When Teresa Espinosa decided to take an assistant choreographer position for Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL, she admits she wasn't fully aware of what she was getting into.
The Dallas native was offered the gig by Magic Mike choreographer Alison Faulk, a longtime friend and crewmate in breaking-dancing group Beat Freaks, who was deemed an obvious choice to head the project by a former roommate -- none other than a Mrs. Jenna Dewan-Tatum. Though Espinosa had tackled sexy and provocative performances with stars like Miley Cyrus and Ricky Martin, the two-movie series took the steamy factor to a new level.
"It's definitely at the top of the sexy scale," Espinosa said recently by phone.
It's certainly a high point in her career, which started late compared to most -- Espinosa took her first dance class at age 13. A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Espinosa cut her chops at dance clubs where she developed a unique style that combined her formal training with freestyle dancing, and earned the nickname "Ragdoll."
"Dance was the only thing I was good at, so when I showed up, I was hungry and on fire and I wanted to eat the world," Espinosa said.
That passion led Espinosa from Dallas to the California Institute for the Arts in 1992, and it didn't take long for her to excel. In 1998, just two years after graduating, Espinosa was on tour dancing behind Janet Jackson on the Velvet Rope Tour. She may not have known then the road would lead to male strippers, but she certainly isn't regretting it.
"There aren't that many words to describe how amazing this has been," Espinosa said.
Fortunately we were able to coax a few out of her to give readers a behind the scenes look at what it took to put the Magic Mike movies together. Here are the highlights.
The best part about choreographing Magic Mike XXL? Playing to the men's strengths.
The first movie served as a foundation for the guys to loosen up. In the second movie, the goal was to raise the bar beyond expectations, Espinosa said. And that meant creating stripper moves that played to the actors' strengths.
"It's not just 'Here I am, I'm going to do a cop number,'" she said. "They're showcasing their talents this time."
Channing Tatum may as well be listed as one of the choreographers, too.
Magic Mike was indeed inspired by the star's past as a stripper in Florida, so he's not short on moves, Espinosa said. In fact, he invented what she deemed the craziest stunt in the movie.
"One time, we were in rehearsal and he tells Alison [Faulk] to bend over and get on all fours. And he puts his hands around her legs -- and he didn't tell her he was doing this -- but he flipped her up in the air and her legs land over his shoulders. And then he lands backwards and drops on his back with her still on top. I was like, 'Oh my gosh! What was that?'" she said.
Don't be fooled: It takes a lot of effort to look as good as the actors in Magic Mike.
Sure, the actors of Magic Mike could be gifted, but Espinosa said their fitness regimen was strict. Each had a personal trainer, plus there was a work out trailer on-site during filming. Sometimes Tatum's trainer was on set for workouts in addition to the several hours of dance practice each day, she said. The actors had to eat cleanly too, no doubt. Matt Bomer (who plays Ken) recently told People that once filming wrapped, Tatum bought a buffet of everyone's favorite cheat foods. Well deserved!
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Magic Mike XXL opens in theaters nationwide on July 1, 2015. The film is rated R for mature (a.k.a. super sexy) content.
