Bailamos!!!

You'd think after spending the entire day with 5th graders that the last way I would want to spend my evening would be watching a documentary about them. WRONG-O. Last night the huuby and I watched the much anticipated (by me) film Mad Hot Ballroom. This documentary tracks three New York Public Schools as they prepare for a ballroom dancing competition. It's full of humor, underdogs, and minors shaking what their mamas gave 'em. And it is mad good.

We have three schools: the self-depricating and awkward bunch from Queens, the creepily self-aware kids from Manhattan, and the spunky, poor, and endearing group of Dominicans from Washington Heights. Queens and Manhattan were out at the quarterfinals. Queens attributed their short-lived efforts to their desire to "just have fun and not try very hard." Manhattan chalked it up to the "subjectivity of dance" and decided that the judges just decided not to notice how good they were.

Meanwhile, the Dominicans made it all the way to the Grand Finals, competing against last year's winners, the evil P.S. 144 and its stiff, plaster-smiled dancers. We Americans love the underdog, so of course I was filled with nervous jitters as I watched the dramatically disadvantaged, but amazingly determined Dominicans shake their groove things in the finals. We'll just say that I was yelling "Dominicans!!!!!!" for the last 40 minutes of the movie. I won't tell you who wins, but I was jumping up and down on the couch.

All in all, a great movie that makes you feel like there is justice in the world. And makes you realize that white people really can't dance. GO DOMINICANS!!!!!!!!

Rating: ****/4