Entertainment
Calgary dancer takes centre stage at Oscars during ‘Naatu Naatu’ | Globalnews.ca
But 15 minutes into the 95th Academy Awards, that’s just what Billy Mustapha was doing as a preview for his performance dancing to what would be the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu.
“Pushing Jimmy Kimmel was a moment I will never forget,” Mustapha told Global News from Los Angeles. “He was hilarious and told us to really push him, so it was fun to surprise him with unexpected shoves in all directions.”
Dressed in a blue shirt and grey suit, Mustapha was one of two principal dancers representing the main characters in the number from RRR, a 2022 Indian epic action drama film.
“It was insane. The feeling that my heart was just pounding in my chest (as) the elevator was lifting up – I knew all the people in the audience were starting to see me and just being like, ‘I got this.’ Reminding myself, ‘This is what I trained my whole life for.’”
Mustapha grew up in Calgary and started dancing at seven years old. But it took some work to find the artistic expression that would end up placing him centre stage in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
“My family was very big on, ‘You need to have something.’ My mom always was like, ‘You need to do something,’” he recalls.
“I have two brothers, and we did hockey and soccer and kickboxing and wrestling and like all of the things. And I went to watch my sister’s dance recital and I was like, ‘Mom, I, I want to do that.’ And in full support she was like, ‘Let’s sign you up right away.’ So she signed me up at Dance Spectrum.”
A musical theatre class was his entry into dance, and under the support and tutelage of Amanda Sturrock, Mustapha quickly immersed himself in all the offerings at the local dance school.
The preparations and turnaround for the Sunday night performance were quick, with iterative rehearsals for the viral sensation dance beginning Tuesday in Los Angeles.
“You learn the base of the steps, and then you start to kind of put it in some staging and then hopefully are learning your lyrics (to lip sync) while that happens even if they’re in a language you don’t speak,” he recalled, adding it wasn’t until he got into the audition process that he became aware of the song.
“The song is such a banger, but the movie is so brilliant.”
RRR became the first film from India and Asia to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It won the same award at the 80th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 10, another first for an Indian film.
The Oscars performance came under fire for its casting, with dancers on stage not of South Asian descent.
13
A performance of the song “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles features principal dancers Billy Mustapha (L) and Jason Glover.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
23
A performance of the song “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
33
A performance of the song “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Mustapha, a Lebanese-Canadian, said he believes in the importance of representation in the arts. And he struggled internally with the decision made by the casting department.
“To walk in that (audition) room and just not know what I’m stepping into, and then be told that I’m doing a specific role that is maybe not my ethnicity or maybe not the character that I truly am is – it does happen a lot and it just comes down to casting and who they chose for the role,” he said.
Mustapha would have loved to see more South Asian representation on stage as he danced alongside singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava.
“I was trying to show what they showed on camera, on stage.”
Monday morning, he was still buzzing from the performance in front of a theatre full of Hollywood’s stars.
“The celebration after completing that dance (to Naatu Naatu): it was triumphant, just because that dance is like running a sprint that feels like a marathon,” he said, noting the unpredictability that comes with live performances.
Mustapha isn’t new to dancing roles on television, with credits in shows like Once Upon a Time, Freaky Friday, 2019’s The Twilight Zone, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas. He made the silver screen last year as a dancer in A Cinderella Story: Starstruck.
The spot on Once Upon a Time came shortly after Mustapha relocated to Vancouver, where he also found mentors in Moe Brody and Jillian Meyers.
Having also been featured in commercials for the soft drink Pepsi and been an assistant choreographer for an Apple commercial, Mustapha is “extremely happy” with where his career is. He’s eyeing as many roles in the entertainment industry as he can, including acting and touring with a musical artist.
“If I told my childhood self that I would be here right now, he would just be like through the moon and he wouldn’t even believe the things that I have gotten to accomplish.”
A nation celebrates RRR
The Oscar win for the song from RRR alongside the best documentary short win for The Elephant Whisperers caused an entire nation to celebrate.
“No words can describe this surreal moment. Dedicating this to all our amazing fans across the world. THANK YOU!!,” the Twitter account for RRR posted.
Television news showed images of people dancing to the song in the streets in India, minutes after the award was announced, even as #NaatuNaatu was a top trend on Twitter.
“The popularity of Naatu Naatu is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Twitter, congratulating the team behind the song.
In the film, made in the South Indian language of Telugu, and directed by S.S. Rajamouli, Naatu Naatu begins when the two leads, played by Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr., flaunt their dance skills after being bullied as the only Indian people invited to a British party in colonial times.
When a young British man aims racist insults at the leads, they decide to educate him using the song Naatu Naatu.
During the scene, which was filmed at Ukraine’s grand Mariinskyi Palace, everyone at the party, including the scoffing British man, tries to master the moves.
At the Oscars, composer M.M. Keeravani burst into song while accepting the award on stage, along with songwriter Chandrabose.
–with files from Reuters
Entertainment
Justin Roiland slams ‘horrible lies’ after domestic violence charges dropped – National | Globalnews.ca
“We dismissed the charges today because there was insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt,” said Orange County district attorney’s spokeswoman Kimberly Edds on Wednesday.
Roiland, 43, was facing one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit in connection with an alleged January 2020 incident involving a former girlfriend. After the charges came to light, Roiland was dropped by Adult Swim and Hulu Originals, affecting a variety of television shows he was involved in.
Roiland celebrated the dismissal, tweeting “justice” along with a statement.
“I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come,” he wrote. “I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.”
Roiland added that he was “disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of a bitter ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.’”
Roiland was charged back in May 2020 and pleaded not guilty. The charges went unnoticed by media outlets until Roiland’s case went to a pre-trial hearing this January.
When the domestic violence charges became public, Adult Swim, which airs Rick and Morty, announced it had cut ties with Roiland. Along with being a co-creator with Dan Harmon, Roiland also provided the voice acting for the show’s two titular characters. The network said they would recast his roles and Rick and Morty would continue without him.
Hulu Originals, which produced two other animated series that Roiland worked on, Solar Opposites and Koala Man, announced at the time that it had also dropped Roiland and would recast his roles.
Adult Swim and Hulu Originals have both declined to comment on Roiland’s charges being dropped.
Roiland’s lawyer, T. Edward Welbourn, wrote that he’s “thankful justice has prevailed.”
“I commend the Orange County district attorney’s office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin,” he added in a statement to Variety.
Roiland noted on Twitter that he is “determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”
— With files from The Associated Press
—
Global News and Adult Swim (Canada) are both properties of Corus Entertainment.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Entertainment
‘Bachelor in Paradise Canada’: Meet the hopefuls looking for love – National | Globalnews.ca
The show, an offshoot of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, features singles from the franchise in a more “relaxed” environment as they continue to search for love. Much like its American counterpart, Bachelor in Paradise, there’s plenty of drama, drinking and dates, but also feels quintessentially Canadian in a way, with a more laid-back vibe.
This season’s cast of 27 eligible singles features a mix of 13 Canadian and U.S. Bachelor alumni and 14 Canadian fans from #BachelorNation.
Bachelor alum Kevin Wendt returns as bartender and Ottawa’s Sharleen Joynt, an alum from Juan Pablo’s season of The Bachelor, signs on as host for the upcoming season.
Fans will also be treated to guest appearances by Bachelor alumni Demi Burnett, Abigail Heringer and Noah Erb, and Astrid Loch, Canadian singer-songwriters Lindsay Ell and Tyler Shaw, and Canadian drag superstar The Queen Priyanka.
Scroll to check out the cast below.
Tessa
Age: 27
Job: HR Strategist
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fun Fact: At the top of Tessa’s bucket list are playing at the Grand Ole Opry, going to space and meeting Stevie Nicks.
