Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega credits Siouxsie Sioux, 80s goths and more as influences on her dance moves in that scene everyone's talking about

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Actress Jenna Ortega reveals the influences behind her kooky dance moves in Tim Burton's new Netflix series, Wednesday

Siouxsie Sioux and Wednesday Addams
(Image credit: Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images, Netflix)

Tim Burton's new spooky spectacle Wednesday finally aired on Netflix last week, and there's one scene in the series that everyone can't seem to stop talking about.

In episode four Woe What A Night, the daughter of the Addams family, Wednesday, begrudgingly attends the Rave’N dance at Nevermore, the school for outcasts and all sorts of creepy adolescent creatures. Once there, she showcases an array of gloriously ghoulish dance moves while The Cramps’ Goo Goo Muck plays through the sound system.

As it turns out, the actress playing Wednesday, Jenna Ortega, actually choreographed the scene herself, which was just one of many new challenges she undertook for her role, which included having to learn how to play the cello. 

Taking to Twitter to reveal the influences behind her boogie, Ortega notes how she turned to goth icon Siouxsie Sioux, as well as archive footage of goths dancing in clubs in the 80s, among other figures, for ideas. 

After the official Twitter account for Wednesday's character wrote; "Dancing is one of my favourite things to do. Along with gravedigging, conducting autopsies, and glaring uncomfortably", Ortega quote tweeted:

"Thanks to Siouxsie Sioux, Bob Fosse’s Rich Man’s Frug, Lisa Loring, Lene Lovich, Denis Lavant, and archival footage of goths dancing in clubs in the 80’s. Helped me out on this one."

Fans were also quick to notice how Ortega even incorporated moves carried out by the classic Addams family cast. One fan writes: "You threw a move in there that was an homage to John Astin's Gomez. Don't think we don't see you. Well done". Another notices how she even used movements from Lisa Lorings' portrayal of Wednesday  from the 60s.

In a new video posted by Netflix, in which sees the cast react to the popular scene, Ortega notes: "I actually felt really insecure about this. I choreographed that myself and I think it’s very obvious that I’m not a dancer or choreographer.”

She also reveals while in conversation Vulture, how not only was it her first time choreographing, but that she put the sequence together just days before director Tim Burton was to shoot the scene.

Check it out below:

Cannibalism, The Cramps and THAT Wednesday dance scene: the weird story of Goo Goo Muck

Liz Scarlett
Liz Scarlett
Content Editor

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.