Mad Hot Ballroom Movie Review:


Showcasing the New York Public School’s dance competition for youngsters, “Mad Hot Ballroom” proves how involved students can become in an activity if motivated by caring and dedicated teachers. It also reveals the positive behavior changes resulting from participating in such a worthwhile project.

“Dancing makes you feel nice; it energizes you,” says one of the fifth grade boys filmed in this 2005 documentary, a movie of surprising depth and entertainment value

Energize is right! Tango, meringue, fox-trot, rumba and swing – all must be mastered by these pre-teens in order to win medals for their school, not to mention the huge, coveted Challenge Trophy. The dancers, kids of many shapes and sizes, represent various racial and ethnic groups. They start out awkwardly but gradually become more confident – and some emerge as outstanding dancers. Because men as well as women teachers work with the students, the boys seem to accept dancing more readily than I expected. As one male teacher explains, “Boys today don’t have a role model like Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire.”

In between dance classes, the children discuss their lives and feelings, sometimes with wisdom beyond their age. The girls talk about boys; the boys talk about girls. And both groups talk about their future – and, of course, their enthusiastic reactions to the ballroom dance competition.

Because dance has always been important to me, I’m encouraged by such renewed interest in ballroom dancing – and not just in America. “Strictly Ballroom,” Baz Luhrmann’s Australian hit, may have started this resurgence. In Japan, director Mayasuki Suo’s delightful movie “Shall We Dansu?” caused a significant increase in the number of Japanese citizens taking ballroom dance lessons. The American remake, “Shall We Dance” (starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon), produced similar results here in the U.S. And what’s the most popular TV offering this summer? “Dancing with the Stars,” a show focusing on ballroom dance competition.

I think the enormous appeal of ballroom dancing comes from its emphasis on social cooperation, discipline (“Even when I’m not dancing, I’m going over the steps in my head,” declares one student), and elegance. Adding competition into the mix makes it a surefire recipe for success as an educational tool. And, I almost forgot, it’s such fun!

Kudos to director Marilyn Argelo, writer Amy Sewell and all those wonderful students and teachers of “Mad Hot Ballroom.” Not since watching “Spellbound” have I felt this much faith in the youth of today.



Betty Jo Tucker

In the style of the documentary Spellbound, this film follows three New York City schools as they prepare for a ballroom dancing competition. Meanwhile, the filmmakers gently explore important educational and societal issues.

All three state schools--in Washington Heights, Brooklyn and Tribeca--are a melange of ethnic and economic backgrounds. And these 10- to 12-year-old kids are brought together in a government-funded dancing programme designed to help them develop social and artistic skills. And the results are fairly impressive, as we see the children learn to respect each other and find some inner value. Although the filmmakers are careful to point out that this approach doesn't work for every student.

And the teachers are fascinating as well, from the sparky Reynoso, who just missed out on the huge trophy last year and is determined not to let that happen again, to the charming Lopez, who knows how important it is to have a male dance teacher. We even get to watch the teachers socialising, and strutting their stuff, in one especially energetic sequence.

What we never see, though, are the students in their homes, which would have added huge significance (as it did in Spellbound). At least we meet them on the playground and in the park, where we hear their aspirations and observations, which really highlights the gaping gulf in maturity between boys and girls at this age. Not to mention the things they cope with that we can't even imagine, such as the girl who casually comments that her goal is to find a boyfriend who doesn't sell drugs.

What they all share is a sense of release and accomplishment, not to mention the sheer enjoyment ("My favourite is the Merengue--it's mad hot!"). These classes develop a real sense of camaraderie and team spirit, especially as they head for the big final. It takes quite a long time for the film to finally reach its real point, examining the changes this programme makes in the kids, but by the end we're glowing with pride just like their parents and teachers.

Rich Cline

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