We are at the Lyric Theatre to see Strictly
Ballroom. We haven’t been to a show
since we’ve come back from Europe so it’s exciting to be having a night out in
town. Sydney was chosen for the premier
of the stage musical which is fitting because this is a quintessential
Australian story with a theme that would appeal to a
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| From Strictly Ballroom photo collection |
global audience at a time
when many people are questioning the way things have always been done. Baz Lurmann has said that of all his shows,
this is the most personal as it drew inspiration from his own days in
competitive ballroom dancing. The show
was originally created at NIDA and went on to become a box office hit at the
movies. Now it has come back as a live
show to the place where it was born.
The story is about a boy named Scott who
has been born into a dance federation legacy and the expectation of his parents
and others that he will one day win the Pac Pacific championships. However, Scott is a rebel and knows deep down
that he wants to dance his own steps rather than those demanded by the
federation.
While this might be an
iconic Australian story, it has universal appeal in the themes it
explores. The theme of creating your own
steps, rather than dancing to someone else’s, appeals to both my partner Steven
and me. It inspires us to break the
rules and follow our own dreams rather than dancing to steps that perhaps have
out grown their time. It also highlights
the fact that while the rules may seem to make sense in the world of ballroom
dancing, when they are danced in another setting, another culture they make no
sense at all. It is the Latin American
influence of his new partner and their family who teach him to break free
completely and create a dance that truly communicates his passion and love
for dance. This reinforces for us the
need to step back and take a look at what we believe to be the truth through
other people’s lenses so we can create something unique and meaningful.
Are you writing your own script? Are you dancing to your own rhythm?
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