Shaz
Age: 24
Job: Yoga instructor/model
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Shaz once had Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield record a personalized video for a boyfriend.
Sam
Age: 33
Job: Entrepreneur
Hometown: St. John’s, N.L.
Fun Fact: Sam’s top fears are spiders, tornadoes and commitment.
Rianna
Age: 27
Job: Registered nurse
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Texas
Fun Fact: Rianna is obsessed with Greek mythology.
Quartney
Age: 28
Job: Supplement brand owner
Hometown: Dallas
Fun Fact: Quartney knows how to play the baritone.
Paige
Age: 31
Job: Director of talent acquisition
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: These Boots Were Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra would be Paige’s walk-up song.
Nithisha
Age: 26
Job: Insurance company manager
Hometown: Stouffville, Ont.
Fun Fact: Nithisha describes herself as a huge germophobe.
Meagan
Age: 28
Job: Interior designer/actor
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Meagan’s most romantic gesture was buying a star for her ex-fiancé.
Matia
Age: 28
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Toronto and Miami
Fun Fact: When he was younger, Matia used to build computers as a hobby.
Marilyn
Age: 26
Job: Executive assistant
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Marilyn has appeared on the cover of two romance novels.
Maria
Age: 30
Job: Apparel and textile designer
Hometown: Toronto and Cartagena, Colombia
Fun Fact: Maria’s first kiss took place on a bridge in Venice during a high school class trip to Italy.
Lisa
Age: 29
Job: Cosplay artist
Hometown: St. Catharines, Ont.
Fun Fact: Lisa can summon squirrels on demand.
Linda
Age: 23
Job: Construction worker/model
Hometown: Yellowknife, N.W.T.
Fun Fact: Linda’s celebrity crush is 50 Cent.
Krissy
Age: 27
Job: Model
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Krissy’s first kiss was during a game of “spin the bottle” and she was so nervous that she banged heads with the recipient of the kiss.
Juan Pablo
Age: 32
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Juan Pablo can beatbox with his hands.
Josh
Age: 29
Job: Filmmaker
Hometown: Vancouver
Fun Fact: Josh’s biggest deal-breaker is an inconsistent personality.
Joey
Age: 32
Job: Actor/model
Hometown: Redcliff, Alta.
Fun Fact: Joey says the most romantic thing he’s ever done is give someone the last bite of his meal.
Jake
Age: 22
Job: Holistic nutritionist
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Jake’s celebrity crush is Megan Fox.
Godfrey
Age: 29
Job: Boxing trainer
Hometown: Toronto
Fun Fact: Becoming a billionaire and finding true love are at the top of Godfrey’s bucket list.
Garrett
Age: 34
Job: Tech CEO
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Fun Fact: Garrett lists ballroom dancing and spearfishing as two of his hidden talents.
Edward
Age: 28
Job: Fitness coach
Hometown: Los Angeles
Fun Fact: Cheesecake, ice cream and avocados are the three foods you can always find in Edward’s fridge.
Connor
Age: 30
Job: Musician
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Fun Fact: You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon would be Connor’s walk-up song.
Cole
Age: 28
Job: Adventure guide
Hometown: Los Angeles
Fun Fact: Cole is afraid of the deep open ocean.
Chelsea
Age: 29
Job: Model/content creator
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fun Fact: Chelsea says Zendaya would play her in a movie about her life.
Céline
Age: 25
Job: Flight attendant
Hometown: Winnipeg
Fun Fact: Mama’s boys are a deal-breaker for Céline.
Austin
Age: 26
Job: Real estate agent/personal trainer
Hometown: Orange County, Calif.
Fun Fact: Austin’s first kiss happened at a school dance while slow dancing to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.
Ana
Age: 27
Job: Talent agent
Hometown: Montreal
Fun Fact: Skydiving and visiting each continent are at the top of Ana’s bucket list.
