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  • Essay / Modern New York City fifth graders gracefully

    The view of a room full of Modern New York City fifth graders gracefully taking lessons in traditional ballroom dancing, the foxtrot , the rumba, and even the sensual tango, has a certain good incongruity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay, especially with their 97% poverty rate at these schools. Yet the dances, with their old-fashioned Astaire and Rogers urbanity, fit strangely with the agile bodies and dressed urban attitudes of American schoolchildren of the time. Additionally, through a program hosted by the American Ballroom Theater, students in 60 New York City elementary schools not only learn steps and postures, but also exhibit them in an annual tournament. Their competition is the subject of “Mad Hot Ballroom,” a light and charming documentary directed by Marilyn Agrelo. Agrelo and his co-producer, Amy Sewell, first-time filmmakers, visited three public schools located in different parts of New York and followed their students through the stages of the competition leading to a final event at the World Financial Center. The prize was a trophy bigger than most competitors, and also the kind of glory that fuels the dreams of many young people. These children demonstrate extraordinary courage and discipline, as well as a sometimes irresistible desire to win. , of course, which is one of the hard lessons that competition teaches. And not every documentary on an attractive subject is entirely successful. The suspense inherent in the road to the final tournament (and the fortuitous development that at least one of the three schools makes it that far) gives "Mad Hot Ballroom" its completeness. The young dancers from TriBeCa, Washington Heights and Bensonhurst, Brooklyn give it playfulness and personality, but it misses the opportunity to present them in all their individuality. The interviews with them are fascinating in addition to the dancing, they talk about school, the street and the state of relationships between girls and boys but also superficial. Nonetheless, the dance itself is fun to watch, both comical and genuinely touching, and any film that captures some of the magical, impeccable process by which people learn is bound to be inspiring. There is also insight into how social class and ethnicity influence the lives of the city's children. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Essay TriBeCa's young sophisticates seem not only materially better off than their uptown or Brooklyn counterparts, but also confident in their superiority. Despite their teacher's fears of imposing too much competition on them, they hope to win. The kids of Washington Heights, on the other hand, or at least their passionate and energetic teacher, feel like they need to win. Their school district is one of the poorest in Manhattan, staffed largely by immigrants from the Dominican Republic, and the students' aspirations are clouded by the realities of crime, poverty, and broken families...