From West Side Story to Wall-E: five inspirations for La La Land’s dance scenes
Routines from films and animations as diverse as Top Hat and Beauty and the Beast inspired La La Land choreographer Mandy Moore
While watching the dance sequences in La La Land, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers might come to mind. Astute viewers might also think of … Wall-E?
According to choreographer Mandy Moore (not the singer), who crafted the dance numbers for the movie starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as tapping, waltzing lovers, decades-old musicals and more recent animated movies all served as inspiration for the Damien Chazelle movie.
Here are five references that Moore draws from to create the La La Land routines.
1. Isn’t This A Lovely Day from Top Hat
This specific routine from 1935’s Top Hat was the primary inspiration for a tap number that Stone and Gosling perform at sunset on a hill as they’re falling in love. In the original number, dance pros Astaire and Rogers flirt while effortlessly showcasing expert footwork. In order for a similarly styled routine to work for the La La Land actors, Moore knew she had to “instil a feel and love of learning dance” early on, so their movements weren’t mechanical. The sequence was shot in one take, just like in Top Hat, and featured many similar (though less challenging) taps and turns.