鈥淗ow do you describe funny?鈥� asks Kathryn Burns, choreographer of the hit musical comedy TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to put your finger on, but, for me, I have a code word. [It鈥檚] when something is 鈥榞ross.鈥� When I live really honestly in the genre that we鈥檙e creating, it鈥檚 gross and good and funny.鈥�
For Burns, gross is innovative and surprising; 鈥渢here鈥檚 a certain quirkiness and playfulness to it,鈥� she says. Above all, it鈥檚 truthful. As in stand-up or any non-musical comedy series, the best jokes land because of their honesty. 鈥淭here鈥檚 truth in comedy,鈥� Burns explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a book you have to get when you sign up for UCB鈥�Truth in Comedy. The same is true with movement.鈥�
Burns鈥� affinity for the 鈥済ross鈥� made her the perfect match for Crazy Ex鈥檚 co-creator and star, Rachel Bloom, whose off-color and unconventional satire (see her video 鈥淔*ck Me, Ray Bradbury鈥� from her pre-Crazy Ex days) found a permanent home on The CW. (The series was just renewed for a third season.) The pair initially met in Los Angeles when Bloom auditioned for one of Burns鈥� Quick and Funny Musicals at Upright Citizens Brigade, which Burns produced and choreographed beginning in 2008.
A musical theatre performer鈥攈aving danced in Los Angeles productions of Spamalot and The Producers鈥擝urns secured her first big job with the UCB film Freak Dance and continued choreographing for comedy greats like Key and Peele, including their viral sketch 鈥淎erobics Meltdown.鈥� When Bloom sold Crazy Ex to The CW, she took Burns on as the full-time series choreographer.
鈥淚 really like music to dictate the movement, as well as the story,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 a dance that you couldn鈥檛 just lay over a different piece of music.鈥� Burns combines Crazy Ex鈥檚 specific sound and story with her background in dance and musical theatre. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e doing a dream ballet and the rhinoceros is stabbing Josh鈥濃€攁n actual sequence choreographed in the Season 2 tuner鈥斺€渋t would be the most beautiful stab. If it鈥檚 a theatrical death in a ballet, [the question is] what is the most beautiful or theatrical way to die?鈥�
The scenario sounds wacky and inherently funny, but Burns isn鈥檛 necessarily angling for the laugh. 鈥淚 need to focus on authenticity of movement,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f we do a Bollywood number, I鈥檒l look at old Bollywood movies and Bollywood performances. If we do an aerobics number, I鈥檒l look at Jane Fonda, so influences are really specific to me.鈥�
Her research paid off. Burns won a 2016 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for the series鈥� Bollywood-inspired 鈥淚鈥檓 So Good at Yoga,鈥� as well as 鈥淎 Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes鈥� and the Fred-and-Ginger-style 鈥淪ettle For Me,鈥� an especially impressive achievement considering all of her fellow nominees came from reality dance competition shows.
鈥淟ooking back over the history of the Emmys, not a lot of comedies win ever,鈥� says Burns of her category. In fact, Burns鈥� recognition marks the first time in over 20 years the Television Academy awarded routines from a comedy series for Outstanding Choreography.
What鈥檚 more, she creates these full-scale musical numbers鈥攍ike 鈥淭he Math of Love Triangles鈥� 脿 la 鈥淒iamonds Are a Girl鈥檚 Best Friend鈥� and 鈥淲e Tapped That Ass鈥� 脿 la 鈥淢oses鈥濃€攊n a few short hours due to the whirlwind production schedule. (Those improv days at UCB pay off.)
Still, Burns' ability to capture the precise tone of the show, hit the humor, and provide high-quality dance in a variety of styles sets her apart from other choreographers. For that, she deserves notoriety鈥攅ven if it鈥檚 just for being gross.
Plus, Patti LuPone guest stars alongside Tovah Feldshuh on the January 13 episode.
