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If the delightful spectacle of preteen kids dancing the foxtrot and the merengue isn't enough to lure you in, add the pressure of a dance competition and the triumph of troubled kids finding self-respect through discipline--if Mad Hot Ballroom were a Hollywood movie, it would be too corny for words. Instead, it's an engrossing documentary about a wildly successful after-school program in New York City. Mad Hot Ballroom follows a handful of kids in three different schools from the beginning of their dance classes to the night of the inter-school dance finals. Regrettably, the movie fails to pursue the dancers themselves; a few scenes provide glimpses of some smart, articulate kids with vivid personalities and compelling emotions, but the filmmakers make a minimal effort to draw the kids out or explore their lives outside of the classes. Watching the kids develop as dancers is still gripping and the final competition will have you on the edge of your seat, but it could have been all the more so. Though certainly worthy and genuinely heartwarming, you can't help but feel that Mad Hot Ballroom lost an opportunity for something truly dazzling. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By K. Gordon
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Charming, funny, ultimately moving, documentary about NYC public grade school kids in
ballroom dancing competition.
It's inspiring to see these kids transformed by the program, where kids in thousands
of NYC public schools learn ballroom dances in 5th, 6th and 7th grade, often giving them
a discipline and self-respect they'd lacked before. We meet a fun, colorful array of
characters (both teachers and students).
On the down side, we never really get to know any of the characters deeply, only bits and
sound-bites, and some moments feel staged (a suspicion bolstered by the end credit
`writer', although there is no narration, and the film is done verite style).
Also, while we see how great the effect of winning is on these kids, the subject of losing, the hurt
feelings, the possible damage to these same fragile egos is touched on, but never
explored. We see kids crying, we hear one teacher voice concerns abut the intensity
of competition at that age, but that's it. Even as an endorsement of what is clearly a
terrific program for the kids, it feels like a bit of a cheat to bring up such an arresting
element, and then never really deal with it.
All that said, this is still well worth seeing, I just found myself wishing for more.
ballroom dancing competition.
It's inspiring to see these kids transformed by the program, where kids in thousands
of NYC public schools learn ballroom dances in 5th, 6th and 7th grade, often giving them
a discipline and self-respect they'd lacked before. We meet a fun, colorful array of
characters (both teachers and students).
On the down side, we never really get to know any of the characters deeply, only bits and
sound-bites, and some moments feel staged (a suspicion bolstered by the end credit
`writer', although there is no narration, and the film is done verite style).
Also, while we see how great the effect of winning is on these kids, the subject of losing, the hurt
feelings, the possible damage to these same fragile egos is touched on, but never
explored. We see kids crying, we hear one teacher voice concerns abut the intensity
of competition at that age, but that's it. Even as an endorsement of what is clearly a
terrific program for the kids, it feels like a bit of a cheat to bring up such an arresting
element, and then never really deal with it.
All that said, this is still well worth seeing, I just found myself wishing for more.
By K. Gordon
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Charming, funny, ultimately moving, documentary about NYC public grade school kids in
ballroom dancing competition.
It's inspiring to see these kids transformed by the program, where kids in thousands
of NYC public schools learn ballroom dances in 5th, 6th and 7th grade, often giving them
a discipline and self-respect they'd lacked before. We meet a fun, colorful array of
characters (both teachers and students).
On the down side, we never really get to know any of the characters deeply, only bits and
sound-bites, and some moments feel staged (a suspicion bolstered by the end credit
`writer', although there is no narration, and the film is done verite style).
Also, while we see how great the effect of winning is on these kids, the subject of losing, the hurt
feelings, the possible damage to these same fragile egos is touched on, but never
explored. We see kids crying, we hear one teacher voice concerns abut the intensity
of competition at that age, but that's it. Even as an endorsement of what is clearly a
terrific program for the kids, it feels like a bit of a cheat to bring up such an arresting
element, and then never really deal with it.
All that said, this is still well worth seeing, I just found myself wishing for more.
ballroom dancing competition.
It's inspiring to see these kids transformed by the program, where kids in thousands
of NYC public schools learn ballroom dances in 5th, 6th and 7th grade, often giving them
a discipline and self-respect they'd lacked before. We meet a fun, colorful array of
characters (both teachers and students).
On the down side, we never really get to know any of the characters deeply, only bits and
sound-bites, and some moments feel staged (a suspicion bolstered by the end credit
`writer', although there is no narration, and the film is done verite style).
Also, while we see how great the effect of winning is on these kids, the subject of losing, the hurt
feelings, the possible damage to these same fragile egos is touched on, but never
explored. We see kids crying, we hear one teacher voice concerns abut the intensity
of competition at that age, but that's it. Even as an endorsement of what is clearly a
terrific program for the kids, it feels like a bit of a cheat to bring up such an arresting
element, and then never really deal with it.
All that said, this is still well worth seeing, I just found myself wishing for more.
Format:DVD
I love this movie!! I have owned it for awhile and watched it many times as it is a true story and so uplifting. In fact, I like it so much I have bought copies for others and they loved it too! Great to have in your dvd library!
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