Little did she know that the search would culminate in the production of a full-length feature film.

“I was looking for an activity for my daughter and I looked to ballet and gymnastics but none of them seemed quite right,” she said.

“It was actually my mum who suggested calisthenics so I called up our local club and went along for a trial class.”

After learning about the fascinating history of her calisthenics club – its huge success and dramatic closure –  Peniston-Bird decided to produce a short documentary centred around the club and its significant role in the local community.

But that idea grew bigger than expected when the director came across the story of calisthenics performer Brianna Lee and her feature-film worthy story.

“She had come second for the third time in a row at the Royal South Street Society’s Graceful Girls competition and was going to give it one more shot,” she said.

“At that point I thought I had a really exciting story here.”

And so Graceful Girls was born, telling the story of 23-year-old Brianna Lee, a primary school teacher and member of the once proud Regent Calisthenics.

Lee has a lifelong dream to win calisthenics’ highest honour, the Most Graceful Girl competition, and after placing second three years in a row and being controversially stripped of the state title, she knows this is her last chance.

With the movie filmed at iconic Ballarat locations including Her Majesty’s Theatre, Peniston-Bird said it had put the city on the national and international map.

She said the film was the first to showcase the unique Australian dance sport and had received a positive response by calisthenics lovers and the general public alike.

“Ultimately it’s a story about wanting to be your best and dedicating yourself, overcoming obstacles and trying to be the best in your chosen field which I think everyone relates to,” she said.

“Although there’s not blood, sweat and tears there’s a lot of sequences, sweat and tears.

”The calisthenics community has absolutely embraced it and feel it’s a positive representation of a sport they’re so passionate about.”

Graceful Girls won the People’s Choice award at the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival and has had screenings the country over.

It will screen in Ballarat using the tugg platform on December 5 and January 10. To purchase tickets, visit www.tugg.com.au/graceful-girls