‘Save the Previous Dance’ costars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas break down the movie’s iconic dance scene 20 a long time later on

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Julia Stiles as Sara in “Preserve the Past Dance.” MTV Films/Paramount

• Iconic teen-drama movie, “Save the Previous Dance,” premiered 20 many years ago this 7 days. 
• Insider spoke with the film’s stars, Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, about capturing the climactic  scene in which Sara blends hip-hop and ballet for a Juilliard audition.
• Stiles stated she rehearsed “each weekend and each and every second,” concentrating on refining the choreography simply because she remembers “sensation like [she] was never ever heading to get it ideal.”
• “I do bear in mind that Julia had worked actually, really tricky on that full program,” Thomas recalled. “I try to remember observing her do it and I don’t forget getting psyched viewing her do it.”
• Visit Insider’s homepage for a lot more tales.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the legendary 2001 teenager drama “Help you save the Last Dance.”

The movie’s costars, Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, performed Sara and Derek, a teen pair who slide in like about their shared passions for dance inspite of a jealous ex-girlfriend and an at-times judgmental sister.

“Conserve the Final Dance’s” psychological climax comes when Sara successfully lands a spot at esteemed carrying out arts college, Juilliard, by auditioning with a contemporary-freeform piece that blends Sara’s ballet teaching with the hip-hop choreography Derek experienced been training her for months. 

“I beloved the schooling and there is a part of me that enjoys to dance,” Stiles told Insider in the course of a latest telephone connect with. “But also the lifestyle of dancers is incredibly, incredibly important. I just recall feeling like I was never likely to get it proper. I was under no circumstances going to perfect it. So I wanted to continue to keep executing consider just after get, immediately after take, immediately after take.”

Insider caught up with both of those Stiles and Thomas to study much more about how that memorable audition scene arrived alongside one another, and what it was like performing on the set of “Save the Final Dance” collectively two a long time ago.

The two Stiles and Thomas had to master how to dance professionally, with support from ballet trainers and choreographer Fatima Robinson 

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Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as Sara and Derek in “Save the Very last Dance.” MTV Films/Paramount

In buy to get in the groove of Derek, who is in a position to dance circles all-around Sara in the area Chicago club Stepps, Thomas experienced to teach with the movie’s choreographer, the famous Fatima Robinson, who’s worked with Michael Jackson, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, and other superstars.

“Fatima is just so qualified at what she does that you experience like, ‘If I can get past her, then I’m accomplishing Okay. I’m undertaking a very good career,'” Thomas stated in a individual contact with Insider very last 7 days. 

When he 1st bought the job, Thomas went to Los Angeles to fulfill Robinson and do some preliminary movement operate. Alone in a studio with her, the actor adopted her instructions to ideal essential dance moves.

“Just after I did it I felt like, ‘OK, you know, I come to feel rather great. I’m accomplishing my factor. I am all suitable,’ and she appeared at me like, ‘Um, no. You’re not there nonetheless,'” Thomas reported, laughing.

“What was great about that was whichever moi or arrogance I had about my capability to do whatever she was inquiring me to do, she permit me know, ‘Nuh-uh, you need to start off from scratch. You require to get started from ground zero. And when we’re going to figure this out,” he additional.

Once every person arrived in Chicago to commence rehearsals and movie the film, Thomas continued operating with Robinson and her dance colleague Richmond Talauega.

“Concerning the two of them, they gave me the assurance that I could get up there on camera and fake like I knew what I was doing since I am not a dancer at all,” Thomas admitted. 

By the time cameras ended up rolling, Thomas and Stiles experienced created their individual rapport and have been ready to convey the dynamic of skilled and newbie to the screen for the duration of scenes where Derek taught Sara hip-hop dance moves. 

“We experienced a great shorthand and obtained to know each individual other effectively sufficient to joke about, and enjoy around, and have enjoyable with things,” Thomas stated. “It was very genuine, really real.”

Stiles expended two months, additionally additional weekends, functioning on the ultimate audition dance sequence

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Sean Patrick Thomas as Derek in “Help you save the Last Dance.” MTV Films/Paramount

To nail the last audition scene, which was created by Robinson with enter from ballet choreographer Randy Duncan, Stiles experienced to learn ballet from scratch.

