Let's get ready to ... rumba!

Shanghaiist doesn't often get emails from the American consulate here in Shanghai. But when we do, they are usually telling us that the likelihood of bad people trying to kill us has either increased or decreased. So, the email we received yesterday was a refreshing change ... and it actually came from a real person. This is what the consulate wanted Shanghaiist and all other Americans to know: If you have always dreamed of dressing up as a member of the military, appearing in a Chinese movie and learning to rumba -- all at the same time -- Friday just may be your lucky day!

... Ms. Peng Xiaolian, famous film director from Shanghai Film Studios called me that she is looking for eight male Americans for her new film Shanghai Rumba which is a love story about one film star in 1940s in Shanghai. She will use two evening time to film, five people will be needed on the first evening, and three on the second evening. The location will be at Shanghai Writers' Association which has a old western style house on Ju Lu Road. These eight people will act as some American soldiers and business men in 1940s dancing at a ballroom. One of the best will dance with the main actress. She will arrange a training course to teach some Rumba next this Friday evening. I wonder if you can ask your colleagues to see if they are interested in this event. The payment is RMB 500 per person per evening.

Those interested should attend the free rumba lessons at 6 tomorrow (Friday) evening at Shanghai Film Studio, 595 Cao Xi Bei Lu (near Xujiahui). We're assuming this is open to all men who are American or could pass for Americans -- yes, Canadians, we're talking about you. The best we can tell from the information we were given is that the top eight performers from tomorrow's lesson will be chosen for the film. Did someone say dance-off!

Filming, we are told, begins in September. Peng Xiaolian is the director of 2002's Shanghai Women and last year's Shanghai Story, which dominated the 2004 Golden Rooster Awards.

Photos from IMDB and Streetswing.com.