TC Kids Club:
Mad Hot Ballroom

November 7 was the premiere event of the Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club series, and it was quite a hit! Gavin, one of our intrepid Tribeca Kids Access correspondents, was on hand at the afternoon screening of Mad Hot Ballroom, and he submitted his review of the film. Parents, do you have a budding cineaste on your hands? If so, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on deck for November 21. Don't miss it!
 

This is Gavin from Tribeca Kids Access. On Saturday, the seventh of November, I went to the Mad Hot Ballroom screening at Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club with my reporter colleague Margaret.
 
Mad Hot Ballroom is a movie about sixty of New York City's public schools that compete every year in—you guessed it—ballroom dancing. This documentary focuses on three of these sixty schools: P.S. 150, P.S. 112 and P.S. 115. The director, Marilyn Agrelo, follows these kids from when they just started ballroom dancing until when they know all of the moves (with a few exceptions, of course). At one point, the dance teachers have to choose the twelve best dancers from each school (six boys and six girls) to go to the competition. Six pairs because there are five dances, and each set of partners is assigned to one dance. The sixth dance pair is called the "team captains," and they are there just in case one of the dancers gets sick and can't make it to the competition. The team captains should be good at all five dances, because any of the dancers could get sick.
 
I can understand how exciting it was for the kids that won, and feel bad for all the kids who didn't win. But I'm sure they still had a pretty good time, considering how fun it is.

I liked this movie because of the 'behind the scenes' filming. It shows the students right before the competition; the kids when they are practicing at school; the dancers playing sports with each other; and even some of the kids just lounging around at home playing foosball. The film also shows the emotions of the students and teachers before, during, and after the competition. I strongly remember the scene when the kids and teacher of a school (I'm not telling which) were crying because they got eliminated from the competition.
 
I would definitely recommend this movie.   

The next Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club Saturday is November 21, when we'll be showing the musical classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! There are two screenings: 10:30 am (ages 3+) and 1:30 pm (ages 7+).

All events take place at Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Laight Street, one block south of Canal. Get your tickets today!