The True Stories strand, which showcases the best of international feature-length documentaries, continues with Marilyn Agrelo's hilarious and touching film, from 2005, which follows the progress of several 11-year-old pupils from the New York City state school system, as they enter the rarefied world of ballroom dancing.
Not only do they learn the steps and the moves, in time they go forward to compete in a city-wide dance competition, with mixed results. Although many of the kids are reluctant at first, their journey into merengue, rumba, tango, the foxtrot and swing sees them transformed from reluctant participants to determined competitors, from typical urban kids to "ladies and gentlemen". Agrelo's candid portrait captures kids on the cusp of teenagerdom, balancing innocence with "cool", as they learn about the wider world and its many curious ways.
Preview courtesy of Channel 4
Mad Hot Ballroom is a Film programme that first aired in 2005 and has been classified a U certificate.
