While there have been plenty of great, memorable, “above and beyond” moments associated with the Met Gala, it takes a very special circumstance to top the pure spectacle of Rihanna’s now-legendary table dance. In a merry twist of fate, Anna Wintour, the grand architect of the Met Gala, has revealed that all this was orchestrated by on-set director Baz Luhrmann to create an instant highlight in the history books of Met Galas.
Talking of this to the press recently, Wintour revealed how magic was set to unfold when Luhrmann was called to infuse his own energy and spontaneity around the annual fashion gala. This high-stakes production itself for the 2015 Met Gala, celebrating the theme “China: Through the Looking Glass,” had already invited Luhrmann for adding his unique touch in form and feel for the evening, with the director known for overseeing lavish visuals with bold direction, not least as seen in Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby, Luhrmann took Wintour’s call for a dynamic, immersive experience and ran with it—bringing the evening alive in ways even Wintour hadn’t anticipated.
Luhrmann, an experienced director who knows how to tap the charm of superstars, saw in Rihanna the possibility of bringing an extraordinary twist to the night. As Wintour would put it, Luhrmann indulged all his instincts, urging the music to get louder, lights on Rihanna, and just right as she got up on the table to the astonishment of everybody in the auditorium. Unscripted, that dance on the table was not planned, but it is Luhrmann’s orchestration of mood and setting, under which Rihanna receives the nourishment of star power, turning what might have been an innocuous dinner at the Met Gala to an event in the performance art that it remains today.
Wintour praised the unique ability of Luhrmann to “bring out the theatricality” from the most intimate space. “Baz knows exactly how to get people in the spirit,” she explained. Rihanna’s dance was a natural extension of the energy he brought into the room, something like a total celebration of creativity, fashion, and art.
Sometimes, the Met Gala dances perilously close to art and theater-the arts closer to acting, as Luhrmann’s instincts prove just the right stuff for a flamboyant yet refined celebration. It has since been a defining moment for Rihanna at the Met Gala, underlining the magic and spontaneity of it. Thanks to Wintour’s trust in Luhrmann and his visionary approach, the gala that night took on an atmosphere of playful unpredictability – an essence that has kept audiences around the world eager for each year’s event.
