Influences

Question 1

What is the intention of paso doble?

Answer 1

The intention of paso doble from Strictly ballroom is to represent the different styles of ballroom dance highlighting the Paso Doble dance style, movements, and meaning. Challenging the normal rules and expectations in competitive ballroom dancing and the feeling of rebellion, the Paso Doble dance from Strictly Ballroom becomes a realisation for what different dance movements and styles can be created.

Question 2

What are influences on intention?

Answer 2

• Training at NIDA, Baz Luhrmann created a stage play of Strictly Ballroom with his friends in 1984.This first production of the play also reflected Luhrmann’s opinion on how the traditional methods of teaching at NIDA and the strict rules were stifling the students creativity. The production was performed at the Wharf Theatre, where it was seen by film director Ted Albert. This then sparked the idea of a film adaptation.
• Baz Luhrmann also describes ‘Strictly Ballroom’ to be depicted from the David and Goliath myth which is about “overcoming seemingly impossible odds, and it’s finally about the fact that the young David with the belief, comes up with the solution”.
• “The Anglo world took the Paso Doble, which is a dance of expression, and put a whole lot of rules on it, and made it about winning. Whereas in Fran’s family, dancing is a tradition, it comes from life, it is an expression of life.” – Baz Luhrmann
• Multiculturalism was being introduced into Australia challenging many people’s views. Improving the racial tolerance in Australia allowed for Strictly Ballroom to include this into their movie and add the classic styles of the paso doble and flamenco. Also to introduce Fran’s family in the film and create their culture into the storyline

Question 3

what are influences on movement vocabulary?

Answer 3

• The movement vocabulary in this dance piece is from the ballroom genre and includes steps from flamenco and paso doble dances. The paso doble is a Spanish fast-paced dance where the dancers must remain one in front of the other and keep their bodies parallel at all times, leaning slightly to the left of each other. The ballroom paso doble has a highlight in the music, usually where the dancer strikes a strong pose which matches the highlight in the music. Choreographer John O’Connell was exposed to this type of dance from a very young age as he attended one of the top ballroom dance schools in Australia
• Baz Luhrmann, the director of Strictly Ballroom, grew up around the ballroom dance scene. His mother was a ballroom dance teacher and did ballroom lessons and competitions, so he was influenced by this and his movements.
• Antonio Vargas, actor who played Fran’s father in the Strictly Ballroom, came from a background of flamenco dancing, his aunts were both flamenco dancers and he attended Pilar Lopez Spanish Dance Company and later into the Rafel de Cordova Dance Company, touring around Europe and South America. This exposure to the Spanish influence and the paso doble influenced John O’Connell on how he created movement and elaborated his style to create a more traditional sense.

Question 4

Influences on production aspects

Answer 4

• Filming Locations: The final scene where Scott and Fran do their paso doble dance was filmed at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre most likely during a real Ballroom competition. This was due to the low funding of Australian films at the time which influenced them to film in this location for the big event.
• Costumes: Catherine Martin, wanted to create costumes that clarify the story and to amplify the characters in the film. We see in Strictly Ballroom the big, over exaggerated, full glam type of ballroom outfits such as Liz’s costumes. The paso doble and flamenco costumes such as the golden jacket and red, flowy skirt (representative of the bull and cape). This was most likely inspired by her trips to Europe when she was younger and her love for the culture. Her mother was a hand sewer, whom she was taught by.
• Music: composed by David Hirschfelder, couldn’t out-sourced pieces of music so he had to create his own with other music fitting the vibe of the film which is the paso doble/flamenco/spanish influence. Had no experience in that area, had to “change (my) colours” to fit the style of music.