Who Put the "Feet" in "Happy Feet"?

An article in The New York Times about "Happy Feet" argued that Savion Glover, the tap dancer who provided the movement for Mumble, didn't receive appropriate credit for what he provided. The famous actors who provided voices are heralded as the film's stars: Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams and so on.

But Savion Glover, the Times writer John Rockwell claims, is a true star of this film. He provides the dance moves, the motion, the tapping, the literal happy feet, for crying out loud; yet, according to Rockwell, his name is buried in the credits that roll past at the end.

Rockwell wrote, "Ms. Kaufman [of the Washington Post] continued that Mr. Glover felt Mr. Miller [Director of "Happy Feet"] had done a noble deed, reminding the world of the glory of tap, and that 'Happy Feet' would inspire 'a resurgence in the dance, to really help us maintain our presence.'

"Maybe," Rockwell concedes, "But what about Mr. Glover’s presence, and his role as tap’s personification?

"As the film’s endless credits crawl past, one finds Mr. Glover listed way down the line, as Mumble’s dancer and choreographer."

Now, I haven't even seen "Happy Feet" yet, so I can't say anything about the film itself. But I want to do my part in promoting amazing talent and giving credit where credit is due. Besides, I love clips and shows that take you behind the scenes to let you peek at how movie magic is made.

Here's the "making of" Happy Feet clip on YouTube that shows Savion Glover tapping in a motion suit. Glover, Kelley Abbey (choreographer) and George Miller (director) explain the process of capturing Glover's moves to give motion to Mumble.

A trailer from the film takes up a minute or so at the beginning, so you can slide over to about 1:12 to hear them talking about the dancing (intermingled with clips from the film). I was especially intrigued when the camera panned back to show Glover dancing on the set and in the same shot you can see the monitor that was showing the computerized Mumble matching the movements in animation. Pretty amazing what they can do.

I don't mean to diminish the voicework of the actors who got top billing.

I just want Savion Glover to get credit for his role in this film. It is, after all, called Happy Feet. It's Glover's moves that are sending families out of the theaters groovin' and tapping away down cineplex hallways all the way to the parking lot.