Saturday, December 16th marked the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever, the iconic film that solidified disco in popular culture and catapulted John Travolta to superstardom. Already known for his role in Welcome Back, Kotter, Travolta’s portrayal of Tony Manero, a young man finding escape and expression on the dance floor, became a cultural phenomenon. Beyond the white suits and the pulsating Bee Gees soundtrack, the movie is deeply embedded in dance history, primarily due to John Travolta’s electrifying Saturday Night Fever dance sequences.
Here are key aspects that highlight the enduring legacy of Saturday Night Fever and John Travolta’s dance performance:
1. The Choreography Behind the Icon: Initially, the film’s producers considered classical dance figures like Jacques d’Amboise and Judith Jamison for choreography. This reflects an early vision that leaned towards a more traditional dance style. However, it was director John Badham who brought in Lester Wilson, a choreographer whose background was rooted in Broadway and popular dance forms, perfectly aligning with the film’s disco theme.
While Deney Terrio of Dance Fever also contributed by demonstrating disco moves to Travolta, the core choreography that defined Saturday Night Fever and John Travolta’s dance was crafted by Wilson. Actor Paul Pape, who played Double J, emphasized Wilson’s crucial yet often understated role, telling Vanity Fair, “[The movie was Lester].” Wilson’s subsequent work included choreographing The Wiz, further demonstrating his significant impact on dance in film.
2. John Travolta’s Dance Mastery and Vision: John Travolta was only 23 during filming, but he possessed a keen understanding of the film’s dance sequences’ importance. Famously, Travolta was unhappy with the initial editing of his major dance scene, feeling that close-up shots obscured his full body movements, particularly his footwork.
Insisting on changes, Travolta successfully advocated for wider shots that showcased his full dance performance. This decision proved pivotal, allowing audiences to fully appreciate John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever dance skills and contributing significantly to the film’s lasting impact and his own iconic status. His attention to detail and vision for how his dance should be presented on screen cemented these scenes as legendary.
3. The Legendary 2001 Odyssey Disco: The movie’s electrifying atmosphere was captured at the 2001 Odyssey disco in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The production team enhanced the club’s ambiance by installing a $15,000 dance floor equipped with synchronized multicolored lights. This visually striking dance floor became synonymous with Saturday Night Fever and John Travolta’s dance sequences.
Although the club closed its doors in 2005, its legacy lived on. Former employee Vito Bruno acquired the iconic light-up dance floor, which was later auctioned in 2017. It was sold for an impressive $1.2 million to an anonymous buyer through Profiles in History, underscoring the enduring cultural value and historical significance of the Saturday Night Fever dance floor and its association with John Travolta’s legendary performances.
Saturday Night Fever transcended being just a film; it became a cultural phenomenon. John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever dance, combined with the pulsating disco soundtrack and the energy of the era, created a cinematic experience that continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide, forever etching itself into dance and film history.
