The colour, movement and music that Australians have come to associate with the world of the hit movie ``Strictly Ballroom'' descended on Ballarat on Saturday.
More than 250 dancers took to the dance floor at the Ballarat Minerdome as part of the 13th annual Ballarat Dancesport Festival.
Watched by a large crowd drawn by the glamour of the costumes, the excitement of the dance and the stirring music, the competitors presented a pot pourri of dance styles and selections.
These ranged from Latin American favourites including the jive, the cha cha and the rumba.
Also on the program were new vogue, Australian sequence and swing dances.
Tradition was not overlooked with formal suits and gowns broken out for waltzes and fox trots.
The first competition of the year on the dancing circuit, Ballarat Dancesport often features new choreography and new looks by the competitors.
The popularity of competitive dance as a national sport was reflected in the fact that competitors travelled from as far away as Wagga Wagga in NSW and Adelaide in South Australia.