Jennifer Lopez gave a compelling performance as Ramona Vega Hustlers; directed by Lorene Scafaria, with a story about a group of strippers that con rich NYC men. The Bronx-born artist was nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress but lost to Kathy Bates. Lopez was also snubbed at the Oscars, causing an uproar online with fans accusing the Academy of not giving a fair shot to the singer and other artists —including Adam Sandler— who weren’t primarily known for their dramatic roles.
Jennifer Lopez And Her ‘Insane’ Pole Dance
Released on September 13 last year, Scafaria’s movie received praise by viewers and critics alike, appreciating the star-studded ensemble cast, also including Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart as well as cameos by Cardi B, Lizzo, and Usher.
The first meeting between Wu’s character Destiny and Lopez’s Ramona takes place at the strip club where they both work. Ramona is the star of the place, loved by all regulars, and it doesn’t take long to understand why. As Ramona dances to Fiona Apple’s Criminal and ecstatic customers throw dollar bills at her, Destiny is absolutely mesmerized.
And just like Destiny, the crew on set was in awe of Lopez’s skills. In her Instagram stories, Lopez shared a clip capturing the moments after she performed the now famous pole dance routine, which required the singer to train with a Cirque Du Soleil artist Johanna Sapaki for two months prior to filming.
In the video, Scafaria congratulates Lopez, saying the pole dance looked “unreal” and “insane”.
“It looked so f***ing good,” the filmmaker added.
“Okay, I feel like crying a little bit,” Lopez said into the camera.
Jennifer Lopez Pole Danced At The Super Bowl
The pole dance became so popular, J. Lo incorporated it into her halftime show at the Super Bowl in February 2020. Lopez and Colombian pop sensation Shakira headlined the popular slot during the match between Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
Their halftime show went down in history as a beautiful, sexy celebration of Latin American music and it was such a high-standard performance it scored four Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The show also got nominations for Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting, and Outstanding Music Direction For A Variety Special.
Dancing show World Of Dance, where Lopez serves as a judge, also bagged a nomination for Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming.