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JENNA DEWAN on 'STEP UP'
Contributed by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
August 7, 2006
In the tradition of inspirational, follow-your-dreams dance movies, Step Up tells the story of a troubled youth from the wrong side of the tracks (Channing Tatum) and a classically trained dancer striving to fulfill her lifelong goal (Jenna Dewan), and how they form an unlikely but explosive partnership in the arts.
In this interview, actress Jenna Dewan, who has an extensive dance background and was previously seen scorching the dancefloor in Take the Lead, talks about growing up with the arts and working on Step Up.
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The Interview
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MEDIA: How did you get involved in the project?
JENNA: My manager sent me the script when I was shooting Take the Lead. I was in Toronto and they sent me the script, and I fell in love with it. I thought it was such a really good story, a love story, and a great dance movie. I literally got off the plane and the next day auditioned for it, and tested for it, and then about three weeks later, I got the part.
Did you have to test for dancing and acting?
It was both. I went in and first I auditioned the acting and screentested with Channing, because he had already gotten the part. It was like a chemistry test with him. And then I did a dance audition the next day where there's a choreographer. They taught me something and I danced, and they put me on tape, and after that, it was various different callbacks, going to this thing and that thing, and talking to this producer and changing my hair color. So many things. Then, after about three weeks, they said, "Okay, you've got the part." And I screamed and jumped up and down and was very relieved. [laughs]
Did you go to any sort of arts high school?
No. I'm from Texas and actually went to a regular high school. But every day after school, I'd run to dance class and practice a lot, and then go back the next day and stuff like that. I felt like I was in a performing arts high school, but I wasn't. Actually, doing this movie opened my eyes to performing arts schools, and it's pretty amazing, I think. It's a great thing if you're a creative person and have some kind of acting or dance or singing--any art. I think it's great to be around people who support that and who are into it like you are, and you can have one big family and teachers who know what they're doing.
Being a dancer, what kind of research did you do to prepare for this role?
Basically, we had four weeks of rehearsals ahead of time, so we did dance rehearsals eight hours a day. On top of that, we had scene rehearsals with the director and the cast. So for me, it was just creating a character, creating the layers of a character, creating somebody that you can relate to, although she was very similar to myself in a lot of ways. It was very similar to me at Nora's age, but there were a lot of differences I wanted to create. I did a lot of scene work, backstory, and character development--stuff I had been coaching and training for when I got into acting. On top of that, we had tons of scene rehearsals with the director, and the script changed so many times. At one time, my dad was dead, then my mom was dead, then my dad wanted me to dance and my mom didn't want me to dance...And it was all these things. I had a backstory and character developed for every situation, so I was prepared.
Are you thinking of pursuing a career in singing, dancing, and acting, all at the same time?
Yeah. It's funny, a lot of people ask me that. I think it's great what [Jennifer Lopez has] done because I really believe now, in Hollywood, the lines are blurring as far as being only an actor, being only a dancer, being only a singer. People are more willing to see someone in all different aspects and respect them for it, because they are entertainers. Back in the day, it was great to be a triple threat, and that kind of went away. And now, it's kind of coming back. I'm not necessarily a singer, but I would love to do a musical, so I would get singing lessons in a heartbeat. And if my path took me that way, I'd go there. I'm not giving up dance by any means to start acting, but acting is this new passion for me, so I'm continuing with that, and I'm sure dance will help me again in the future.
Have you had a big moment where you had to get ready for a major performance, as your character does in the movie?
Oh, so many. In high school, I did a thousand competitions and conventions. Conventions were the biggest deal because you could audition for scholarships, and scholarships would take you to LA or different places, and get you some experience. One that I remember right off the bat was I auditioned for this dance troupe...It was at a convention. I had to perform and they picked two people to go to LA and be on this team together. It was pretty intense, and you are competing with the best of the best, and I was picked, so I got to go. That was one of the major ones. And there was one to audition for an LA agent when I was like 16, so I auditioned for that. There were a ton, but they all feel the same way. All competitions, all performances feel the same way like that.
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How was working with Channing, considering that his dance background isn't so formal?
He's such a good dancer on his own. He really has so much natural talent, and he had done it in clubs and street dancing and stuff, so when it came to the partnering and the more technical side of dance, Anne was basically teaching the choreography, but if we would do in session something that just didn't feel right or I would be like, "You know, if you move your body this way or put your hand here, it will help..." So I'd help every now and then. But he actually picked it up really quickly and it wasn't something that was hard for him. It was pretty fun and we got along great.
Any clubbing or fun offset while making the film?
Well, we didn't do much clubbing because we were so tired after rehearsals and shooting. We just wanted to go to sleep. But on the weekends, there was one place called The Power Plant, and we found this one club there that was pretty empty most of the time, so we went there. And then there was this one restaurant, The Charleston, kind of expensive, nicer with main courses you pick from. It was amazing. We went there once a weekend. So we had our spots. But we didn't do a lot. The whole cast went--Channing, Drew, Mario, myself. So it was really fun.
Any injuries while filming?
I hurt my rib in a catch. I think Channing's elbow went into my rib or something. He didn't mean to, but I bruised it so bad, so I couldn't lift my arms and breathe for like two weeks. But that was pretty much the only injury we had, and it was minor, so we were lucky with all the dancing we did.
Do you have a favorite dance movie from when you were younger?
Yeah, Dirty Dancing. Favorite dance movie ever. I loved Cry Baby. I watched that movie probably fifty times. Footloose was really good. Flashdance, too, but I was put off by the fact that she wasn't doing her dancing. When I found out, I was a little bugged, but I still love that song and the dance. Those were pretty much my favorites growing up.
Even though she has overseen dance choreography, this was Anne Fletcher's first time directing a feature film. Did that concern you?
I wasn't concerned. I was actually, if anything, put at ease about it because I thought, "Finally, they're doing a dance movie with a director who knows dance." For me, I would watch all these dance movies and I'd know the actress wasn't dancing, or I could tell that the director skipped over parts that would have been amazing if they had captured that moment. So I was really happy as far as the dance goes and as the acting goes as soon as I met her and understood where she came from. She was an actress, so she knows a lot about acting and she was just a dream, and she had a really clear vision for every scene that she wanted. She would literally pretend to be Nora and walk through it. She had it in her head and would just show it to me, so I just trusted her. She has [what] she calls the "no bullsh*t factor." We'd do a scene and she'd say, "Didn't believe it. Do it again." She called us on it. A first time director is sometimes kind of like, "Oh, do you think that works? Okay." But she knew. So I trusted her implicitly.
How long did it take to shoot the final showcase dance?
A week. We rehearsed for a month. Then we stopped and did a bunch of scene rehearsals for the rest of the week, and then we went to the finale, so we were out of shape again. We were in shape, got out of shape, and had to go back and get in shape. So it was like that first day of shooting was a little rough. But we got through it and probably by the second, third, fourth, fifth day, we were doing good. We were tired. We did a master shot of the entire routine. A four minute routine is actually really difficult. It's a really, really long time to be dancing.
Acting-wise, what was the most difficult scene for you?
The scene on the rooftop, which, ironically, is my favorite scene in the movie. But the script changed so many times and there was a theme we were trying to say in that scene...There were so many layers and it changed all the time. The dialogue changed, and it was just hard to make sure all of that came across in one scene. And there was a lot of "try it like this" and I'd have to go try it right on the spot. And it was nerve-wracking, but ironically, it's my favorite scene. So hopefully, it worked.
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