Flashdance: Welding, Wigs and The Gayest Welding Burlesque Bar (COMMISSIONED)

The GymCastic Movie Club takes on FLASHDANCE—the runaway 1983 hit that is essentially a collection of MTV music videos held together by sparks, leg warmers and vibes. Thank you, Rose for commissioning this episode.  We discuss the stunt wigs, the film's gymnastics influence, and the gayest welder's burlesque bar in Pittsburgh. Alex's complete lack of ballet training and the legendary final audition featuring a dive roll performed by collegiate gymnastics history-maker Sharon Shapiro. Jessica also brings us firsthand stories from Sharon about filming the scene. Commissioned by Rose.  WIN A FULL-EPISODE COMMISSION Enter the raffle for the chance to choose the subject of an entire GymCastic episode—as long as it is tangentially gymnastics-related! The raffle helps fund our on-site coverage of the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. IN THIS EPISODE • Which one is Flashdance again? • The true story that inspired the movie • Jennifer Beals and Pittsburgh Ballet Versailles • How Flashdance influenced gymnastics floor routines • Sharon Shapiro's iconic audition dive roll • The stunt doubles and constantly changing wigs • The gayest welder's burlesque of all time • Tina Tech's "Manhunt" routine • Jeanie's disastrous skating audition • Everything wrong with Alex's boss-turned-boyfriend • The "What a Feeling" finale • Casting a gymnastics remake   CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome to the Flashdance Movie Club 02:51 – The True Story and 1983 Phenomenon 07:05 – Why Flashdance Is Gymnastics-Related 11:37 – The Plot, Such as It Is 21:06 – The Gayest Welder's Burlesque 40:49 – Montage-a-Palooza 49:25 – Jeanie, Skating and the Supporting Characters 59:20 – Who Is Hannah? 1:02:53 – Lobster and the Horrible Boss Romance 1:14:23 – The "What a Feeling" Audition 1:18:52 – Sharon Shapiro's Stories from the Set 1:25:08 – Casting the Flashdance Remake   JOIN CLUB GYM NERD FOR BONUS STUFF Ad-free episodes, weekly bonus shows, our complete archive, members-only games and tools, the community message board and Behind The Scenes every Friday at noon Pacific: https://gymcastic.com/club/  GYMCASTIC TOOLS LA 2028 Roster Lab: https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/ Elite Score Explorer: https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/ International Gymnastics Calendar: https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/ GymCastic Games: https://gymcastic.com/games/ SHOP GYMCASTIC https://store.gymcastic.com/