“Napoleon Dynamite,” a quirky indie comedy with a small budget and a cast of relative unknowns, became a surprising cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s. Premiering to critical acclaim at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, the film’s wider release cemented its place in pop culture, with “Vote for Pedro” shirts and Napoleon’s liger drawings becoming instantly recognizable symbols of its offbeat humor.
The film, penned by Jared Hess and his wife Jerusha, centers around the socially awkward high schooler Napoleon (Jon Heder) and his equally eccentric family and friends in the small town of Preston, Idaho. This setting, inspired by Hess’s own Idaho upbringing, perfectly captures a unique rural charm, where 80s pop culture and quirky hobbies thrive.
One of the most enduring and beloved moments in “Napoleon Dynamite” is undoubtedly the climactic dance scene. To help his friend Pedro win the class presidency, Napoleon takes to the stage during a school assembly and delivers an unforgettable impromptu dance performance set to Jamiroquai’s funk track, “Canned Heat.” This spontaneous display of rhythm and passion became legendary, solidifying the film’s status as a cult classic. Interestingly, Jon Heder himself revealed that the iconic dance was largely improvised, with no choreographer involved.
To commemorate the film’s 17th anniversary, Insider interviewed Heder, director Jared Hess, and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) to uncover the story behind this legendary scene and explore the film’s lasting appeal.
From BYU to the Big Screen: The Dance Scene’s Genesis
The roots of Napoleon’s iconic dance can be traced back to Jon Heder’s college days at Brigham Young University (BYU). Heder explained that he and his twin brother, Dan, had a deep fascination with the 1970s throughout high school. This passion intensified when they arrived at BYU in Provo, Utah, in the late 90s. Inspired by disco and the film “Saturday Night Fever,” they began exploring dance in social settings. Even as their paths diverged, Jon continued to dance, often encouraged by his friends.
“I was obsessed with Jamiroquai. I just loved them,” Heder shared, referencing the British funk band and their 2001 album “A Funk Odyssey.” This Jamiroquai obsession would prove to be a key ingredient in the recipe for cinematic history.
It wasn’t long before Heder’s dance skills caught the eye of Jared Hess, who was also a BYU student at the time. This connection led to a collaboration on a short film called “Peluca.” Hess described “Peluca” protagonist Seth (also played by Heder) as “kind of the same character” as Napoleon Dynamite, foreshadowing the iconic role to come.
During the filming of “Peluca” in Idaho, an opportunity arose to capture Heder’s improvisational dance on film. With leftover film stock, Hess decided to film Heder dancing in character, drawing inspiration from the actor’s already well-known moves.
“You just wouldn’t expect a guy that looks like that to throw down some wicked moves.” – Director Jared Hess
“I was like, ‘Jon, while you’re still dressed up in the moon boots and everything, let’s go shoot this shot,'” Hess recounted. He envisioned a simple setup: “At the end of this empty dirt road, I’ll just turn on the radio, and whatever’s playing, just dance to the music.'”
Hess filmed Heder dancing for about a minute and a half to a Jamiroquai song that happened to be playing on the radio. This impromptu shoot revealed the comedic potential of juxtaposing Heder’s unassuming appearance with his surprisingly dynamic dance moves.
“The dynamic of seeing this guy that looked like [Heder], being able to throw down some pretty impressive moves, is so strange and entertaining and funny all at the same time,” Hess explained. This “epiphany” led to the inclusion of a similar dance sequence in their feature film project, which would become “Napoleon Dynamite.” Hess informed Heder, “‘Yeah, it’s going to be the climax for the film; you dancing.'”
Three Takes to Dance History: Filming Napoleon’s Big Moment
In “Napoleon Dynamite,” the dance scene serves as a pivotal moment. Napoleon’s energetic performance at the school assembly is his final effort to rally votes for Pedro’s presidential campaign. Beyond political motivations, the dance also captures the attention of Deb, Napoleon’s crush, and challenges his classmates’ perceptions of him.
