How 'Climax' pulled off that unforgettable dance sequence

Director Gaspar Noe's "Climax" is a disorienting trip into a dance madhouse. Set in 1996, the film chronicles a dance troupe's descent into paranoia, carnality and violence after drinking sangria spiked with LSD at an abandoned Paris school.

In the film's opening number, the group of street dancers practices a five-minute routine before celebrating with the ill-fated drink. As Cerrone's electro-disco track "Supernature" blasts, the cast of about 20 diverse performers struts across the gymnasium floor as a dancer helicopters his arms at breakneck speed.

Shot in a single-take, the dance routine is more than just choreographed steps. It shows off the dancers'