Happy Tappy Penguins Preserving American Tap Dancing Savion is Keeping His Feet Happy
Who would have ever thought that penguins would be tap dancing in a movie playing to record crowds? I expected total kids at the theatre and was surprised to see the theatre filled with adults. The movie, "Happy Feet," appeals to anyone of any age. This dynamic and entertaining film engages audiences with a great assortment of music and dance artistry. The upbeat music seamlessly meshes with amazing animation, and most important, sensational tap dancing. The featured dance and vocal moves continue to make me smile, long after I saw the movie.
"I was always attracted to the epic nature of Antarctica," said George Miller, co- writer, director, and producer of the film. "About ten years ago when I saw 'Life in The Freezer,' the BBC/National Geographic documentary on penguins, it struck me that there was a great story there. Penguins live such extraordinary lives, richly allegorical in terms of how we conduct ourselves as humans. The way they survive at the far end of the planet, huddling against the cold, sharing the warmth, singing to find a mate."
The penguins have a "Heartsong" to distinguish each other within the flock. "To us it sounds like squawking, but to each individual penguin, it's like a song," Miller continued. "There might be 25,000 birds on an Antarctic ice shelf, each having a song unique to themselves and somehow one manages to find another through the cacophony."
Through the use of the "Heartsong" Miller could use all types of music and dance.
"As I was conceiving the story, it occurred to me that the way the Emperor Penguins find their soul mates through song required that there be songs in the movie," Miller said. "When it turned out that Mumble couldn't sing but could dance, I suddenly found that I was in the middle of a musical. I like to call it an accidental musical."
Miller explained that because all the penguins look much alike, it was important to come up with unusual voices. Co-writer Judy Morris played a great role finding songs. John Powell was selected as the composer for the new music.
"I learned a lot about the role of music in film on the project," Miller declared. "I watched the great musicals, trying to understand what's at the heart of the choreography and what makes a big production number work. It is clear that dance pieces must be narrative, not merely decorative."
Miller understood that digital artists could not animate brilliant dancing. Because the dancers acquire life-time skills, Miller thought the best way to make the penguin dance was through motion capture.
He believed that Savion Glover was just the man to lead Mumble's tap revolution. "Given that Mumble is a virtuoso tap dancer, who better than Savion to play him," Miller stated. "Savion's inimitable dancing was motion captured for Mumble's tapping in the main dance sequences in the movie. He's a dazzling percussionist. His rhythms are so complex and sophisticated."
"Tap dancing is music you make with your body and Savion is a virtuoso. You can play him anything and he'll improvise to it. At one point, we played him a helicopter and he mimicked the sound with his feet. He was moving so quickly, he was faster than the camera could record...or than I could see with my naked eye. He is quite extraordinary. Savion is the latest in a line of classic hoofers. He loves tap so much, it is absolutely part of him. He feels an obligation to pass his knowledge on, which is why he was the only choice of dancers to give Mumble his Heartsong."
Glover believes that kids are going to see this tap dancing penguin and say, 'That's too cool.' "George Miller is bringing back tap, and I'm just grateful to be a part of that. I'm not the only one" I know there are many great hoofers looking down on George right now and saying, 'Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.'''
Elijah Wood was selected as the central character of Mumble. "Mumble's confidence and innate sense of self is extraordinary," said Wood. "He refuses to see his dancing as a problem, and he doesn't want to give up the part of himself that makes him unique. He's saying, 'I have this oddity, but it's not odd to me, it's just odd to you. I'm okay with it, so you're the one who has to come around. It's really important for everyone to realize that we shouldn't compromise on those things that are individual to us, especially for other people."
Mumble's tap dance talent would come from Savion Glover. "I can relate to Mumble a lot," said Glover. "Because, while I'm true to my own art form, which is tap dancing, I'm not much of a singer. I've tried it; I'll continue to have a go at it, but I'm better at expressing myself through my feet, just like Mumble. At school Mumble feels like a geek. I'm a geek, too. A tap dance geek. The process of making this movie was amazing. It's all about instant gratification. There I was on stage, wearing this suit with all these little reflectors all over it, and then Mumble was right there on the computer screen. You could actually see me as Mumble."
Because Miller wanted other dance forms represented in the movie, he hired Kelley Abbey, a top Australian performer and stage and video choreographer. She dances and performs the dramatic moves for the characters Norma Jean, Gloria and Ramon who are all sensational in the film. She watched many documentaries and studied the moves of penguins and directed a "penguin school for everyone." Abbey explained that because all the dancers came from a musical theatre background, their movements were always expressive...always telling a story.
Abbey felt that Savion added another dimension to the movie. "He's so unique, Abbey stated. "He's always expressing himself with his feet. When Savion enters the building, you know it. ou can hear him."
"Kelley's no longer human," Savion said. "She became a penguin on his movie. Working with her was great. She guided me, she had my back...I actually started calling her my right-hand penguin."
In the finale of the movie there is flamenco, tango, Riverdancing, Zulu, gumboot, Navajo and Samoan slap dancing. "When the penguins come together in this universal language of dance, it becomes part of the larger message of the film," said Abbey."
"As dancers, we need to be thankful for our musicians, our lyricist, and our songwriters," Savion said. "I think music and dance are some of the most important cultural investments we have. I don't care what type of a person you are, everyone has a song that makes them say, 'This is me, this is how I feel.' It moves them. Whether you're a singer, a dancer or something else entirely, music is rhythm, it's our heartbeat. Music is life."
When you see Mumble dance, it is awesome to imagine Savion dancing in these shots. They captured his unique tap artistry but perhaps more important is that his artistry is now preserved in this unusual way. Maybe the tap dancers of the future will compare his sounds and speed to a future tap artist using clips from this amazing movie. Jazz musicians can go back and listen to artists from the past, so who knows what might take place in the world of film and sound for future generation of tap dancing. Can you imagine watching clips of Mumble along with Baby Lawrence, Peg Leg Bates or Jimmy Slyde? Fun to think about, isn't it? It is definitely tap dance history.
Seventeen year old Logan Miller was the opening act for the advanced screening of "Happy Feet " at the Galaxy Theatre in Chesterfield, Mo. said: "It was an honor to promote "Happy Feet"! I loved being part of putting Tap Dance in the spotlight. I thought the movie was great entertainment. The tap dancing and choreography were excellent. Great job Savion! I really liked the fact that the tap dancing star was a male. I hope it encourages more young men to tap dance!"
Six year old Holly Bowling from Texas laughed so hard (a real belly laugh) that others in the movie theatre were laughing at her enjoyment.
If I were to sum up Savion, it would be: "a great tap artist who always cares about the art form." He certainly did not do this movie for personal fame. It was difficult to even find his name in the credits.
"My job was to be a stunt man," Glover said through a spokesman in his office. "I love George Miller, and was happy to be a part of the film. I have no problem at all," said Glover in an article by John Rockwell in the New York Times.
In a world where performers are jockeying for fame, glory, credit, money, and top billing, it appears as though Savion is more interested in keeping his "feet happy."
At Christmas in my home, there were three gifts of tap dancing penguins. I love mine. It sits on my dresser and every now and then, I just give him a punch and he starts tap dancing. It brightens my day. Thanks to George Miller and everyone who put this beautiful movie together.
Read Melba's past columns on www.MelbasDance.com