enrich or limit essay copy

Submitted By delaneykate
Words: 402
Pages: 2

Interaction with others and the world around an individual allows for a foundation of belonging. The connections and relations an individual has are definitive to whether the concept of belonging they experience is enriching or limiting. The film, Strictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann portrays these positive and negative experiences by exploring the consequences of Scott Hasting’s individualism. The film explores how the concept of belonging can be greatened or weakened by an individuals’ interaction with the world around them.
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