Dance Intro Analysis- Monica Cook

“Do the Right Thing” by Spike Lee features a dance intro by Rosie Perez. Rosie dances to “Fight the Power” by public enemy. The intensity of the dance increases as the song continues and becomes more aggressive. At first Rosie is in a red dress, followed by a blue leotard and motorcycle jacket, then a black and silver boxing outfit. Each outfit was related to the intensity of the dance she was doing in that order. The red dress at first was just playful dance moves that got more powerful and focused as the song continued. The blue leotard was second and her moves were much harder and stronger. When she was in the boxing outfit she appeared to be “fighting the power.” Towards the end during the lines about Elvis being a hero the dance is most intense because the lyrics and beat are most powerful.

Another aspect of the intro to consider is the coloring of the scenery and camera angles. There were many close ups on Rosie’s face while she was dancing and they captured very tense and angry expressions. There were high shots that panned down to mid-shots, the mid shots where few but were focused on the moves. Far shots were used to capture the dance moves and change of lighting as the music intensified. The credits and outfits were brighter colors, and the backgrounds were dark and lit from behind with red and orange light. As the dance got more intense the background faded to a dark red to almost dark, especially when she was dressed as the boxer or in the leotard.

Spike Lee wanted viewers to see the dance and the credits, so they stand out against the background and against each other. Neons are used for the writing and they are also not placed over the dancer but to the side. The location of the dancer and the outfits are also related. The red dress is in front of a house, the blue leotard and leather jacket are in a neighborhood setting, and the boxing outfit is placed in an alley with graffiti. All the aspects: sound, dress, and scenery are tied together in the intro to successfully create a mood. It seems as if Rosie is really in a fight in the end.