The next 'Spellbound'... ordinary children turn wunderkind.

An acutely observed documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom follows two groups of New York school children, one from a more privileged area of Tribecca, the other from an ethnically diverse part of Brooklyn, in the three month run-up to a dance competition.

As with its genre predecessor, Spellbound, there are a wide range of children all angling for the same goal, from Tara Devon Gallagher, who practises diligently at home in the evenings, to a whole host of youngsters who really could care less about dancing. But in the end, the film is about more than just dancing— there are bigger issues at stake.

As principal Louise Verdemare says, “It’s more than simply learning steps. It’s etiquette. It’s life.”