3/11/2015 Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee Dee Wood

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Added by Gregory Baskin on October 28, 2014.Saved under dance, Entertainment, OpinionTags: mary poppins

Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee DeeWood

Practically perfect in every way, Walt Disney’s mega-hit, Mary Poppins, retains itsfull luster even now, upon its 50th anniversary. One of the unforgettable film’schoreographers, Dee Dee Wood, sat down with Guardian Liberty Voice for a lookback at the ground-breaking film and her singular career.

As viewed today, the heart, warmth, smiles and sentiment of Mary Poppins remainintact and, well, perfect. Based on the lead character in a series of eight children’sbooks by P.L. Travers, the jewel of a film brings viewers into the mystical world of anangel-faced nanny with a most peculiar name (played by Julie Andrews) whoimproves the health of the dysfunctional Banks family in Edwardian London throughthe enchanting and profound introduction of song and magic into their life.

Meeting at her favorite coffee joint in her adopted hometown of Cave Creek, Arizona,the Emmy Award winner spoke of Mary Poppins, her work and friendships with top-

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3/11/2015 Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee Dee Wood

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Dee Dee Wood & Marc Breaux

Dee Dee Wood – Cover of Life Magazine

tier talents like Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera,John Denver and Sammy Davis, Jr. It was herprevious work with Van Dyke that prompted theuber-likable comic actor to recommend Woodand her husband Marc Breaux to “Uncle Walt”Disney to design and coach the memorable dancenumbers in the film.

Early in pre-production of Mary Poppins, Woodand Breaux were brainstorming possibilities forthe film’s innovative combined live-action andanimation sequence. In it, Bert (Dick Van Dyke),Mary Poppins, and the two Banks children sing,dance and frolic in a world of color and fantasy.Blocking through the choreography, Wooddeclared what a delight it would be to see Bert’swalking cane and Mary Poppins’ umbrella mimic their owners’ dance moves.Remarking “if only” such a thing were possible she was told “Dee Dee, never sayanything can’t be done at Disney.”

As if being deep in the creation of some of themost memorable moments in film history werenot enough, Wood and Breaux adopted theirfirst child while deep in rehearsals. Breauxreceived exciting news early one morning andwanted to share it with his wife in a very creativeway. Upon her arrival on a sound stage onemorning she saw a stork painted by a Disneyartist on an enormous mirrored wall. Paintednext to it was “It’s A Boy!” This is how Dee DeeWood learned of the birth of her first son,Michael.

Wood confirmed the accurate depiction of bookauthor P.L. Travers in the film Saving Mr.Banks. “We were working through the live-action animation sequence,” she said, whenTravers and “Uncle Walt” arrived. Wood, in a

proper British accent, impersonated the appalled Travers with “Dancing Penguins? Idon’t think so.”

Wood’s breakout work came in 1959’s Lil’ Abner, which landed her exuberant self onthe cover of Life Magazine. After Mary Poppins, Wood and Breaux choreographedmore monumental films, such as The Sound of Music and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Dee Dee Wood recounts another memorable moment, this during the shooting of TheSound of Music. She and the film crew were waiting on a mountaintop in Austria toshoot Julie Andrews’ iconic mountaintop scene, singing and dancing to the title song,The Sound of Music. “We were waiting for the clouds below us to lift!” she gushed. “Itwas really, really, really beautiful.”

Dee Dee Wood and Marc Breaux first discovered the rural desert enclave that wouldeventually become home in 1960. While visiting Arizona in the early 1970s, Dick VanDyke and his wife, Margerie, telephoned Wood and Breaux – who had not yetthemselves moved to Arizona – to ask about the beloved village the couple retreatedto so often. Cave Creek made an immediate impression and Van Dyke tendered anoffer on a home there after only peering in its windows. CBS wanted Van Dyke backon the air so badly that it renovated a nearby television studio to accommodate thecomic actor’s requirement to stay put in his new desert home. It was fromSouthwestern Studio, in neighboring Carefree, Arizona, that The New Dick Van Dyke

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3/11/2015 Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee Dee Wood

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Dee Dee Wood with best friends ChitaRivera & Dick Van Dyke

Show emanated.

Wood’s best friend remains Presidential Medalof Freedom recipient Chita Rivera. Woodchoreographed three Superbowl halftimeshows and, in 1984, the opening and closingceremonies of Summer Olympics in LosAngeles. Two years later came an EmmyAward for Outstanding Achievement inChoreography. Dee Dee Wood is also knownfor her work on ABC Television’s critically-acclaimed Liberty Weekend celebration of the100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.Today, in addition to Mary Poppins and allelse, Dee Dee Wood is well-known as anEmmy Award judge in current choreography.

Opinion by Gregory Baskin

Sources:Interview with Dee Dee Wood

One Response to Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee DeeWood

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Gregory BaskinOctober 29, 2014 at 6:40 am

Dee Dee joyously coaching the “Step In Time” dancers!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG6AKVMnXEg

3/11/2015 Mary Poppins at 50 and Choreographer Dee Dee Wood

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