Arizona Gymnastics Star Gets Hollywood Rub as Mikey Madison Drops Special Following Oscar Win

More often than not, we only tend to see the final result of a product. Take the Oscar award-winning ‘Anora’ for example. Portraying the incredible character of ‘Anora’, Mikey Madison received the best actress award on the glorious night. As she was overwhelmed with pride and excitement, Madison did not miss thanking the ones without whom things would not have been possible. And amidst a host of names in her Oscar acceptance speech, a former Arizona Gymcats gymnast too made the cut! 

Madison beamed with a broad smile as she thanked the sex worker community. She also mentioned the support of her team members and crews and also the choreographer for the movie, Kennady Schneider. Madison stated, “Thank you, Brighton Beach, for lending us your, yeah, your beautiful backdrop and incredible community. Also, thank you to Kennedy Schneider. Thank you to our incredible consultants.”

Well, as it turns out, the choreographer has a strong connection with US gymnastics. Schneider was a former member of the Arizona Wildcats. During her time with Arizona, she had quite a lot of accolades to show for. She secured the Second Team All-Conference in Floor back in 2017. In the same year, Schneider also clinched the Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.

Some of her mentionable personal bests include a 9.800 on the uneven bars, 9.850 on the balance beam, and 9.925 on the floor. Thus, when Mikey Madison named Schneider at the Oscars, the emotions seemed to have overflown back at Arizona. Taking to their official social handle, arizonagymcats posted a slide of Kennady Schneider getting acknowledged by Mikey Madison.

In the first picture, there was a collage of Schneider performing a mesmerizing routine in the Gymcats’ colors. Along with her was Madison, snapped during her acceptance speech. The next slide contained the auspicious moment when Madison went on to thank Schneider for her efforts in making her portray the character of ‘Anora’ flawlessly. 

Lastly, Arizona Gymnastics posted several screenshots of how Schneider was hailed by different audiences after the movie bagged the Oscars. One of them was the uazschoolofart. Being alumni of the school, they took to social media to express their pride in their former student.

The post read, “Congrats to School of Art alumna Kennady Schneider (BFA ’19, Photography, Video & Imaging), who received a shoutout from Best Actress winner Mikey Madison last night at the Oscars! Schneider taught Madison how to dance in the film and was the movement consultant for “Anora,” which won Best Picture and five total Oscars.”

But that was not all. An X account also took note of Madison acknowledging Schneider as the post read, “Mikey Madison thanked ‘Anora’ choreographer Kennady Schneider during her #Oscars l acceptance speech.” Well, with all the noise going on with Kennady Schneider, she does deserve every bit of it. It was her relentless hard work that brought the character of ‘Anora’ to life.

How Kennady Schneider sculpted Mikey Madison from novice to pro for Anora Performance

Mikey Madison had never danced a day in her life before stepping into the role of Ani in Anora. Yet, by the time the cameras rolled, she moved with the confidence and fluidity of a seasoned performer! However, such a transformation was no accident. Rather, it was the result of months of intensive training with choreographer and movement consultant Kennady Schneider.

Schneider, the former elite gymnast from Arizona, worked with Madison twice a week for three months before filming began. Even after production started, they continued choreographing over Zoom. “She was working before she was working,” Schneider says, emphasizing Madison’s dedication. From mastering the mechanics of pole dancing to embodying the natural, instinctive movements of a club performer, every minute detail was carefully honed.

A crucial part of their process was finding the right balance between technical precision and raw authenticity. The former gymnastics sensation shared, “Watching Mikey, it was wonderful to see the raw edges in the way that she dances and the groundedness and intuition that she had”. Instead of aiming for polished perfection, they embraced Ani’s unrefined yet powerful movement style, ensuring it felt true to her character and environment.

Schneider also guided Madison through the nuances of different pole dancing styles, shaping her performance into something organic rather than overly choreographed. “Pole dancing has a lot of different genres. It can look like ballet; it can look very angelic and polished, and it can also look very raw and powerful,” she explained in a candid conversation with Marie Claire.

The goal was not just to teach moves but to craft a performance. A performance that felt lived-in and real. By the end of their training, Madison wasn’t just executing tricks. Going beyond that, she was moving with a sense of purpose and identity. Her transformation into Ani was truly complete. And undoubtedly, their hard work and unwavering commitment bore the sweetest fruit.