Helmer Baz Luhrmann took time out from stumping for Oscar-nominated “Moulin Rouge” to pump an earlier work of his — “Strictly Ballroom.”
On Friday he visited the Hollywood Dance Center in Los Angeles to offer special coaching to championship ballroom dancers James and Jaana Kunitz.
Luhrmann, himself a dancer since the age of 6, has been getting the word out on the March 19 DVD debut of “Strictly Ballroom,” which 10 years ago inspired the writer-director’s quest to return the Hollywood musical to its glory days. A musical has not been nominated for an Academy Award in 20 years (“All That Jazz” in 1982), he noted.
Luhrmann learned dancing as a kid in Australia from his mother who ran a dance studio. He later fell in love with the motion picture musical comedy, and in 1992 did “Strictly Ballroom,” which was followed by “Romeo+ Juliet” in 1996.
