Archive - Strictly Ballroom

Archive - Strictly Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom

Feature Film
Australia, 1992
Assistant Choreographer & Ballroom Tutor, Kendall’s Dancer (Kendall’s Dance Studio)

Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian feature film directed by Baz Luhrmann, adapted from the original stage production developed with Andrew Bovell and Craig Pearce. The film became a landmark of Australian cinema, internationally recognised for its distinctive visual style, energetic ballroom sequences, and celebration of competitive dance culture.

The production brought ballroom dance into a mainstream cinematic context, combining theatrical storytelling with stylised choreography drawn from Australia’s competitive dance scene.

Development and Stage Origins

Prior to the 1992 feature film, Strictly Ballroom existed as a stage work developed within Sydney Theatre Company’s experimental environment during the late 1980s. As part of this development phase, I worked on the original Sydney Theatre Company stage production of Strictly Ballroom under the Six Years Old Theatre Company, an artistically autonomous collective initiated by STC and led by Baz Luhrmann as Artistic Director.

Six Years Old was the first resident company at The Wharf Studio, launched in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentennial Arts Australia program. During this formative period, I worked directly with actors on movement training and performance preparation, including rehearsal and training sessions held at the dance studio at 112 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, a key working space used during the project’s development. This early stage work formed part of the creative lineage that ultimately led to the feature film’s adaptation and international success.

Performance, Training, and Choreographic Contribution

My involvement in Strictly Ballroom encompassed performance, choreography support, and cast training. I appeared on screen as a Kendall’s Studio dancer, the fictional dance studio depicted within the film’s narrative, contributing to ensemble ballroom sequences that formed part of the competitive dance world portrayed on screen.

In addition to performance, I was credited as Assistant Choreographer within the choreography team led by John “Cha Cha” O’Connell, with additional choreography by Paul Mercurio. Alongside this role, I was credited as Ballroom Tutor, reflecting my responsibility for training the actors in the ballroom choreography used throughout the film. This work involved developing technique, timing, partnering, and performance appropriate for both character and camera, and was carried out directly with the cast during the production period.

Major Awards and Wins

Australian Film Institute Awards (1992)
Strictly Ballroom received 13 nominations and won 8 awards, including:

  • Best Film
  • Best Direction (Baz Luhrmann)
  • Best Supporting Actor (Barry Otto)
  • Best Supporting Actress (Pat Thomson)
  • Best Screenplay (Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce)
  • Best Costume Design (Angus Strathie)
  • Best Editing (Jill Bilcock)
  • Best Production Design (Catherine Martin) 

Cannes Film Festival (1992)

  • Award of the Youth for Foreign Film
  • Competed in Un Certain Regard 

BAFTA Film Awards (1993)

  • Won:
    • Best Costume Design
    • Best Original Film Music
    • Best Production Design
  • Nominated:
    • Best Film
    • Best Actress (Tara Morice)
    • Best Editing
    • Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Best Sound 

Toronto International Film Festival (1992)

  • People’s Choice Award

Vancouver International Film Festival (1992)

  • Most Popular Film

Chicago International Film Festival (1992)

  • Best First Feature Film (Silver Hugo)

London Film Critics Circle Awards (1993)

  • Newcomer of the Year for Baz Luhrmann 

Robert Awards (Danish Film Awards, 1993)

  • Best Foreign Film

Major Nominations

  • Golden Globe Award (1994) Nominee for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy 

Summary

In total, Strictly Ballroom won at least 19 major awards internationally and garnered around 20 nominations across film academies, festivals, and critics circles, and is widely regarded as a defining work in Australian film history.

Strictly Ballroom was produced on a modest budget of approximately A$3 million. Following its 1992 release, the film achieved significant commercial success, grossing around A$21.7 million at the Australian box office, over US$11.7 million in North America, and an estimated A$80 million worldwide. Its exceptional return on investment established it as one of the most commercially successful Australian films of its era and marked the international breakthrough of director Baz Luhrmann.

Production Context

The choreography of Strictly Ballroom required the translation of competitive ballroom technique into a cinematic language, balancing authenticity with theatricality. Movement functioned not only as dance performance, but as character expression and storytelling within a highly stylised film environment.

The film went on to establish itself as a cornerstone of Australian cinema, contributing to the international visibility of Australian film, dance, and theatrical storytelling.

This is an original production press release issued by the production and distributed by post to cast and crew. The copy reproduced here was received directly as part of the official production materials.


IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105488/

 

IMDB Strictly Ballroom Cast & Crew: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105488/fullcredits/

Main Page Image: 
Choreoscope Barcelona Dance Film Festival: https://www.choreoscope.com/en/home-2022/

 

This page forms part of the Archive section, documenting professional theatre, screen, and movement work prior to the launch of ART1.

View related theatre, screen, and movement credits in the Archive.

 

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