IMDb RATING
7.4/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
The students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.The students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.The students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.
- Awards
- 8 wins & 10 nominations
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe three schools that the film follows are: PS 150 from the affluent Tribeca area; PS 112 from the primarily Italian and Asian area of Bensonhurst; and PS 115 from Washington Heights, a Dominican neighborhood where over 97% of the residents live below the poverty line.
- Quotes
White chubby kid: My religion does not allow me to dance, and Mouhamed's does not allow him to dance either, so we have really enjoyed being DJs.
Mouhamed: Everybody has been very nice to me, although... I am... from another...
[hesitates]
Mouhamed: country.
- Crazy creditsSome of the children add their observations about life in film clips during the credits.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Al Franken/Fountains of Wayne (2005)
- SoundtracksFEVER
by Peggy Lee
Featured review
Truly Moving Picture
I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival that screens films for their Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture "...explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.
This is a documentary that plays out like a story. Three fifth grade classes of different schools in diverse NYC learn ballroom dancing in order to compete in a citywide dance contest in downtown Manhatten. You watch the kids evolve from clumsy to close-to-graceful and from hesitant to confident.
The best part was that the kids ignored the camera. They didn't play to the camera at all. And ten year old kids are beautiful as they bounce back-and-forth from juvenile to young adult and back to juvenile in a matter of seconds.
The camera work and directing are interesting because you don't notice them. You feel you are the observer and not the camera. The movie simply looks honest and truthful.
FYI - There is a Truly Moving Picture web site where there is a listing of past winners going back 70 years.
This is a documentary that plays out like a story. Three fifth grade classes of different schools in diverse NYC learn ballroom dancing in order to compete in a citywide dance contest in downtown Manhatten. You watch the kids evolve from clumsy to close-to-graceful and from hesitant to confident.
The best part was that the kids ignored the camera. They didn't play to the camera at all. And ten year old kids are beautiful as they bounce back-and-forth from juvenile to young adult and back to juvenile in a matter of seconds.
The camera work and directing are interesting because you don't notice them. You feel you are the observer and not the camera. The movie simply looks honest and truthful.
FYI - There is a Truly Moving Picture web site where there is a listing of past winners going back 70 years.
helpful•376
- tollini
- May 31, 2005
- How long is Mad Hot Ballroom?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,117,961
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $45,348
- May 15, 2005
- Gross worldwide
- $9,104,327
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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