Fann enters the graceful world of ballroom dancing in her latest
film, Dance of the Dragon. During the dance practice sessions for
the film, co-star Jang Hyuk couldn’t help stifling his laughter
whenever Fann danced. What was it about Fann that tickled
him?
23 April, 2008
Text: Teo Jing Ting
Editorial team: Juliana June Rasul, Dion Tang
First it was martial arts, now dance. It seems that local actress
Fann Wong never stops learning new skills. Playing a dance
instructor in her latest film, Dance of the Dragon, Fann had to
train 8 hours a day, with up to two months of dancing
preparation.
To fit her schedule, Fann had ballet lessons in the mornings and
Latin dance lessons in the afternoons. The trainings were so
strenuous that Fann hurt her second rib muscle and she was unable
to talk and laugh. While the injury took 10 days to heal, she
stopped ballet lessons after that. However, the funny thing was
that she never realized that were so many muscles in her body until
she was sore all over.
Jang Hyuk laughed every time I jumped!
Korean star Jang Hyuk plays Fann’s student as well as her love
interest. On him, Fann said that he is very devoted to his
work.
“I remember there was one time that he had a very bad stomach after
lunch, and we were filming a scene where he had to support my
weight,” said Fann. “He was very pale and I told him to go home, as
we could get a double to hold me.”
“But he insisted on doing it, even though he was out of shot,”
added Fann.
For their numerous dance scenes, both Jang Hyuk and Fann trained
under professional ballroom dancers Shawn and Gladys. Despite their
final grand dance scene, Fann revealed that they had never
practiced together. It was only until the week that they were
supposed to film the final dance that they started practicing
together.
But Fann was relieved. “Luckily, I was practicing the dance alone,”
said Fann. “I was so afraid that Jang Hyuk would laugh at
me!”
Well, the laugh did happen eventually. When they started practicing
together, Jang Hyuk would stifle a laugh every time Fann jumped. It
was only when she asked him then she realized what happened.
“Apparently, since I’m skinny, there would be a bone-cracking sound
every time I jumped!” recalled Fann. “Jang Hyuk said that it
sounded like a drum!”
For the first time that they had to dance together, each was also
afraid that they would hurt the other. As Fann put it, she felt
that she was a “big stone” each time she had to leap into Jang
Hyuk’s arms or when he had to support her.
In order to assure her of his strength, Jang Hyuk asked his
manager, who was nicknamed “King Kong” because of his size to leap
into his arms!
The amicable Jang Hyuk also initiated having a meal together as he
felt they had to get to know each other before filming the finale
dance. When asked what they talked about over meals, Fann said that
they would joke around and mainly about the differences in acting
life between Singapore and Korea. It was also then that Fann found
out that Jang Hyuk’s girlfriend was a pilates instructor!
“I asked him immediately why did she not come over, and he was so
taken aback!” laughed Fann.
In a separate interview with Jang Hyuk, he revealed that Fann
taught him her favourite word – “mei mei”, meaning “pretty”, and
she told him that this was important every time they had a photo
taken. When we asked Fann about this, she started laughing.
“Jang Hyuk was referring to me as ‘pretty sister’ in Korean,” said
Fann. “But I didn’t understand, so I asked his manager and found
out what it meant. So I decided to teach him the local version of
the word, so that it was easier for him to pick girls up!”
Jason Scott Lee’s a ‘free soul’!
Despite his large frame, Jason Scott Lee, who plays Fann’s
boyfriend in the movie, has a knack for making himself scarce, so
much so that Fann termed him a ‘free soul’.
“He is always disappearing, and you have no idea where he is!”
exclaimed Fann. “However, he is very serious and professional once
it comes to work.”
Jason, who is a big fan of martial arts, was so excited when he met
her for the first time as she had acted in Shanghai Knights
previously.
“He kept asking me so much about Shanghai Knights and the ‘kungfu’
that I had learnt,” reminisced Fann. “He was surprised that I only
learnt it for only one month though.”
I tried on 50 dresses a week!
It was the dress that almost stole the limelight from Fann. In the
final dance scene, Fann donned an 8,000 crystal red dress designed
by local designer Francis Cheong. Little did we know that lots of
alterations had to be made to the dress to fit Fann’s movements and
the seamstresses were busy making alterations the night before the
filming.
Fann also had to try on lots of costumes for this film, in order to
find the right fit and mood.
“I tried on 50 dresses a week!” exclaimed Fann. “Shawn and Gladys
also got their friends to lend me their costumes to try on!”
Watch Fann swivel and dance in her famous crystal-laden dress in
Dance of the Dragon, premiering on 23rd April, 2008.
http://www.mediacorptv.sg/en/buzzdetail/EDC080423-0000013
