Newsies "Get Up and Go"

July 19, 2014

We love these guys so much we just HAD to put them on our July/August 2012 cover. (Photo by Jacob Pritchard)

Have we mentioned lately that we’re obsessed with the Broadway show Newsies? OK, maybe we have once or twice (or maybe it was three times). But can you blame us? I mean, Disney sure knows how to put on a completely dance-tastic show. If you’ve seen it, you can probably relate to that overwhelming desire to get up out of your seat and seize the day right alongside these über-talented dancers.

Disney has capitalized on that urge as a part of its new “Get Up and Go” campaign. The idea behind it is pretty self-explanatory: It’s about using dance—specifically Broadway dance—to get kids moving. Since December, Newsies cast members have been visiting participating NYC schools to talk to students about healthy living and to teach them some of the choreography from the show. (Jealous!)

This week, Disney released a free online tutorial with Newsies choreographer Christopher Gattelli teaching a section of “Seize the Day.” Now you don’t have to be in one of those NYC schools to get in on the fun! Oh, and they got none other than Michelle Obama to introduce the tutorial. Super casual. If you think about it, it makes sense—”Get Up and Go” has a similar mission to the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign.

The cast will also include live tutorials in select cities as a part of their upcoming national tour. And this is just the beginning: Disney plans to continue “Get Up and Go” with Aladdin and The Lion King in 2015.

Look out for Gattelli and select cast members on “Good Morning America” this Tuesday, July 22. They’ll be teaching the choreo to a live audience in NYC’s Times Square. And in the meantime, check out the tutorial below, and get dancin’!