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Avg. Critic Score: 71 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
8 OK for kids 8+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 90
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    A documentary experience to savor. Warm, funny and very difficult to resist, this engaging film combines the charm of "Spellbound" with the kinetic energy of "Strictly Ballroom" in a way that will make you want to laugh, cry and do a little dancing yourself, maybe all at the same time. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    Sweet and wise little film. Read full review

  • 80
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    Resistance is futile. It's impossible not to be swept up into the uplifting world of Mad Hot Ballroom, a documentary that can be neatly summed up as the "Spellbound" of competitive ballroom dancing. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Walter Addiego

    Beguiling. Read full review

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    A testament to the discipline, humor, and life of kids who swing. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Charming and inspiring. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Listening to the kids talk is a treat in itself, but watching them strut their stuff in the final competition is enough to make you stand up and cheer. Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post |

    Insightful and endearing documentary. Read full review

  • 70
    The New York Times | Dana Stevens

    Ms. Agrelo and Ms. Sewell deserve praise for discovering and illuminating this delightful corner of an educational system that is often portrayed in the grimmest terms, but their execution falls a bit short. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Robert Koehler

    Perky and effortlessly smooth. Read full review

View more reviews for Mad Hot Ballroom on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 8+ Dance documentary hits all the right beats.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this documentary tracks students from three NYC public schools as they prepare for an annual citywide ballroom dancing competition. Parents need to know that some of the 11- and 12-year-old interviewees discuss the difficulties in their lives and neighborhoods, including absent parents, drug dealers, and street violence. That said, the children handle these subjects with poise and remarkable self-awareness.
  • Families can talk about the overwhelmingly positive effects of such structured dancing for both students and their teachers. They work hard, dedicate time and energy, and support each other, forming strong networks within their school teams and coming to understand what it means to win, and maybe more importantly, to lose. How do you cope with losing even when you try your best? What is the value of working together toward a common goal? What are the best ways to help teammates or partners to feel confident or learn new skills (whether dance steps, athletic activities, or school work)? How does losing teach you to be strong? And how might winning help you become more generous and sympathetic with other competitors?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: Not an issue
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence and scariness: Discussion of violence (including one abstract mention of "kidnappers"), none displayed.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: Kids are learning about gender roles as they learn classic dancing.
  • language false0 Language: Not an issue
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Some of the kids want to become stars, so they show an understanding of celebrity.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Mad Hot Ballroom Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 78 fan reviews

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