Hess and Heder adopted a resourceful approach to filming this crucial scene, reflecting the film’s overall low-budget ethos. Faced with limited resources and uncertainty about the final song choice, they had to be efficient and creative.
“We had one roll of film left and basically had just three takes to get the entire dance sequence filmed,” Hess revealed. The pressure was palpable. “I remember after each take I was like, ‘Oh, man.’ I didn’t think that we had it. I was really worried.”
Despite the lack of a choreographer, Heder had a clear vision for Napoleon’s dance. He wanted it to be a stark contrast to the character’s typically reserved physicality. “Like, Napoleon barely moves. He doesn’t express a lot, he doesn’t get that animated,” Heder noted. “We knew the vibe of the whole movie and the purpose of this dancing would be so different than the way Napoleon usually moves.”
Hess’s direction to Heder was simple and liberating: “Dude, you just do your thing.”
“That was his direction. He just put it in my hands,” Heder said. “Then I realized, you know what, I’ll just do what I normally do. I’ll just do my best to make it as funky as I can and as good as I can.”
“Really the Napoleon dance is just dancing from your heart.” – Jon Heder
To enhance the scene’s impact, Hess employed clever editing techniques. By combining the best segments from the three takes, they created a dynamic and seamless final version. “When we got into the cutting room, when we were editing the film, it was like, ‘Oh, wow. Yeah, we’ve definitely got it,'” Hess recalled. This “Frankensteining” of dance moves contributed to the scene’s unique, improvisational feel.
Adding another layer of complexity, Heder had to dance to multiple songs during filming, preparing for the possibility that they wouldn’t secure the rights to their first choice, Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.”
“One take was to ‘Canned Heat.’ Another take was to ‘Little L,’ which is another Jamiroquai track from their album ‘Funk Odyssey,'” Heder explained. “And then we danced to a Michael Jackson song from ‘Off the Wall.'”
While both Hess and Heder agree that “Canned Heat” was the ideal song for the scene, they acknowledge that the humor and impact of Napoleon’s dance ultimately stemmed from the character’s unexpected performance itself.
“At the end of the day, you still would have had a nerd performing some ridiculous dance moves in front of a high school,” Hess pointed out.
The audience in the scene was composed of real high school students from Preston, Idaho, who volunteered as extras. “We didn’t have any money we could offer them,” Hess said. Instead, they were offered movie credits and refreshments.
Interestingly, the extras and even the other cast members didn’t witness Heder’s full dance performance during filming. “We actually shot all of their reaction stuff, weirdly enough, without Jon dancing. Cause they didn’t want Jon to overdo it,” Hess explained. Heder’s audience was essentially the film crew, “boogieing down for just a bunch of film school friends.”
The result was a cinematic moment that resonated deeply with audiences. As Efren Ramirez (Pedro) recalled about the Sundance premiere, “It was just perfect — from the crowd’s reaction to Heder’s dancing.”
A Dance Legacy: “Napoleon Dynamite” and Enduring Appeal
Since its release, Napoleon’s dance has become an instantly recognizable and iconic element of the film. It’s a scene that captures a unique blend of awkwardness, exuberance, and unexpected coolness, becoming as synonymous with “Napoleon Dynamite” as “Vote for Pedro” merchandise.
“As a character, it definitely won Napoleon some long overdue respect,” Hess observed. “It’s like, here’s a guy that’s just flying under the radar in life and is underestimated by everyone. Suddenly he has a showcase for this weird secret talent, but he’s using it to help his best friend.”
Ramirez echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the selfless nature of Napoleon’s act. “This is what a friend would do for his friend, and that Napoleon put himself on the line like that, that’s so wonderful to see,” he said.
Despite the dance scene’s legendary status, don’t expect Jon Heder to recreate it on demand. “It was all freestyle. I didn’t memorize it,” he admitted. However, he encapsulates the spirit of the dance perfectly: “I always tell people: Really the Napoleon dance is just dancing from your heart. It’s just like, feeling it and just letting it go. Because what it was. That’s just all I did for it, was just feeling the groove.”
