Dirty Dancing in Beijing: Cheesy, But Sexy

If you’re looking for a hot idea for a Valentine’s Day date, check out the stage production of the 80’s classic movie Dirty Dancing being put this weekend. The sexy, cheesy, 80s dance extravaganza is sure to be an original date idea as well as an undeniable good time.

The Beijinger talked to producer Anna Grace, choreographer/actress Stephanie Azuelos (Baby), and actor Gordon Kutil (Johnny) to get a better idea of what the expect from the proformance.

How close is your production to the original movie?

Grace: Its surprisingly close to the movie, but if you get too close it can just be awful. If you try to copy something, its going to not work. The show is the Dirty Dancing story, and then within it we have lots of acts from different performing arts groups in Beijing. We have the Beijing jugglers, and the Chinese Beijing improve group, and some singers, the girl playing Penny also has a trick bike show, we have some swing dancers, a Tahitian dancer, magicians, a stand up comedian- we try to feature acts that might not be able to get their own show- its sort of an open stage event to feature the smaller performing arts groups of Beijing, and then the bigger performing arts groups are represented in the actors and dancers involved in the main story.

What elements of the movie are you trying to translate into the performance?

Grace: First of all the music. We’re using almost exclusively songs from the soundtrack, except for one.

Are you going to have dance numbers from the movie?

Azuelos: Yes, like I’ve Had the Time of My Life, Do You Love Me. The script we adapted from the movie, so it’s a different script- we keep certain lines, you know, like when Baby’s like, “you’re wild!” and “Nobody puts baby in a corner”- those key moments that are unforgettable from the movie are there, but a lot of what’s unforgettable from the movie is the dancing and the music.

Grace: The idea is that we are translating the feel of the film. The movie is set in the 60s, but ours is set in the 80s because Beijing in the 80s was more like America in the 60s- that sort of coming of age theme.

So its set in China?

Grace: It is set in China, its called Dirty Dancing: One Night in Beijing so its set in a Beijing fancy resort, The Beijing Oasis. It’ll be set with greenery and it will be very…cheesy. It’s a very cheesy resort, and the actors playing guests will be on vacation, and the staff will be very gaudy and cheesy and entertaining, and then the dirty dancers will be the janitorial staff- so they’re not very colorful, but their dancing is what catches your eye.

How did you get into character? How do you see your character related to the one from the movie?

Kutil: My character? I didn’t have to make a big transformation- I mean, I myself am sexy, Patrick Swayze is, so, other than that you know…kind of trying to bring that kind of rebellious attitude. He’s the lead dancer you know, so he’s gotta be really focused, and really…sexy.

Will this production be interactive with the audience, like your Halloween zombie show?

Grace: Parts of the play will involve the audience as well- Johnny will give dance lessons to the audience, so we’ll be playing and dancing with the audience to. We’re not going to make everybody get up and dance, but the idea is that they feel involved. We want them to feel like they’re having fun, like they’re part of it.

Azuelos: It would be so awesome in the finale, you know, when the dirty dancers are doing their thing, if the whole audience got up and danced- it may happen, you never know.

What makes it a good Valentine’s Day destination?

Kutil: Its gonna be awesome, everybody loves Dirty Dancing. I think it’ll give people an experience on Valentines Day- you know, something new.

Azuelos: A lot of my friends want to come just to have fun, to do something different on Valentines Day. A lot of things are one on one on valentines day- you can share it with a whole bunch of people.

Kutil: I guess- if you are into sharing.

Any chance of picking up a date?

Grace: You probably can find a date if you get up and dance. I think what makes this show unique is that its different performing arts groups coming together in something collaborative that features what the community can offer.

Azuelos: But its not just for Valentine’s Day and because we’re nerds and love dirty dancing.

Kutil: Its not just that- but its kind of close.

Whats your favorite scene?

Azuelos: My favorite scene that I’m doing has got to be the last scene, its very intimate between Johnny and Baby, and I think that’s probably my favorite.

Kutil: If not the dirty dancing, which is really quite awesome.

Azuelos: Because it’s winter and cold out we rehearse a lot of, you know (Azuelos sidles up close to Kutil and laughs)

What changes did you make to adapt it to China?

Grace: Not a lot of Chinese people have seen the movie, so it was hard to translate the title- if you say ‘dirty dancing’in Chinese it sounds- gross- so we had to translate it as ‘hot body dancing’-we didn’t want it to sound smelly and covered in trash. Its partly bilingual- that’s the cool thing, I think a lot of the audience will be Chinese, so it feels good.

Azuelos: It is mostly dancing- the action of the show is played out through music and dance, so its accessible. We’re using almost all of the songs- Love Man, Wipe Out, Jonny’s Mambo…

The show plays at Penghao Theater on Feb 12-15. 7.30pm. RMB 90, RMB 75 (advance). Dessert and wine served during the performance. For reservations, call 135 2045 0019.