Friedlander.
In addition, they had to decide whether to cast dancers who could act, or actors who could dance. The roles of Sasha, Ramos and Danjou needed to be really strong dancers, while the character Kurd's charm lies in the fact that he isn't a dancer at all. In the end, Pierre's students are comprised of a selection of experienced actors such as
Rob Brown
who plays the disaffected Rock, and
Brandon Andrews
who managed to land the role of Monster in his very first audition. For the role of Morgan, an accomplished ballroom dancer, the filmmakers needed someone who "was a really, really good dancer."
Katya Virshilas
, a trained
ballroom dancer
who has also competed extensively was ultimately chosen for the role.
The young actors chosen to portray Pierre's kids related easily to the project that fuses dance with a message about the benefits of mentoring, discipline and creativity. With a background in modern, ballet and jazz dance training,
Yaya DaCosta
was chosen for the role of Larhette , a student who comes into her own through the process of taking Pierre's classes. DaCosta felt an immediate affinity for the character. "I thought that the role was written just for me. Laurette reminded me of myself in junior high school. That's when I was introduced to dance. Larhette is transformed through dance. She becomes more assured because she has discovered something that gives her life meaning."
The story also charts the progress of the relationship of Rock and Larhette. Their initial animosity towards each other evolves into a meeting of minds and hearts. In the beginning, they blame each other, by association, for the death of their brothers. Brown explains, "There's always tension whenever they're together. Pierre forces them to work that tension out by partnering them in the waltz. So not only are they enemies that have to deal with each other, but they have to deal with each other face-to-face, eye-to-eye." In the process Rock and Larhette not only learn to
waltz
, they also learn to trust and care for each other.
The opportunity to work on "Take the Lead" was a dream come true for
Dante Basco
. "Before I was an actor, I was a dancer. In my whole career I've never gotten to dance in a movie. I started acting because of John Travolta in "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever."
Alfre Woodard
plays Augustine James, the principal who allows Pierre Dulaine to teach. "We wanted someone who could be a worthy opponent for Pierre. Alfre has that presence," says Nabatoff.
"I completely loved it. I wanted to see the movie," recalls Woodard of her initial reading of the script. Of the relationship between Augustine and Pierre that starts as a contentious one, but eventually develops into one of mutual respect, Woodard says, "Augustine is about solving problems, and will do what's necessary. She sees possibilities in Pierre. She tricks him into teaching her most problematic charges that spend their time in detention hall. When she sees that they listen to him, she has to recognize and respect that."
John Ortiz
was chosen for the role of Mr. Temple who opposes the idea of Dulaine in the school.
Tango, merengue. salsa, foxtrot, waltz and hiphop, anyone?
To prepare for the dance scenes, the actors enrolled in an intensive month-long rehearsal period. Choreographer
JoAnn Jansen
was responsible for overseeing all
choreography
. "I have to consider the geography of the room and the geometry of the movement," says Jansen of her approach. Known for their 'up to the minute' choreography,
Rich and Tone Talauega
added the hiphop moves, which added to the classic dances resulted in the fusion style that dominates the last section of the film.
"JoAnn has done a tremendous number of movies, is an extraordinary choreographer and knows how to move actors for the camera. The Talauega Brothers are on the cutting edge of hip-hop dance, and have a very specific and exciting way of expressing movement. We knew that if we paired them together we'd have a perfect blend," explains Nabatoff.
Many of the cast had no previous dance training, so Jansen first had to assess how much each actor needed to learn to portray their individual characters. Her teaching focuses on using what the student/actor knows and building on those skills.
Elijah Kelley
explains, "JoAnn incorporates your personal experiences into whatever your character is doing. It makes it much easier to transform into the character that you're portraying on film."
In his role as Pierre Dulaine,
Banderas
performs the tango to show his reluctant students the passion and excitement that can be evoked by ballroom. Contrary to popular belief, Banderas is not a trained dancer. He explains, "Many people think I am, but it's because I have a facility for physicality. I've never been a great dancer, but, after dancing with
Chita Rivera
for 228 performances on Broadway, I dared to play in this type of movie."
Banderas' training started in his Los Angeles home. On his arrival in Toronto he began working specifically on the choreography. "JoAnn knows how to make a person look like a dancer even if they don't dance as all. I know the tango because I learnt it. It's about learning the fundamentals and then you can improvise. You start acting like a dancer - how to look at the girl, position your body, the movement of the head, these things can make the audience believe that you are a better dancer than you actually are," concludes Banderas.
In addition to training with JoAnn Jansen, her assistant
Allen Walls
and
Tone Talauega
, the main group of dancers had the opportunity to work with Pierre Dulaine. The verdict was unanimous. Pierre Dulaine's charisma and his love of dance captivated them all. "He's a rare animal...Pierre Dulaine. Especially these days, there are not too many people that do things for nothing," says Banderas of Pierre Dulaine's willingness and commitment to share his love of dance.
Jasika Nicole
agrees, "He is just a phenomenally talented man and such a good teacher. He's easy to understand and treats everyone with respect. I feel so fortunate to have met him."
Though the rehearsals were intense and long, the actors portraying Pierre's students came to appreciate the training and the life lessons. "It's something that you can use for the rest of your life," says
Shawand McKenzie
.
In addition to dancing at the rehearsals, the actors also took their dancing to the clubs. Their forays gave them the opportunity to try their new moves on the public dance floor, but also to bond with each other. "This is one of the few films where you can go to a club and do research," says Basco.
Jenna Dewan
continues, "We were lucky to have a month of rehearsals, because we got to know each other. We spent eight hours together, we went to clubs; we really bonded. In the movie you'll see it, because we're a group. When we go out to a club we take over the place, 'here's "Take the Lead" coming in.'"
Though recognized as a trendsetting choreographer in the ever-changing inner circle of hip-hop dance,
Tone Talauega
found that he too, had a lot to learn from the rarefied, disciplined world of ballroom dancing. "Partner dancing is definitely a challenge for people from the
hip-hop
world because hip-hop dance is about one's self. Ballroom is a totally different animal, you have to be one with your partner; you have to look like twins."
About Take the Lead hip hop dancing movie
Pierre Dulaine - professional dance teacher teaching ballroom dancing lessons
distributed by New Line Cinema
