The relationship between these outside forces and a sense of belonging is explored by
Baz Luhrmann in his film, Strictly Ballroom. The protagonist, Scott Hastings, is seen as an outcast to the dance community for dancing his own, unorthodox dance moves, limiting his sense of belonging. “Kendall’s School of Dance” emphasises the importance of dancing federation approved moves and when Scott failed to comply, he was exiled from a community he helped build. “What is wrong with me? What is so wrong with the way I dance?” The ballroom community shamed Scott for his moves and forced him to reconsider and doubt his form of personal expression, even to the extent that he believed it was “wrong.” Scott’s dance moves almost eradicates the synergy between himself, his family and the members of “Kendall’s School of Dance,” and as a result, his experience of belonging is restricted and is viewed as an outcast.
Despite many people in Scott Hasting’s life telling him to conform, one woman he interacts with enriches his sense of belonging. Fran, an amateur ballroom dancer, encourages Scott to follow his own dreams and dance his own steps. “A life lived in