How AILEY Brought “Under the Sea” to Life

The live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, had the challenge of translating Ariel’s lush underwater kingdom into a photorealistic wonderland.

 When it came to one of the film’s biggest production numbers, “Under the Sea,” director Rob Marshall invited Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers to inspire the movement of the various sea creatures. 

The Ailey dancers joined the production in London and worked with choreographers Joey Pizzi and Tara Nicole. They donned skirts, feathered sleeves, and bejeweled headdresses to emulate the movement of jellyfish, turtles, and other dancing fish.  

Daveed Diggs, who voiced Sebastian the crab in the film, said he remembered seeing the dancers rehearsing choreography on the first day. “They were going to help embody the movements of these sea creatures and that, to me, blew my whole mind,” he said. 

“It was just amazing how creative they all were and how beautifully it all tied together,” Halle Bailey said of working with the dancers. 

The experience of contributing to this adaptation of The Little Mermaid was just as rewarding for the Ailey dancers. “Everyone has been warm and inviting,” said dancer Jeroboam Bozeman. “It’s an absolute honor to be a part of it.” 

Watch the video on the making of “Under the Sea”