Social Dancing Makes a Comeback
A scene from the documentary film Mad Hot Ballroom, which was a surprise hit at the box office, grossing over $8 million.
The intent elementary school students learning to waltz and rumba in the wildly popular documentary Mad Hot Ballroom learn far more than the steps of each dance. By the time they complete American Ballroom Theater’s 10-week “Dancing Classrooms” program, they learn not only that knights wore their swords on the left, so the lady’s place of honor is on the right, but valuable life skills: discipline, respectful behavior, cooperation.
The documentary’s unexpected success is fostering new interest in teaching social dancing to middle and high school kids all around the country. “We’re seeing a comeback,” says Shawn Fisher, vice president of Dance USA’s youth-college network. “Trained ballroom teachers are now going into the school systems.” It’s not just gym class for a rainy day.
At American Fork High School, a half-hour south of Salt Lake City, Nolan Devor teaches a semester-long elective ballroom class to students from grades 10 to 12. Devor, who has competed professionally, believes that learning dances like the Charleston, quickstep, and fox trot gives teenagers confidence. “Everyone has certain strengths,” says Devor. “In ballroom you have to be able to listen, to learn, to lead, and to follow. You might not be valedictorian. You might not be a cheerleader. But you could excel at ballroom.”
Independent dance studios also see more interest from parents in classes for their kids. “The TV show [Dancing with the Stars] and the movie are an impetus for parents to check ballroom out,” says Martin Voight, who runs East Towne Ballrooms in Milwaukee. A local television station recently covered his classes for children (“Fox Tots”) and teens. Voight, who has had many students compete in the U.S. Dance Sport Championships junior division, believes that the world of ballroom can offer young people alternatives. “Any community arts program that exposes you to peers, mentors, and role models can make a difference,” says Voight, whose school gives a few scholarships each year. “Right now we have a lot of Russian, Hispanic, and mixed race kids. The number one priority isn’t to be strict or tough. It’s about what the kids discover, the confidence they can build.”
Some teachers worry that the documentary and the television series convey the pizzazz of competition more than the actual pleasure of learning to dance. “Competition plays a big role in our culture now, and kids tend to focus on that,” says Valerie Williams, who runs Co’Motion, a dance studio in Ames, IA.
But Pierre Dulaine, who created American Ballroom Theater’s “Dancing Classrooms” program in the New York area, says firmly: “Competition is always good for everyone.” The 4th and 5th graders, known to their ballroom teachers as “ladies” and “gentlemen” throughout the twice-weekly sessions, can audition to compete intramurally. The winners go on to the “Colors of the Rainbow” team match at New York’s World Financial Center, scene of the documentary’s thrilling climax. “The students learn to look people in the eye, to shake hands firmly from the elbow. They learn to be respectful of one another,” Dulaine says. “These skills are transferable for the rest of life.” He emphasizes the program’s academic component, too. Sessions are held during the school day with the homeroom teacher involved. Students must write their feelings about dancing with one another, and homework includes interviewing their parents about the social dances they learned as children.
A poem by a boy in Brooklyn’s P.S. 156 is one of Dulaine’s favorites: “I love the rumba; it is the best./It is a lot of work, but it is worth the test./It is so cool, and oh, so sweet./ Oh, how I love that rumba beat!” Another boy wrote poignantly, “When I dance the merengue, angels are above and around me, and I forget about bad stuff that happened to me.”
“The children come in apprehensive, but by the end, they’re loving it,” says Dulaine. So is he. “Dancing is so old for me, so new for them.” The program, which began in a handful of New York schools 12 years ago, has 100 schools participating this year, and Chicago’s Board of Education recently approached American Ballroom Theater about establishing a program in schools there.
About the Author
Hanna Rubin is managing editor of Dance Magazine. Mad Hot Ballroom is now available on video.
This article first appeared in NRTA Live & Learn, Fall 2005.
