Wednesday Star Jenna Ortega Initially Lied to Tim Burton About Her Progress on That Iconic Dance

There’s simply no denying Wednesday‘s status as a hit. Since its debut, the Netflix show has been at the center of countless TikTok trends, a goth-inspired fashion movement, and its even become a source of inspo for multiple celebs. There’s a lot to love about the show, but one particular scene has truly captured the hearts of fans. 

At one point in the series, Wednesday attends at a dance at Nevermore. True to her status as an individual, Wednesday takes to the dance floor with an extravagant and impressive set of moves. The dance scene, which Jenna choreographed herself, is so beloved that it’s become a TikTok sensation, and as Jenna revealed, she actually didn’t have that much time to work on her moves.

While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jenna shared that she had only days to create her dance masterpiece. As she explained, Tim Burton, who directs the series, checked in on her progress two days before scheduled shooting.  “He was like, ‘I know you got it, you’ve been working on it, I’m not even worried about it. I trust you.’ And I said, ‘Oh, yeah. You know, it’s all so good.'”

Jenna went on to confess that she was kind of lying about her progress, saying, “I had not gone over it at all. I was doing cello that week, fencing that week. I just didn’t have time… Oh my God, I was kicking myself. I felt like such a fool.”

So, with just two days to go, Jenna got to work. “I’m not a dancer. I don’t do any of that. I have no experience in that field,” she said. “I didn’t sleep for two days. I watched videos of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Denis Lavant in Beau Travail. I found archival footage of goth kids dancing in clubs in the ’80s. Lene Lovich. Nina Hagen. And then, on the day, I thought, ‘All right, let’s see what happens.'”