Now you want to talk about something fun I learned while out in Hollywood! I got a chance to meet one of the original dancers from the cult classic Disney film Mary Poppins and his name is Pete Menefee! Come inside for more!
I loved Mr.Meneffe’s personality he was a spit-fire for sure lol! I learned so much about him and boy is he talented in so many ways! He was one of the original dancers in the movie Mary Poppins and did many dangerous stunts in the chimney scene. They filmed that movie in the summer of May ’63.
“They built a set [that was] very springy so no one’s legs would get messed up like you do dancing on the concrete or hard surfaces and the entire set that you see – all the rooftops, all the chimney tops, all the railings, everything – was built as a floating unit because they didn’t really know until they set the dance number with the configuration of the rooftop was gonna be,” said Menefee.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen the movie but the “chimney sweep” dance scene, I remember the most. Menefee is now 71 years-of age but still has lots of spunk. He told me when he was younger, he knew many minorities that could dance but way back then it was extremely hard for dancers of color to find work, even with a good referral. A salary for a dancer back then was around $500 a week.
After retiring from dancing he became a costume designer. He shared with us many sketches from working with Disney on Ice, The Ice Follies, showgirls in Vegas, actress Nell Carter, Diana Ross, Cher and even the rock group KISS! I was in awh as he showed us outlandish and colorful costumes and gave us a huge roster of celebrities he worked with!
I asked him what his thoughts were of Miley Cyrus “twerkin” and he said, “that aint nothing but good ol’ grinding!” I fell out laughing, he was a hoot to chat with and I really enjoyed his conversation.
Oh by the way guys, if you love Mary Poppins, Pete Menefee and the other rooftop chimney sweep dancers, will be in the 50th Anniversary Edition of Mary Poppins, available this week! Yay! Check out some of his sketch art below it’s pretty amazing! xoxo
