Jonathan Sim
There’s a lived-in authenticity coursing through She Dances, the kind that can’t be faked because it isn’t. Directed by Rick Gomez in his feature debut and co-written with Steve Zahn, the film unfolds as a tender, often funny portrait of a fractured father-daughter relationship set against the hyper-specific world of competitive dance.
Following a struggling father who attempts to reconnect with his daughter while chaperoning her at a dance competition, the film leans into both the absurdity and emotional vulnerability of that environment. Featuring performances from Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mackenzie Ziegler, Rosemarie DeWitt, and newcomer Audrey Zahn, the film feels deeply personal, especially given its roots in Zahn’s own life.
“A lot of this is autobiographical. We lived in the world of competitive dance for 15 years. That world was part of our everyday life; those were our vacations and what we did instead of going to the Kentucky Derby. We also drew from a lot of experiences; the story I tell in the movie is a real story,” Zahn said, immediately grounding the film in something far more intimate than fiction.
For Audrey Zahn, stepping into her first major role wasn’t so much about guidance from her father as it was about discovering her own rhythm within the chaos of production. “Rick Gomez, the director, and our DP, David Morrison, helped me out the most with the logistics of everything. I’ve done a little bit of film before, but nothing as crazy as a full movie. It came pretty naturally for the most part.”
“It’s a little movie, though it looks bigger than it is because of our connections within the dance world and theaters. We shot it in about 21 days, so we moved quickly,” they added, emphasizing the scrappy efficiency behind the film’s production.
Audrey Zahn’s journey into acting wasn’t initially shaped by her father’s career, but rather by a different influence. “I was actually following in the footsteps of my mom at first, because my mom was a ‘Broadway girlie.’ She grew up a dancer, and she was my dance teacher for a while. I was on my mom’s route and always had the delusion that I was going to make it no matter what. I was on the path of professional theater in New York, and then I did She Dances and realized, ‘Oh, wait. I think this is my thing.’ Now I’m kind of in my dad’s footsteps.”
“She’s a really accomplished dancer and singer. I saw her in a high school play and realized she might actually be a better actor than a dancer,” Steve Zahn said.
Even their off-screen dynamic mirrors the playful push-and-pull seen in the film. “Cutting a tree down or operating a chainsaw. She hasn’t mowed with the tractor yet,” Zahn said of what he has yet to teach his daughter.
“Dad could learn some tap dancing. He’s actually a good dancer,” Audrey said. “During COVID, she choreographed dances and would teach me. We’d tape them and put them on Instagram, and they got a lot of views,” Steve Zahn replied.
For Steve Zahn, the significance of She Dances was apparent from the very beginning. “It’s a really good script and it’s a really good movie and it’s a snapshot of our lives right now that will always be there. Our home movies are even in it; at the beginning, you see me as a young dad and her as a kid, along with her brother Henry, who’s in the movie…it’s a little slice of humanity.”
Audrey Zahn found herself seeing her father through a different lens during filming. “I loved watching my dad. There is a scene in a motel where he tells the story of doing Oklahoma! as a kid and didn’t invite his parents or grandparents and and doing it just for himself. Watching him from the side of the camera, I thought, ‘No wonder people hire him so much.’ I just got to see my dad do what he’s amazing at.”
For director Rick Gomez, stepping behind the camera meant leaning on lessons from those he had worked with before. “I did. I leaned on my buddy Dexter Fletcher, who directed Rocket Man and Eddie the Eagle. He gave me a couple of key answers that were very helpful. The biggest piece of advice was that preparation and knowing exactly what you are going into every day is vital. We actually sacrificed a few things in the movie to ensure we had rehearsal time. Without that time, I don’t think we would have the movie we have now.”
Mackenzie Ziegler echoed how crucial that preparation was. “This was my first big film, and I was super nervous. Most of the time, there is no rehearsal, and you just meet your co-stars the day of. Having rehearsal was so helpful for making choices and seeing how the other person works. We bonded throughout that time, which was key for this film.”
That sense of collaboration extended into the film’s humor, particularly in the friendship between Ziegler and Audrey Zahn’s characters “We instantly clicked in rehearsal and have been inseparable since. We would sometimes improvise, and Rick encouraged us to do whatever we wanted. Our banter and our humor really showed through because how we are in the film is exactly how we are off-screen,” Ziegler said.
Gomez described how one of the film’s most unexpected comedic beats came together, where the two do impressions of Jennifer Coolidge. “We traveled a lot together, and the girls were running the road trip scene. I was talking about an acting teacher I had a long time ago who suggested doing scenes in different accents to find a new rhythm. The girls just started dueling each other [with impressions]. I told Steve I was going to shoot it that way. I think I have one take straight and nine takes as Jennifer Coolidge. I didn’t give myself a chance to back out because it was just what it was meant to be.”
His experience as an actor ultimately shaped the kind of environment he wanted to foster. “Every actor is different and needs something slightly different. Sometimes they just need a reminder of where they are at. For this film, it was about creating the correct space so that when the girls were together, they could communicate at a high level.” Because of the prep work and rehearsals, we were able to just have a blast once we got to set.”
Ziegler emphasized the trust that came with that approach. “Rick’s notes always got me there. There were times I was reserved or nervous to go ‘full force,’ but he was incredible to work with. He’s so comforting; I felt like I was filming with my dad and my best friend. There was so much comfort and so much love and so much trust.”
“If you are on a set that feels safe, you can push yourself to step out on a ledge and do interesting work. Fear should not be part of a set. A lack of fear creates an environment where no one’s ever afraid of the ‘wrong’ answer, which is how you wind up with things like the Coolidge impressions or the scene in the doctor’s office,” Gomez said.
Comments
Loading…