Cyrus Hernstadt, 11, talks to Scholastic Student Reporters Nia Mariso and Jamie Sanders at the screening of Mad Hot Ballroom in the Tribeca Film Festival Drive-in theater. Cyrus was a featured dancer in the documentary about New York City's school dancing competition. (Photo: Suzanne Freeman)

Sunday, April 24—Despite the rain and cold, the movie stayed on and all of the moviegoers remained rooted to their seats. Mad Hot Ballroom played to a shivering but enthusiastic crowd at the Tribeca Film Festival's drive-in theater in New York City today.

A drive-in theater in New York City? Well . . . sort of. The outdoor theater seated its 600-plus audience on plastic folding chairs set up between the Hudson River and the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan. The film was projected on a giant inflatable screen that was all black, except for a white screen in front.

Many of the fifth-grade ballroom dancers featured in the film were on hand to talk to reporters and to dance. Before the screening, the young stars demonstrated what made their movie so special. Mad Hot Ballroom is a documentary about the New York City public-school program that has become a hit even before it hits theaters. It is scheduled to open nationwide in early June.

Swinging Idea

The idea for the movie came to co-producer Amy Sewell as she was writing a news story about the program for a community newspaper.

"I was mesmerized by what the kids were doing," she told Scholastic News Online. "I decided it would make a great movie. Here were these kids doing something completely unfamiliar to them to music completely different from anything they listen to."

Scholastic Student Reporter Nia Mariso interviews Quana Jones, 11, and other ballroom dancers who were featured in the documentary movie Mad Hot Ballroom. The movie was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 24. (Photo: Suzanne Freeman)

Scholastic Student Reporters who are both enrolled in the ballroom-dancing program this year interviewed the stars of the film just before and after the screening.

Here's what some of the kids told them about their involvement in Mad Hot Ballroom.

Scholastic News Online: What was it like when you were in the middle of competition?
Cyrus Hernstadt, 11: It was kind of fun. It's like everyone is looking at you and taking pictures of you.

Scholastic News Online: Which dance do you like the best and who was your dance partner?
Quana Jones, 11: The swing was the best dance. I just danced with whoever was the same height as me. I was very nervous. It was very scary. The camera was on us and everything. I didn't want to do anything stupid.

Scholastic News Online: What was it like having to dance with the cameras around all the time?
Tara Gallagher, 12: At first it was a little weird, but after a while, you don't notice. Sometimes they would be up in your face [with the cameras] when you're trying to dance, but you learn to get around them.

Scholastic News Online: Were you nervous about dancing when you started out? Did the competition make you nervous?
Zeb Liburd, 12: I was not a very good dancer when I started out. I didn't really know how I would do in front of all those people. I just focused on my dance partner and dancing and doing what I really needed to do.

Scholastic News Online: How did it make you feel?
Zeb: Kind of weird. It felt uncomfortable dancing with the different gender. The first time dancing with a girl, like holding her and stuff, it was really weird, just the thought of it, you know? You never know what's going to happen. I got used to it.

Student Reporter Jamie Sanders interviews teacher Allison Sheniak of PS 150. Ms. Sheniak's 5th graders were featured in the movie Mad Hot Ballroom, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 24. (Photo: Suzanne Freeman)

Scholastic News Online: What was it like when you first started dancing?
Michael Vaccarro, 10: It was something new, I didn't expect it to be like that, but it was really something. It was the first time doing ballroom dancing, yes, but not regular dancing. My favorite dance is the merengue, most definitely because it is very easy. The swing made me most nervous. It's very complicated. It's new steps every year. Every time you dance it, it just gets harder.

Scholastic News Online: What do you think about the movie being such a success?
Michael: I didn't think it would go this far, but it's cool.

Scholastic News Online: What was it like dancing with someone of the opposite sex?
Ronnie Pecoraro, 10: In the beginning I was nervous (to dance with a girl), but in the middle I was used to it.
Sharese DeBiasi, 11: I was very nervous to dance with a boy.

Scholastic News Online: What was it like watching these kids go from being all shy with each other to, you know?
Allison Sheniak (PS 150 teacher): You mean growing into young ladies and gentlemen?
Scholastic News Online: Yes
Allison: It was amazing. It was special that I was able to see them go through the stages of learning dance and maturing as fifth-graders. It was amazing.