Social Dance
"category of dances that serve a social purpose or occur in a social setting; generally intended for socializing/participation rather than performance"
- Wallace et. al (1986)
'Strictly Ballroom'
Why ballroom dancing? Because it was initially adapted from folk dance and intended to only be used as a social dance for the wealthy and privileged. They were held in ballrooms [i.e. translated from Latin: 'ballare room'], hence the name ballroom dancing, and such social events would have very strict etiquette (Wallace et. al, 1986).
Though modern day dance is viewed as an art form and a form of self-expression and creativity, traditional ballroom dance in the past was rigid, dictated by a lengthy rules of conduct for both males and females, and were by no means "fun" or "entertaining". In fact, it was against the rules to act in an informal manner (e.g. laughing boisterously or talking noisily), and the act of dancing with another person required that both parties must be formally introduced or have been formally introduced prior before the male (leader) is allowed to ask the female (follower) [Wallace et. al, 1986).
Even looking now at modern ballroom dancing, not much has changed since way back then. There is still the same rigidity, formality, & leader-follower style it has always had, & a great ballroom dancer is usually defined by the accuracy of the technique. With every other essence or aspect of the art culture, there has been some form of innovation, improvement and/or evolution throughout the years (at least to my knowledge), giving birth to the diversified beautiful different forms of things we call "art" in modern times.
Traditional Ballroom
v.s.
Paso Doble
Traditional Ballroom
As I've pointed out above, ballroom dancing is about formality, tradition; sticking to the same set of steps as it's not meant to be a form of entertainment — it's not meant to be a crowd-pleaser.As can be seen at the beginning of the movie when the characters are introduced: the fussing with their outfits & positioning, & when they started dancing their movements mirrored each others.
Hence, why it was such a big hoo-ha when Scott did this:
He was freestyling, dancing his own steps and going all out. The reactions towards his unconventional dancing, if taken out of context, sounds as though he has committed a horrible crime.
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"I kept asking myself why... Did I do something wrong? Did I fail him as a mother?
- Shirley HastingsIn front of Barry Fife..." |
 |
| "What the bloody hell is going on Kendall?" - Federation President Barry Fife |
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| "It is true that Scott & Liz became what we term boxed in or blocked. But it was no excuse for what Scott did." - Les Kendall |
"He resorted to his own flashy, crowd-pleasing steps"
- Les Kendall
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| "He forced me into it. Where the man goes the lady must follow, I had no choice." - Liz Holt |
"Get away from me... I'm not dancing with you till you dance like you're supposed to!"
- Liz Holt
Three days later when Scott tries to ask everyone what they thought of his dance steps, the replies given were of blind obedience, as though they've been brainwashed to not think of anything else because 'someone said it's wrong' (someone being the "experts" — perceived authority figure).
"I don't think! I don't give a shit about them we lost!"
- Liz Holt
"I don't know, you didn't win did ya."
- Wayne Burns
Social norms and peer pressure can be very strong influences on a person's behaviour, as the prospect of not adhering to such "rules" leads to being social rejection, i.e. outcast by the members of the social group. Humans are social creatures & have an innate tendency to want to feel a sense of belonging, also because from an evolutionary perspective being a part of a group entails safety & security. There are many other factors that play a role in determining how we act in different social contexts, but ultimately our end behaviours can be categorized into 3 forms: conformity, compliance, & obedience (Cicarrelli & White, 2014).
Throughout the entire movie Scott's father, Mr. Hastings is constantly mistreated: pushed around, ignored, bullied even... essentially outcast by the group [social rejection] because he chose to dance his own steps & refused to conform to following conventional ballroom dancing.
With literally everyone around him telling him that his steps were "wrong", there is a strong pressure to conform with the group, which in this movie Scott's social group revolves around competitive ballroom dancing [social group identity]. Towards the end, because of a lie told to him by Barry Fife, he complied with the wishes of everyone around him — to dance the "correct" way because he thought he doing something noble by winning the title for his father who walked the same path.
Paso Doble
The Paso Doble has a very interesting history. It is actually a form of light Spanish music, which further down the road, was adopted into the bullfighting ring where the matador's movements became the "steps" for the Paso Doble dance. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find reliable sources on this, though there is a consensus on all the websites I've looked through so far.For further reading: http://www.wikidancesport.com/wiki/42/paso-doble
The Paso Doble dance is aggressive, & fast-paced, like those of the matador's during a bullfight. Because of how the movements are choreographed, the Paso Doble requires a large open space for movement & is danced competitively and almost never for socially. During a "highlight" in the music (points of emphasis in the tune), a trick is supposed to be perform. The general description & progression of the Paso Doble in my opinion sounds like it was meant to be and entertaining performance, one that please the crowd. Thus from what I can gather, the Paso Doble dance, although also considered as one of the ballroom dancing styles, is like the binary opposite of the other styles when danced in it's traditional way because of the nature of it's movement.
Enters Fran. At first glance the audience can already tell that she fits the archetype of the unassuming character who comes in & influences the main character to do the right thing in the end — the heroine to some extent.
It is through Fran that Scott learns how to dance the Paso Doble the "right" way: from the people who grew up in the culture, not the so-called "experts" who have watered it down to fit the conventional ballroom dancing rules & regulation (assumption of what director wishes to portray). Even back then, ballroom dancing is thought to have originated & adapted from folk dance (Wallace et. al, 1986).
When Scott first meets Fran's family, he was proud & overly confident in his knowledge of the Paso Doble. When he performs it with Fran, it noticeably lacks the power, & pride that Fran's father [Rico] exudes off in waves; the fiery passion and commanding air that he displays, the level of precision with every confident step of his feet.
Note how Scott's initial cockiness quickly dissolves into one of eagerness to learn after he is humbled by Rico.
Note the obvious skepticism on Rico's face when Scott claims he can dance the Paso Doble & how it changes into one of mirth seeing what a joke their Paso Doble is, then to a focused gaze of intense concentration, alluding to the seasoned veteran that he is as he demonstrates what a true Paso Doble is.
Simple in the portrayal of something meaningful, Scott learns to dance from his heart & not his head from Fran's family. The look of pure euphoria & gradual liberation on his face, as though he has finally found the answer he had been looking for, is one I can only guess to be of that when having a peak experience (Cicarelli & White, 2014). For once he isn't dancing for someone else or to please others, he is dancing for himself because he wants, the fire of passion within him has now been revived. The gradual build up to that moment is something that majority of audiences cannot help but to mirror his joy as they feel it swell up in their own chest & briefly flashback to moments where they might have had a similar experience of pure bliss.
Through learning the Paso Doble in it's raw form, Scott also learns to break free from the binds of conventional ballroom dancing. He has also learned to do what he feels is right, & to not let others tell him otherwise.
Though straightforward in it's plot & having a cliché storyline where good ultimately triumphs over evil, the utilization of dance as the medium in which to portray social influences provides simplicity and yet also depth to how we choose to understand it. You may choose to take it at it's face value & still get the gist of it, or you can choose to delve deep in order to fully appreciate the complexity behind this seemingly simple plot. By understanding the history of ballroom dancing, it adds some insight towards possible underlying themes & additional interpretations to each scene.
My take away from this movie is do the things you love & your passion will always shine through, never be afraid of change & to learn from it/others, and of course how can I forget:
"Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias"
References
Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. N. (2014). Psychology (4th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Miall, T., & Albert, A. (Producers), & Luhrmann, B. (Director). (1992). Strictly ballroom [Motion picture]. Australia: M&A Productions.
Wallace, C. M., McDonagh D., Druesedow, J. L., Libin, L., & Old, C. (1986). Dance: A very social history. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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