The 1987 film Dirty Dancing broke box office records and catapulted Patrick Swayze, as the gyrating dance instructor Johnny Castle, into stardom. When creator Eleanor Bergstein reimagined the film as a musical in late 2004, it was again the charismatic character of Johnny that took the spotlight, this time played by Australian dancer Josef Brown, with his sculpted torso, killer dance moves and smouldering good looks. However, ‘Baby’ Houseman, the young heroine who falls for Johnny, is a far more complex character, and in this latest Australian revival of the musical, 10 years after its world premiere, singer, dancer and actor Kirby Burgess is bringing depth and nuance to the role.
“Baby is a unique role; she’s very many people rolled into one,” agrees Burgess, when I catch up with her in her Brisbane dressing room before the evening performance. “To play a role that is comedic as well as a dramatic, to be the love interest and the damsel in distress, as well as the heroine – I can’t actually think of a role that embraces all that. And she has a powerful opinion – and is stubborn, as well as giving. She is a complex character, yet so easy to fall in love with,” Burgess adds, “because she’s going through something everyone has gone through – her first love. I’m proud of her as a character but it is challenging to keep her real.”
It is also challenging to portray Baby as someone who, to begin with, can’t dance. “The metaphor for the story is that if someone really believes in you, your talents will shine through,” laughs Burgess, adding, “Well, that’s how I play it, anyhow. Because I finally get to dance the way I want to dance!”
Burgess of course, has been dancing almost as long as she has been walking, and with parents and a sister also involved in theatre, show business is obviously in her DNA. When she was three, the family moved to the NSW seaside town of Batemans’ Bay, becoming involved with the local theatre. . . .
This is just the start of a full-length feature on Kirby Burgess by Denise Richardson in the current issue (Oct/Nov) of Dance Australia. Buy your copy now from your favourite retail outlet or download our free app to purchase a copy HERE.