The master dance 'technician', Keith Bain, has passed away.
HE was the inspiration for Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, considered Australia's most highly acclaimed technician of dance and his 2010 book featured a special introduction from Cate Blanchett.
Keith Bain OAM was born on November 23, 1926 and passed away in Sydney on July 4. He was aged 85 years.
His funeral service was held in Sydney at the Eastern Suburbs Crematorium on Tuesday.
His ashes will be placed in his father and mother's grave sites in Wauchope some time in the future.
According to the Ausdance website, Keith Bain was much-loved and repected by the Australian dance community and will be greatly missed.
"Keith's inspiration, insights, generosity, humour and vision were valued by many," the site said.
"Keith began as a ballroom dancer in ... Wauchope. He graduated as Dux of the year from Armidale Teachers College in 1945 and taught at Kogarah Boys High and Temora High where his students experienced quality music, drama and dance.
"It was in Temora that he saw the Bodenwieser Dance Group perform, and after talking with the dancers, Keith said that he ... sensed that [he] had the eyes to analyse the work, the head to appreciate it and a body that might someday master it.
"Keith moved to Sydney to begin his modern dance career.
"When Madame Bodenwieser saw Keith dancing in a production of The Tempest, she invited him to join her classes to develop his technique and it wasn't long before he was dancing featured roles in the company.
"Keith taught at Arthur Murray's studio by day to earn a living, and danced with long-time ballroom partner Joyce Lofts in exhibitions and competitions, winning Latin American championships in 1960, 1961, 1962.
"It was Keith's story that inspired Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom.
"After Bodenwieser's death in 1959, Keith and Margaret Chapple (Chappie) continued the Bodenwieser philosophy at the famous Bodenwieser Dance Centre in Sydney. International dance companies (e.g. Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey, Nederlands Dance Theatre) made the Centre their rehearsal space, expanding techniques and styles for Keith, Chappie and students.
"Throughout the sixties, Keith danced and choreographed for TV shows and danced in ballets for ABC TV. He was much in demand by theatre and opera companies and also became extremely influential on stage movement for actors which he kept developing throughout his forty years of teaching at NIDA.
"In 1971 Keith was awarded a travelling scholarship by the Australia Council and Deptartment of Foreign Affairs to study overseas trends in dance, drama companies and schools. Harry M. Miller called him back to choreograph Jesus Christ Superstar, which was brilliant and unforgettable.
"Keith continued to represent Australia at arts conferences and competitions all over the world throughout the 70s and 80s.
"Another milestone was the series of Armidale Dance Summer Schools initiated by Dame Peggy van Praagh and Shirley McKechnie, held in 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976. Keith was one of the excellent tutors engaged for these events.
"Keith was a foundation member of the Australian Association for Dance Education (now Ausdance) and held state and national committee roles for many years. It was Keith who initiated the annual Dancers' Picnic which has become the Australian Dance Awards."
His book, Keith Bain on Movement, with special introduction by Cate Blanchett and published by Currency House, was launched by John Bell in 2010.
Keith received many honours and awards including the Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal for services to dance and theatre (1977), an Order of Australia Medal (1988) and an Australian Dance Award for Services to Dance Education (2003).
He received the dance industry's esteemed honour of induction into the Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame in 2011.
