All this about Brendan's lift breakig the rules and it being a 'Strictly Ballroom' scenario has got me thinking...

I've seen SB loads of times and adore the film, but I actually don't remember them ever explaining exactly what was wrong with the steps that Scott invented. (Probably because it would have bored the pants off the general viewing public )

So, two questions...
a) Actual dancers - what WAS wrong technically with the steps he danced in competition?
b) Everyone - has my memory failed me? Do they actually explain what's wrong with the steps anywhere in the film?

Strictly Ballroom was a tongue in cheek low-budget film that's popularity caught all those involved by surprised! It wasn't even intended as a film about dancing, but a "Romeo & Juliette" type love story. The dancing, though, is what caught everyone's imagination.

The "No new steps" thing was a nonsense as such; there are technique books to cover all the competitive dances, and dancers need to master the correct technique to take exams, whether it is professional exams allowing them to coach and judge, or even take simple medal tests.

However, to compete at a high level these steps can be varied to the dancers' hearts delight. As long as they keep the essence of the dance, and of course the correct timing, such variations (as they are called) will make up (probably) 90% of the routines.

However, there are stringent rules in competition dancing.

Lifts are a complete no-no; and will lead to disqualification.

It used to be felt dancers should have at least one foot on the floor at all times; however, that's long gone out the window as jumps have become an integral part of modern choreography, not only in Latin but also ballroom - watch a good quickstep and you'll see plenty of "hop skip and jumps". Something is considered a jump providing it is something a dancer can do unaided (as opposed to a lift). Occasionally the line between the 2 is very slim!

There are also other rules about safety. Kicks and flicks are part of Latin, especially the jive, but they must be done with due consideration to other dancers on the floor. Joanna Leunis (when world champion) used to have a very fast back kick in her rumba; plenty complained about it, not only on the comp floor but also at practice sessions. It wasn't until a couple of judges marked her with a "D" for disqualification that she eventually cut it out. Quite right too, it was lethal.

If dancers are doing a demonstration dance they can, of course, do whatever they like.

I hope this has answered your question without boring you to tears!

Thanks so much - as ever, you've not been boring but a source of infinite wisdom and patience

I am slightly saddened to realise that SB is basically a load of old hokum, but would you mind PMing DavidJames to let him know that SB is not, as he insisted to me a few threads back, a dance film?