Quarantined choreographer recreates iconic movie dance scenes using household objects

26 May 2020, 17:40

Professional choreographer recreates iconic Dirty Dancing scene using household lamp
Professional choreographer recreates iconic Dirty Dancing scene using household lamp. Picture: Quinn Wharton

By Helena Asprou

According to this quarantined choreographer and his (literally electric) dance partner, *nobody* puts lamp in the corner.

A Brooklyn-based photographer and choreographer has been recreating Hollywood’s most famous dance scenes in lockdown.

For his latest video – a wonderful recreation of the famous Dirty Dancing lift – rather than sweeping a fellow dance partner off her feet, he’s enlisted the help of his favourite lamp.

Quinn Wharton shared his video on Facebook, saying: “A good friend of mine challenged me to recreate famous dance scenes from movies while at home alone in quarantine.

“I was hesitant at first but thought I would give it a try. Here is the iconic finale scene from Dirty Dancing with me playing every character and doing every piece of camera work. If you enjoy it think about sharing it with a friend!”

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A good friend of mine challenged me to recreate famous dance scenes from movies while at home alone in quarantine. I was hesitant at first but thought I would give it a try. Here is the iconic finale scene from Dirty Dancing with me playing every character and doing every piece of camera work. If you enjoy it think about sharing it with a friend! :)

Posted by Quinn B Wharton on Friday, 15 May 2020

In the 1987 rom-com, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey (starring as Johnny and Baby) couple up for that magical final dance number to ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’. But in Wharton’s recreation, there’s no band or audience in sight – instead, an open plan kitchen and living room suddenly become the perfect backdrop for impressive lifts, spins and salsa.

They really don’t hold back on the dance moves either, treating us to plenty of hair shaking, a few ballet pliés and at one point, the lamp even nods to the beat, just like Baby.

Since the outrageous success (that’s 10 million views on Facebook) of Quinn’s first video, the series has continued with a replica of the famous dance sequence from The Breakfast Club (watch below).

Read more: This stunning video will challenge your preconceptions about ballet >

And already, people are begging for more...

One Facebook user comments: “Scenes I want to see next: Fred Astaire with the hat rack and gym equipment, Gene Kelly’s mop dance and his Singin’ in the Rain solo, and also Donald O’Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” from the same picture. Quinn is carrying on a great tradition with his lovely lamp.”

Another says: “That was a lot of work and I appreciated it! Fantastic! BRAVO.”

It seems quarantine is certainly bringing out the weird and the wonderful in all of us... please Quinn, can we have some more?