Fortunately, the actress had encounter with hip-hop and more contemporary dancing, but however desired months of observe to nail Robinson’s choreography. 

“Oh my goodness,” Stiles stated when asked what she remembers about the audition scene. “We did like two months of choreography and dance rehearsals and instruction before we started filming. And then at the time we began filming, on the weekends we would do additional choreography and rehearsals of that sequence.”

Stiles recalled that even as the months went on, Robinson was “refining the actions” for the scene.

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Julia Stiles in “Save the Final Dance.” MTV Movies/Paramount

“Just when I would get comfy with the moves, Fatima would improve them or insert to it,” Stiles claimed. “She definitely stored me on my toes, but I remember I cherished doing work with her and I just assumed she was so impressive.”

In line with the movie’s narrative arc, Stiles filmed the ultimate audition scene toward the close of the movie’s schedule. Now, 20 yrs afterwards, that sequence stands out for admirers and Stiles as it was the most unforgettable portion of her encounter and a significant own focus. 

“I was rehearsing just about every weekend and each individual 2nd that I experienced to myself,” Stiles said. “That was my target all through the complete filming: Obtaining to the working day when we ended up going to movie the audition and not messing it up.”

The audition scene wound up currently being typically night time shoots, so the two Stiles and her double (who carried out the piece and captured the extra technological ballet moves) would often dance at three o’ clock in the morning, Stiles recalled, which was “an added obstacle.” 

“One thing that saved me was the nature of earning a film and how you have several angles and various takes,” Stiles stated. “In an true audition, you get one chance to do the very best you can from begin to end, but I experienced the chance to continue to keep refining it.”

In the scene, Derek is standing supportively just off-stage, which intended Thomas was aspect of the in general filming schedule that week, as well. 

“I do try to remember that Julia had worked seriously, definitely difficult on that complete regimen,” Thomas claimed. “I try to remember observing her do it and I remember becoming enthusiastic watching her do it.”

Read through a lot more: The 17 very best dance motion pictures, which include ‘Save the Very last Dance,’ ranked

Thomas also remembers Stiles as the variety of scene partner who would complete their portion of sequence, even if they aren’t on digicam. His reactions we see in the motion picture had been most likely the correct reaction he experienced to seeing Stiles complete the audition choreography.

“There are a large amount of actors who, if they are not on digital camera, they you should not do [the scene],” Thomas explained. “They just say, ‘Oh I am going to go cling out in my trailer and you pretend that you see me there, but Julia is the opposite of that.”

Stiles states she’s in no way absent back again to look at the movie or her dance efficiency: ‘I’d be much too vital of myself’

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Sean Patrick Thomas and Julia Stiles costarred in “Conserve the Very last Dance.” MTV Movies/Paramount

Even however the scene has remained a staple in the dance-motion picture style legacy, in 20 years Stiles has never ever absent again to look at her overall performance.

“No, God, no,” Stiles explained when requested if she’s rewatched the motion picture a short while ago. “A hundred p.c no. No way. Simply because very first of all, I’d be way too important of myself and I know that I might like beat myself up about how I could’ve carried out the pirouettes much better or whatever – like my port de bras was sort of saggy.”

“And I do not system to, genuinely,” she ongoing. “I think it would be bizarre if, in the tiny spare time I have, I was sitting down at property observing my own films. I consider there’d be anything wrong with me.”

Still, even decades afterwards the scene is the topic of people’s conversations and recreations of it on the internet garner thousands and thousands of sights. 

Read additional: 30 of the most effective movie dance scenes of all time

For both Stiles and Thomas, the one phrase they use to describe how they feel about “Preserve the Past Dance” now is “pride.”

“So quite a few actors go as a result of their careers and they really don’t get to do items that stand the take a look at of time – they you should not get to do issues that men and women are continue to inquiring about 20 many years later on,” Thomas claimed.

“So to be listed here at this position, and people today nevertheless cease me on the road, in the supermarket, in all places, telling me how a lot they beloved that movie,” he ongoing, “the overwhelming experience I have now is just pleasure since I know how exceptional that is.”

“I sense genuinely happy and grateful to have been component of a little something and to have designed a little something [that] however resonates with individuals and however entertains folks so lots of several years later on,” Stiles included. “Which is what you hope for as a performer and a storyteller.”