'West Side Story' choreographer says Ariana DeBose's shoes 'literally melted' while filming 'America' on the streets of New York

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'West Side Story' choreographer says Ariana DeBose's shoes 'literally melted' while filming 'America' on the streets of New York
Ariana DeBose dances to "America" in "West Side Story." In the 2021 film, the scene takes place during the day in the NYC streets.20th Century Studios
  • Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of "West Side Story" makes several changes to the 1961 musical.
  • For one, the director moved the performance of "America" to the street to "open everything up."
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Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of "West Side Story" brings vibrant new life to the 1961 classic musical — but producing bigger, brighter performances led to some unexpected issues for the cast.

Choreographer Justin Peck told the New York Post that Ariana DeBose's shoes "literally melted" while filming Anita's iconic duet "America" on the streets of Manhattan.

"She had to have her shoes replaced two or three times while we were filming these dance sections because it was so hot and the choreography was so intense that it literally melted [the soles of] her shoes," said Peck.

'West Side Story' choreographer says Ariana DeBose's shoes 'literally melted' while filming 'America' on the streets of New York
Ariana DeBose attends the New York premiere of West Side Story on November 29, 2021.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios

"America" is a musical argument between Anita and her boyfriend, Bernardo, that occurs on a rooftop in the 1961 film. Spielberg said on ABC's special "Something's Coming: 'West Side Story'" that moving the number to the streets "opened everything up and that "the cast smiled bigger."

But DeBose revealed in an interview for the same special that she was actually smiling through some discomfort. "We were dancing in a heatwave in New York City," she said. "I kid you not, I burned holes in my shoes."

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Peck told The Post that the new version of the "America" performance "increases in scale incrementally until you get to the very end."

'West Side Story' choreographer says Ariana DeBose's shoes 'literally melted' while filming 'America' on the streets of New York
Spielberg with the leading ladies of "West Side Story."Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios.

So, it was probably hard for DeBose to stop production to rest and change shoes during a setup that elaborate, which featured "60 or 70 dancers" and "about 200 or 300 extras," according to Peck.

"That was bad, you're bringing up the bad news now," Spielberg laughed as he recalled shooting the scene.

It doesn't sound as though DeBose harbors any negative feelings about that filming mishap. She told Jimmy Kimmel on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that Spielberg is a "good man" and that "West Side Story" was "made with such joy and love."

"West Side Story" is now playing in theaters.

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