Strictly Ballroom – smARTfilms: Melodies in Motion

STRICTLY BALLROOM (1992, 90 min)

Scott Hastings, a top-notch ballroom dancer, infuriates the Australian dance community with his unconventional “own steps.” Fran, an aspiring dancer and self-proclaimed “ugly duckling,” daringly asks to be Scott’s partner after his unique style drives away his previous partner. Together, these unlikely allies aim to conquer the Australian Pan Pacific Championships and prove the Ballroom Confederation wrong when they claim, “there are no new steps!”

Artwork: Barbara Earl Thomas, Trumpet Offering (detail), 2022, 40” × 26”, paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford.