{"id":1417454,"date":"2025-01-15T23:48:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T23:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/?p=1417454"},"modified":"2025-07-03T17:50:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:50:40","slug":"wicked-choreographer-reveals-ariana-grandes-deep-knowledge-of-ozs-queer-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/culture\/wicked-choreographer-reveals-ariana-grandes-deep-knowledge-of-ozs-queer-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Wicked choreographer reveals Ariana Grande’s “deep” knowledge of Oz’s queer history"},"content":{"rendered":"

Behind the viral moments and emotional depth of Wicked<\/em>\u2019s musical numbers stands Christopher Scott, the visionary choreographer bringing Oz to life through dance.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the beloved musical, fans don\u2019t necessarily think of choreography. In the acclaimed film adaptation from Jon M. Chu, however, dance has become just as much a star of the film as its iconic songs and protagonists.<\/p>\n

In December, GAY TIMES<\/em> skipped down the yellow brick road to spend \u2018One Short Day\u2019 in the Emerald City with Christopher Scott to talk all things Wicked<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Thanks to TikTok, the \u2018What Is This Feeling?\u2019 dance has become an internet sensation, with hoards of fans recreating its sharp, staccato movements. For Scott, seeing people take the choreography and make it their own has been a deeply moving experience.<\/p>\n

“It feels amazing,” he says. “People started sending me the videos and it just started with me kind of reposting them, too. I was like, \u2018This is so fun.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then I had a moment where it hit me. There was a daughter and her mom and her dad dancing together, and I was like, \u2018This is beautiful.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For Scott, dance isn’t just about the moves themselves: “We worked really hard to tell a story and put it on film and then put it in the cinema for people to have an experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow they get to go home through dance and share something and have another experience on top of that. It’s just really gratifying.”<\/p>\n

The Ozdust Ballroom scene is more than a visually stunning moment that serves as the film\u2019s heartbreaking midpoint \u2013 it\u2019s a powerful meditation on identity, shame and, ultimately, liberation, something many LGBTQIA+ audience members relate to. For Scott, all the choreography in this scene had specific intent behind it.<\/p>\n