HC Reviews

Mad Hot Ballroom

I don't know why I'm such a sucker for documentaries about kids facing insurmountable odds, but I am. So y'all know I just fell in love with this documentary about kids and ballroom dancing. The documentary follows around several kids from 4 different school systems in NYC as they participate in the mandatory ballroom dancing class and the subsequent dance championship.

The majority of the kids are from lower income families and this film captures their feelings on a range of things, from how they feel about members of the opposite sex to what they want to do when they grow up. The kids don't really mug for the camera (except sometimes when they're dancing) and even when there are interviews with the kids, it almost feels as if you're just a friend hanging out with them instead of an interview. And you just fall in love with all these kids and their quirky personalities.

The main problem I have with the DVD is that there are no extras. No interviews with the filmmakers, family members, or Pierre Dulaine (who started the dance in schools movement; the movie Take the Lead is based on this). No extended or deleted scenes. No extra dance numbers.

But the overall film is cute and heartwarming. Check it out when you get a chance.

Posted by xinh at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)