Dance scene a dream come true on 'House'

"House" has done some pretty unique episodes in its seven seasons, but Monday night's "House" is the first time the show has tackled not one, but five different genres.

It all takes place in multiple dream sequences throughout the hour, including a dance scene choreographed by former "So You Think You Can Dance" judge Mia Michaels.

"I was a fan of the show and had met Mia a couple of months prior to the scripting of the episode. I read that 'House and Cuddy sing and dance a version of "Get Happy,"' and I texted Mia to see if she would be available, and she was," said producer Greg Yaitanes – who also directed the episode – in a conference call with reporters. "The arrangement, the choreography and everything was happening simultaneously. Once they got the ball rolling, they started some pretty intense rehearsal sessions with Hugh [Laurie] and Lisa [Edelstein]."

Edelstein described the experience as "no 'Black Swan'" because the schedule didn't allow for more than a few rehearsals. It was more like, "'Guess what, next week, Mia Michaels is going to choreograph a really fantastic dance sequence,'" the actress said.

She added that the rehearsal time they got was "involved and really fun. I'm a big admirer of Mia Michaels and also watch ['So You Think You Can Dance'] religiously."

"[Michaels] was fantastic, she really directed that sequence," Yaitanes said. "She created that world, the costuming and set design. Within that episode I directed, these two-and-a-half minutes were directed by Mia."

Edelstein described the chance to dance for Michaels as "incredible. I was a dancer when I was a kid...to live out that dream was a really satisfying experience."

Aside from that sequence, the show also does an homage to "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid." As Yaitanes described it, "Lisa channels a mean Robert Redford."

"We were shooting guns, they had blanks of course, but it's always scary when someone is handling a weapon on a set, and every time they have to check that there are blanks," Edelstein said. "Still, when we ran out of the building to fire, people ducked. They didn't really trust me that much."

Another dream sequence features House, the reformed drug addict, in the role of Charlie Sheen in "Two and a Half Men." Yaitanes explained, "We shot this back in December, so it's interesting how everything ended up playing itself out."

"For me, it was great just to be in different costumes. It was like having a week off and just playing around," Edelstein said about the whole experience. "By the way, in the 1950s scene, I actually am wearing a pointy bra."