20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Seinfeld
19. Larry David HATED Elaine's Iconic Dance
The episode, The Little Kicks, starts with Elaine and George arriving at an office party. Believing the party is a snooze fest, Elaine tries to liven things up by showing off her dance moves. She then performs a bizarre kicking dance, which became one of the most iconic moments in the show.
According to the writer, Spike Feresten, Elaine's boogie was based on the dance moves of Lorne Michaels; the creator of Saturday Night Live. Feresten worked as a receptionist at SNL and saw Michaels dance "as if he'd never seen another human being dance before" and he "heaved and gyrated to a rhythm only he could feel".
Feresten also stated that Larry David hated this storyline so much, he was worried it would destroy Louis-Dreyfus' career. It's suspected that David thought Michaels would tarnish Louis-Dreyfus' name if he learned she was mocking his dancing in this scene. Although Feresten wanted to incorporate the little kicks into the show for ages, he was unable to until Larry David left the writing team.
Not only did Louis-Dreyfus suffer no negative ramifications for this episode, she won an Emmy for her portrayal as Elaine that same year.