Chu, Brooks, and Scott have been collaborating on creating onscreen musical dance for over a decade, dating back to the “Step Up” movies (“Step Up 3D” and “Step Up 2: The Streets”) and the TV series “The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.” “In the Heights” supplied the trio a canvas to try out a number of ideas that had been percolating for years, none moreso than Nina and Benny’s sunset glide up a building. Chu: [We] were in my apartment one day thinking about this number, and throughout we’d been challenging ourselves, “How does it feel to be in the emotion our characters are in?” Because that’s what going lead, not to dance numbers, but, “What does it feel like to be in love?” We kept going back to that Warner Brothers cartoon idea of flying, of lifting up, when you see those characters float up off the ground when they kiss somebody. I was still going to choreograph that little ending moment, and I showed Jon the kiss, and he goes, “No, that’s the end.” “Ah, but can we please, I think the last part could be cool too,” and he’s like, “That’s it.” He’s like, “Chris, it ends there.” And I was like, “Yeah you’re right it does, it ends.
