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‘That’s Her Big Comeback’: The Idol Choreographer Breaks Down Lily-Rose Depp’s Iconic I’m Just a Freak Dance
The Idol choreographer revealed the inspiration behind the show's iconic dance and its connection to Lily-Rose Depp's character! Check out the deets!
HBO's The Idol was a controversial film but became quite famous for its songs like One Of The Girls and World Class Sinner/I'm Just A Freak which had a popularized sensual dance routine performed by Blackpink's Jennie and Lily-Rose Depp in the film. Visual artist and choreographer Nina McNeely opened up about the idea and inspiration behind the routine.
Speaking to Variety, she explained that Rose Depp's character Jocelyn was headed for her big comeback, and it had to be bolder than her previous performances. "She's a former child star. She was at the pinnacle of her fame, then went through a rough patch and had a mental breakdown. And in the rehearsal scene, that's her big comeback," she added.
Given the circumstances, Jocelyn was under an insane amount of pressure to not just outperform herself but meet people's expectations. "She needs to get that money back. She needs to top the charts" after facing a setback.
McNeely revealed she didn't want to use trending TikTok steps and was inspired by iconic dance and pop moments for World Class Sinner / I'm a Freak choreography. She used Take Off With Us by Bob Fosse, Paula Abdul's Cold Hearted Snake, Showgirls, and Britney Spears' Slave 4 You as references to curate Jocelyn's movements, pose, rhythm, and energy.
"She really needs to push the boundaries beyond what she did before, and she needs to be more daring, sexy, controversial, and confident," she added. She also envisioned Jocelyn as an "untouchable object of desire," someone everybody aspired to be, and used the background dancers to create that entourage.
In her career, McNeely has worked with artists like Major Lazer, Björk, the Foo Fighters, and The Weekend. Able was her first, whose connection led to a long-standing working relationship. “I first started working with Able [aka The Weeknd] because he’s a fan of Gaspar Noé, and I choreographed the film ‘Climax,'” she told the outlet.
The dance legend got the opportunity to work for HBO’s now-canceled show because Able contacted her after learning about the job requirements. She also choreographed Dollhouse—another dance number from the series.
The Idol is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Jio Cinema.
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