—
Bachelor in Paradise Canada premieres Monday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv, Citytv+ and Citytv.com, and through the Citytv app.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Entertainment
Interested in booking a campsite in Alberta’s mountains? Parks Canada has some tips | Globalnews.ca
“The updated platform that we’re running with functioned very well and as expected,” said Pamela Clark, who runs visitor experience for Jasper National Park. “The queuing, the site selection and the payment process operated very smoothly, even with the increased volumes that we experienced.”
Demand for campsites continues to increase and has been going up significantly for the last three or four years.
“When we launched (the Parks Canada online reservation system) back in 2015, we had about 1,800 reservations on launch day,” Clark said of Jasper. “Now, fast-forward to 2023, we’re over 20,000 reservations on launch day.
Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park summer 2022.
Supplied: Parks Canada
“People know we have a reservation system. They understand it’s the best way of ensuring that they have a site that meets their needs,” she said.
“What we’ve seen in the last four or five years, when it really started to pick up in 2019 and 2020 — even the use of our national parks — is people are gravitating towards the outdoor opportunities and just the natural escapes.”
For Jasper National Park, reservations for front-country (serviced) sites launched March 16. Bookings for back-country sites launched March 20.
“When users logged in at 8 a.m. last Thursday morning, there were about over 22,000 people in our waiting room but we were able to manage those volumes, and the average wait time was about 30 minutes,” Clark said.
The phased approach to site bookings reduces overall volume and helps the reservation site operate more smoothly. Clark said Parks Canada uncoupled backcountry reservations for Banff and Jasper because the combined volumes created issues in the booking system.
“The older system really wasn’t able to keep up with the volumes that we’ve been experiencing, especially in the last three or four years, volumes have increased substantially,” Clark said. “Even from last year to this year, we experienced a volume increase for reservations of over 6,000.”
For Banff National Park, reservations for front-country sites launch on Thursday, March 23. Back-country bookings opened Wednesday morning.
As other areas open up, Clark has some tips for people looking to book a spot.
“They should get onto our website — Parks Canada reservations — and look through all the tips on there. They should open up a profile if they don’t have one yet or update their profile if they’ve been on the system before. And they should get acquainted with the areas they want to be camping in.
“Have a plan. Have a couple backup plans, that’s really important.”
Jasper National Park has more than 2,000 campsites, the second-largest inventory of campgrounds managed under one park in North America, Clark said. Together, the mountain national parks have about 5,000 campsites. Despite an “abundant” inventory, there’s just so much demand in July and August.
Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park summer 2022.
Supplied: Parks Canada
Serviced, front-country campsites in Jasper National Park for dates in those peak months get snapped up within hours.
“After our launch day, there really is no availability in July and August, but there’s still lots of availability in May, June, September for campers who are looking and can be a little more flexible in their departure dates and aren’t looking for serviced sites.
“At this point, for service sites, you’re looking at October. There’s really no availability in serviced sites from May until September,” Clark said. “They’re really popular.”
If you were unable to book a campsite in the area you want at the time you were hoping for, Parks Canada suggests looking at less-peak times or staying just outside the national parks.
“There are also campgrounds on the outskirts of the (Jasper National) park — in Mt Robson Provincial Park, also in the Hinton area.”
Alberta Parks opens provincial campsite bookings 90 days before the scheduled stay. For instance, on March 22, reservations would be open for a late June camping trip.
“And, if you really have these dates in mind, you can check back to see if there are cancellations because from time to time there are, and you might be the fortunate one who gets a cancellation.”
For the more adventurous camper, backcountry sites are an option too.
“There’s still availability along some of the lesser-known backcountry trails,” Clark said. “The ones that quickly get booked up are the iconic classics — so Skyline and Maligne — there is no availability left for the summer. But there is availability in almost all the other trail areas that we manage.”
And one more great tip for anyone visiting a park in Alberta?
“When they’re coming to a national park, they take on the stewardship of these areas, they follow the special rules, they put the garbage where it belongs and they follow that wildlife-watching etiquette,” Clark said.
“It’s really super important that we all share in taking care of these wild spaces.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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