Another Ballroom Movie?

N

new-ish

New Member
Yahoo! Movies is listing "Mad Hot Ballroom" as an upcoming release:

Documentary
1 hr. 50 min. This is a profile of several New York City's public school kids
and their journey into the world of ballroom dancing. The eleven-year-olds
go from reluctantly participating in ballroom dancing to preparing to
compete in the citywide finals.
Release Date: May 13, 2005 NY; May 20, 2005 Limited.

This is the only listing I've seen so far.
 
Mad Hot Ballroom Movie

The movie trailer is now on the paramountclassics.com website.

I forget whether posting site URLs on DF is allowed or not, but here it is:
http://www.paramountclassics.com/madhot/

The trailer for it is absolutely wonderful, showing inner city NY kids in ballroom dancing competitions. It really makes you step back and see Ballroom dancing in a different light.
 
I'd be curious if anyone knows more about the factual story behind the movie... I've walked by the guy's studio several times as it's located between the two where I usually spend my dance time.
 
Funny trailer! To be honest, though, I was a bit disappointed. I'd like to see more of the kids' preparation and it looked like it was all comps, comps, comps. Too showy. I want to see the kids having footwork issues, wondering how the correct posture is done. Usual stuff. Not flashy stuff.

Twilight Elena
 
So did you actually see the movie or is your disappointment based on just looking at the trailer?
 
Ballroom Movie, bringing dance to a new Generation

*bump*

I think this needs to be brought to attention again. The paramount page is done and NYT is raving about the movie.

While there is a lot about competitions in the movie, it's only because there is a city wide competion that the kids get involved in. The original purpose of this was to expose the kids to ballroom through their school and many of the kids involved in the project are quite talented. THrough their classes you do get to see them working on things like foot work and posture. Some of the kids even practice on their own and just happen to have the beautiful backdrop of NYC as they get together in the parks to work on things.

Tribeca Film Festival is letting the kids in free to see the premiere as well.

I think if enough older dancers seize upon this, partner dancing can be brought back as a common social activity despite it's decline. Reaching out to kids and showing them dance but letting them fall in love with it on their own is much more powerful than at lot of people seem to expect. By adding in competitions, these kids saw dance in a different light than the older generations. Who after all remembers the two weeks of square dancing kids use to do in gym class. It was boring, we weren't taught by dancers and it was too short and as far as we were concerned, unusable. The kids in this movie are so lucky.
 
Yeah. ballroomdancers.com sent out an email about it (yesterday?) Looks great for ballroom in the US. I wonder if/when the movie goes into wide release. Any ideas, anyone?
 
May 13 in NYC, May 20 in select cities. They havn't release any other dates. Most likely it will be a wait to see how it does in the select cities. With all the press it's getting it could do really well. Even small town papers are writing reviews.

That said, the dance genre of movies isn't going any where. Country Western and Swing champion Robert Royston is working on a movie that centers around the WCS circut.
 
Watching for this movie

I'm new to dancing (Latin dance) and will be watching for when this movie makes it to the West Coast. It looks like a lot of fun!
 
Do you know this movie: L'acrobate, from J.D. Pollet (1975) , with Guy Marchand


"Léon, a shy employee in municipal baths, loves Fumée, a prostitute of whom he would want to become the exclusive client. An evening, he attends a dance competition. This is a revelation. Léon decides then to follow the example of his friend Ramon, who seduces the women thanks to its talents of dancer, and dedicates to the tango. Quickly, he reveals an exceptional gift. Fumée becomes his official partner and they win together many prices. The dance and the movie form a happy couple and the film has the charm of a popular dance of which it keeps nostalgia. "
(grossly translated from the pariscinema site)

acrobate.jpg


I saw the movie a long time ago and as far as I remember, it does not end that well, as Ramon (impersonated by Guy Marchand) seduces Fumée, just for the fun of "stealing" her to Leon.
 
Wanderinfeet, Glad to hear you've taken up dance. My I suggest renting Strictly Ballroom, and when you do finally get to see Mad Hot Ballroom, check out the kids from PS 115..they have beautiful leg lines and body movement.


Select cities tends to mean 1 of 2 things....big theaters in big cities, they can afford to show an arty film on one of their many screens, and small theaters in small towns that don't give two figs and want to show it anyway. Corporations like Lowes tend to buy a few copies and show it at theaters they think it will do well out. So major cities will have it at some theaters (one large and a few small indy places) and a smattering of other locations nation wide.
 
I don't get to many movies a year, but this one sounds like one not to be missed. I certainly do not live in a select city, though.
 
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