Sandahl Bergman From ‘Conan The Barbarian’ Was Cast Because Of Her Dance Skills

Conan the Barbarian represented a new wave of unprecedented popularity for the sword and sorcery brand of fantasy. It helped establish Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s career as an actor and it put him opposite perhaps the only person who could keep pace with the muscled Austrian: Sandahl Bergman. But what happened to the athletic actress who could win hearts and slay foes at the same time?

IMDb puts Bergman’s birthday as November 14, 1951, in Kansas City, Missouri. She ended up in the state of Kansas to graduate from Shawnee Mission East High School. As she grew up, she shot up to a solid six feet, but she always said her height as five feet, twelve inches because, in her words, “No girl should have to be six feet.”

The actress started as a larger-than-life dancer

Bergman quickly established herself as a strong, athletic presence and immediately pursued dancing in earnest. Dancer, singer, choreographer, theatre director, and ten-time Tony Award winner – all around Renaissance man – Tommy Tune discovered Bergman and by age 15, she had an advocate and a foot in the door as a dancer.

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Bergman also drew the attention of choreographer Bob Fosse and the two became business partners in building and cementing her celebrated dance career. She went from stage to film seamlessly, showing off Bergman’s skills at a national level. Fosse recruited Bergman for Dancin’, which Bergman would consider one of the most important movies of her career because of just how hard it pushed her. It pushed everyone, with grueling practices and far less time between dance numbers than musicals usually have.

But passing this trial by fire told others loud and clear: Bergman was made of tough stuff and proved herself time and again. Jump ahead to 1979’s All That Jazz and Bergman captivated the nation. The highly-acclaimed “Take Off With Us” number has been touted as one of the most electrifying, sensual dance routines of all time, with Bergman standing out in a sea of powerful performances. It was this that secured her the role of Valeria in Conan the Barbarian because director John Milius felt she would bring a ballerina’s poise and grace to the warrior’s movements. He was right.

What is Sandahl Bergman doing now?