Mad Hot Ballroom

This toe-tapping documentary will convince many of the need to stop cutting arts programs at schools, by showing off inspiring 11-year olds who dance their hearts out while competing in a city-wide ballroom-dancing tournament. First-time director Marilyn Agrelo enters the lives of spirited fifth-graders from three New York City schools as they train, sweat and gossip about the opposite sex with honesty, humor and endearing devotion. Although this may be a watered-down version of recent documentaries like Spellbound, this one dispels the inner-city-kids-are-thugs stereotype while motivating your soul to bounce to the beat with every tango turn and fancy foxtrot step.