What I watched instead of the Super Bowl

Last night I watched Mad Hot Ballroom, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a great movie to watch if you're depressed, especially. I had a big grin on my face the whole time (trailer here). The premise is that several classes of fifth graders in New York City public schools take ballroom dancing lessons and compete for a top prize. The children are in that awkward stage, but they are all so adorable. The documentary doesn't explore the class implications of ballroom dancing except to mention briefly that ballroom dancing isn't just about dancing, but also about etiquette and learning about other cultures, and the camera doesn't follow the kids very closely into their home lives, though they are interviewed about how they feel about dancing and a few other innocuous topics. The teachers seem to be lovely people; they clearly care a lot about the children, and they even choke up when talking about them and the effect dancing has had on them. If you're like me and love dance movies, this movie will make you feel all squeeful and joyous. This is why I love Netflix.