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"Private
Dancer"
Leap Date: October 6, 1979 Episode Adopted by: gelfling1220 Synopsis: As a Chippendale dancer named Rod "The Bod", Sam must suffer though the women throwing themselves at him while making sure a hearing-impaired woman realizes her dream of becoming a dancer instead of becoming a prostitute and dying of AIDS.
Audio
from this episode
Place
Private Dancer Broadcast Date: 20 March 1991 Leap Date: 6 October 1979 Place: Mario’s Hideaway, New York City Leapee: Rod
McCarty, a.k.a. Rod the Bod Oh What a Night Money Money Money Get Away For You (?) Daybreak by Cheryl Lynn Sam has never met a deaf person before Al’s lab partner at MIT was a
deaf girl ("boy could she read lips!") She refused to sleep with him.
Miscellaneous Trivia – Words in American Sign Language shown (not as part of one of Diana’s speeches): Walk Bye Protect Thank You You’re Welcome Good Night Boring Quantum Leap (literally "Magical Traveler") Don’t know What Do Deaf OK Lies Heartache Dawn Who Imagine Spending the night (literally "sleep together") Fear
Deborah Pratt Michael Zinzburg
Supervising Producer: Harker Wade
Co-Producers: Paul Brown Jeff Gourson
Executive Producer: Chris Ruppenthal
Paul Brown
Debbie Allen
At the club is Joanna Chapman, choreographer of a major jazz dance company. Having wowed her with his own dance moves, Joanna informs him of an open audition she is holding. After hours, Sam finds Diana practicing a dance routine and offers to walk her home. Despite her protests that she does not want him around, Sam persists and on the walk home the two grow very close. Sam works out a deal with Mario, offering to do another performance for the club if Mario keeps Diana from dancing at bachelor parties. Mario agrees but Diana is not happy – she has no money and she thinks that Sam is being patronizing. Sam confronts her and convinces her to give Joanna’s audition a try. Diana does well at the audition – until instructions are given that she can’t see. Upon learning that Diana is deaf, Joanne turns her down. Diana is shattered and things are made worse by the fact that her home has been towed away. With no one else to turn to, Diana returns to the club and talks to Valerie, Mario’s assistant. Valerie sets Diana up as an escort. Sam learns of this and seeks her out at the hotel that the "date" has taken her. Risking being dragged away by security, Sam bursts into the room demanding to talk to Diana and asks her not to sell herself. Diana makes the right choice and Sam talks Joanne into giving Diana a second chance. This time, Diana makes the cut and Sam leaps out as she thanks him
There are several reasons why this is one of my favorite episodes. For one, there is the accurate portrayal of a deaf character. Quantum Leap excels in its portrayals of people with handicaps and in this respect the episode is very educational, from the information Diana conveys about being deaf to the simple words and phrases she signs as she talks to Sam. The audience learns as Sam does and the information is nicely integrated into the plot. This episode is also notable for showcasing the dancing talents of Scott Bakula, in two of the episode’s major scenes. They must have been quite interesting to film, since it is rumored that Bakula was on massive painkillers for the episode, having injured his foot in filming "Runaway". Like the episode itself, the dances vary, being both fun and dramatic, such as Sam and Joanne’s lively boogie in the middle of the club, to Diana’s beautiful final dance. In the end, this is a great episode, ideal for anyone who wants to see strong human drama, great choreography, or just happens to like the idea of Sam being a Chippendale.
Sam’s reaction to his leap-in Sam and Joanne dancing at the club Sam and Diana’s dance Sam and Al showing how to sign "Quantum Leap"
Sometimes I hate being right ~Al
I thought you ran out of Kleenex or something… ~Al
I sell an illusion… It isn’t me! ~Sam
Stop bothering me! For seven years I’ve been able to manage by myself. I want to do it by myself! ~Diana to Sam (translated from ASL)
Why does your Swiss Cheese memory remember things I wanna forget? ~Al
-Twenty-four hours? What am I supposed to do in the meantime? -Shake your booty! ~Sam and Al
"I know music in a way you will never know. When I look around, I see music everywhere. There is music in the stars, the way they sparkle. I feel them. There’s music in the light as they dance on the water at night. And how the leaves chase each other like children at play. When I feel the wind on my face, the wind is my music. ~Diana |
