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Ballroom dancing officials Les Kendall (Peter Whitford) and Barry Fife (Bill Hunter) sternly recall how Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) used 'unorthodox, crowd-pleasing moves’ at the championships. Scott’s mother Shirley (Pat Thomson) and his partner Liz (Gia Carides) express disbelief. Onlooker Fran (Tara Morice) admires Scott’s style.
Curator’s notes
Strictly Ballroom uses the mockumentary format to introduce its interpretation of the colourful world of ballroom dancing. Everything is over-the-top on the surface but extremely conservative beneath. Officials Les and Barry strongly disapprove of Scott’s flashy moves – they may excite the crowd but will never win points from old-school judges like them. Melodrama runs gloriously rampant from the outset, with Scott’s mother Shirley wondering where she failed, and his partner Liz bitter about her lost opportunity for glory. Only the shy Fran speaks up for Scott, signalling her role in events to come. Intercut with the first of Paul Mercurio’s many dazzling dance scenes, this early sequence is an exciting introduction to the main players and the film’s irreverent sense of humour.
