Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

Director:

Marilyn Agrelo

Writer:

Amy Sewell (writer)

Release Date:

13 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Family | Music

Tagline:

Anyone can make it if they know how to shake it.

Plot:

The students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | School | Ballroom Dancing | Tango | Rumba

Awards:

7 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Heather Berman	...	Herself
Emma Therese Biegacki	...	Herself
Paul Daggett	...	Himself
Graciela Daniele	...	Herself - Judge
Pierre Dulaine	...	Himself - Organizer and MC of the Final Dance Competition
Tara Devon Gallagher	...	Herself
Madeleine Hackney	...	Herself
Charlotte Jorgensen	...	Final Competition Judge
Rodney Lopez	...	Himself
Victoria Malvagno	...	Herself
Stacee Mandeville	...	Herself
Daniel Ponickly	...	Himself
Ann Reinking	...	Herself
Yomaira Reynoso	...	Herself
Allison Sheniak	...	Herself
Solomon Singer	...	Himself
Alex Tchassov	...	Himself
Jatnna Toribio	...	Dancer
Vanessa Villalobos	...	Herself
Cyrus Hernstadt	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Marilyn Agrelo

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Amy Sewell		writer

Produced by
Marilyn Agrelo	....	producer
Brian David Cange	....	line producer
Amy Sewell	....	producer
W. Wilder Knight II	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Joseph Baker
Steven Lutvak

Cinematography by
Claudia Raschke

Film Editing by
Sabine Krayenbühl

Production Management
Stuart Macphee	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
David Corcoran	....	sound recordist
Tammy Douglas	....	sound
Daniel Johnson	....	sound mixer
Greg Smith	....	sound editor
Tony Volante	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Barocci	....	additional cinematographer
Wolfgang Held	....	additional cinematographer
Douglas W. Shannon	....	additional photographer

Editorial Department
Haven Cousins	....	lead colorist
Jim Finn	....	negative supervisor
Richard Haylock	....	on-line editor
Robert Luttrell	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Matt Woo	....	on-line editor
Corey Lincoln	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Mark Reynolds	....	music supervisor
Ralph Sall	....	soundtrack album producer

Other crew
Winston Emano	....	publicist
David Magdael	....	publicist
Robert Stein	....	legal counsel
Anne Stulz	....	publicist
Steven Wallace	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Just One Productions

Distributors

• Monopole-Pathé (2005-2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Nickelodeon Movies (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Classics (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Park Junior (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinetic Media (2005) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Nickelodeon Network (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bulletproof Recording Company  soundtrack
• Film Emporium  insurance

MPAA:

Rated PG for some thematic elements.

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

UK:U | Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Brazil:Livre | USA:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Just One Productions

Trivia:

Cinematographer Claudia Raschke held the camera at stomach level to keep it in line with the children's faces.

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.

Movie Connections:

Version of Take the Lead (2006)

Soundtrack:

FEVER

an inspiring, warm, touching, FUN movie

"Mad Hot Ballroom" is wonderful. It makes you laugh and cry. You are instantly drawn to the children in this movie and inspired by them. The movie makes you laugh - you can't help but love these kids (and root for them). The film takes the dance sequences and interweaves them with the children's lives outside of school but in a way that demonstrates why the dancing is so important. The movie never preaches. The movie shows NYC in a very positive life - it finds beauty in every neighborhood. And the comments by one of the principals while the dance competition appears on-screen embodies the significance of the arts in children's (and all our) lives. And the kids are kids - whether they are dancing or chatting. You will just love this movie!!!