I Want to Dance Better at Parties (ATOM Study Guide)

Recovering from the tragic death of his wife, Phillip Rose finds himself in middle-age both a single parent and a single man. After a clumsy episode on a dance floor at a housewarming party, he begins private dance classes with Melissa, a young instructor. Over a number of lessons their friendship evolves, and Philip confronts his loneliness and isolation while learning a variety of Latin dances.

Based on a true story, this hybrid film fuses documentary, drama and dance to tell the story of a man whose life is in stasis after the death of his wife.

Conceived by documentary filmmaker Matthew Bate and choreographer Gideon Obarzanek, the project began with extensive filmed interviews with Phillip Rose in 2011. From the interview transcripts, Gideon Obarzanek workshopped scenes with actors, creating a critically acclaimed play for the Sydney Theatre Company. Matthew Bate then wrote the screenplay for the film fusing the play's dramatised dialogue with Phillip's original interview narration, as well as imagining new dramatised scenes.

I Want to Dance Better at Parties playfully interweaves the genres of documentary and drama. The real Phillip Rose watches and comments upon the recreations of his life being played out before him by actors. The actors were also filmed in real-world situations, competing in an actual dance competition and interacting with members of the public. Bate and Obarzanek have fused their own backgrounds in film and dance to create a unique and moving portrait of a man overcoming loneliness and grief through dance.

This series could be linked to studies of The Arts and English.