Mad Hot Ballroom

2005 PG 2h 0m DVD

Mad Hot Ballroom

2005 PG 2h 0m DVD
  • Overview
  • Details
Ballroom dancing goes from lame to cool for a group of New York City students in this insightful documentary, which follows a group of 11-year-olds as they learn to dance old-school styles including the merengue, rumba, tango, foxtrot and swing. Candid interviews capture the kids' initial reluctance at learning ballroom dance and their transformation into serious competitors determined to win a citywide competition.
Cast
Heather Berman, Emma Therese Biegacki, Paul Daggett, Graciela Daniele, Pierre Dulaine, Tara Devon Gallagher, Brian David Cange, Madeleine Hackney, Rodney Lopez, Victoria Malvagno
Director
Marilyn Agrelo
Format
DVD
Screen
Full Screen 1.33:1
CC
Yes
Audio
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Rating
PG - Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give parental guidance. May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.
age 8+
Common Sense rating OK for kids 8+

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age 8+

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that Mad Hot Ballroom is a documentary that tracks students from three NYC public schools as they prepare for an annual citywide ballroom-dancing competition. Some of the 11- and 12-year-old interviewees discuss the difficulties in their lives and neighborhoods, including absent parents, drug dealers, and street violence. That said, the kids handle these subjects with poise and remarkable self-awareness. They learn about the hard work and dedication required to achieve goals and make dreams come true; they also learn to accept defeat with grace and humility. They develop a sense of pride and self-respect through mastering different dances.

Sexual Content

Kids are learning about gender roles as they learn classic dancing.

Violence

Discussion of violence (including one abstract mention of "kidnappers"); none displayed.

Language

Not applicable

Social Behavior

The kids learn about the hard work and dedication required to achieve goals and make dreams come true; they also learn to accept defeat with grace and humility. The kids come to see that personal victories result from doing the best you can do.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Some of the kids speak disparagingly about the drug dealers in their neighborhood.

  • Age appropriate
  • Not an issue
  • Depends on your child and your family
  • Parents strongly cautioned
  • Not appropriate for kids of the age

This information for parents is provided by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving kids' media lives.

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