- Good morning, class. - Good morning, Mr. Rodney!
Thank you very much. Can I have everybody standing up straight?
Standing up nice and tall, like you're about to enter a ballroom.
Which is what you're about to do.
Show me some imagination, all right? Here we go.
Ladies and gentlemen, please enter the ballroom...
and create a circle.
Enter the ballroom and create a circle.
Okay.
Feet together.
All right.
Do you know what I'm gonna do just because I want to be in style...
and I want to look like everybody else?
I'm gonna do this.
Oh, my God.
How would you like it if I taught class like this?
- Does it look nice? Does it look stylish? - No.
No, right? It looks pretty bad, doesn't it?
All right. So, can I have the gentlemen tuck their shirts in, please?
Can I have the gentlemen tuck their shirts in, please?
You don't have to take off your pants to do it.
One, two, pronounce: Merengue.
Who knows what country merengue came from?
- Italy? - Okay.
- Dominican Republic. - Absolutely. What's your name?
Nile.
Dominican Republic, ladies and gentlemen.
Gentlemen, take your partner, please.
Elbows together. Okay, make yourself taller.
Very good, very good.
It's okay, it's okay. He will help you.
- I don't know how... - He'll remember. Let me help you.
My arm hurts.
Take your position next to her.
Five, four, three, two.
No, not yet. Five, six, ready, go!
One, three, five, ladies.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Keep going. One, two...
I'll be honest with you.
I didn't know that I wanted to go ahead with ballroom dancing.
But, I decided, yeah, we'll just give it a shot and I'll see how it goes...
and it was a tough year because it was after 9/11.
So, we didn't get back to our building until February, this started in March.
But, it seemed like, "Oh, well, something positive has to come out of this. "
And these kids need something uplifting.
Although, I'm not such a great fan of, you know, hard competition and winning...
but I was thrilled with the outcome, and that's why we're still doing it.
Five, six, seven, and...
back, two, three, four, walk in, seven, eight.
Back, two, three, four, walk in, seven, eight.
Back, two, three, she turns.
Five, six, seven, yes!
Give yourselves a round of applause.
So, what happens is everyone knows the merengue...
feels very comfortable with it.
But then I start seeing some sloppy things.
Can I show you? Sloppy arms. Are you ready?
What am I doing wrong?
- Yes, sir. - You're waking up the people on top.
I'm waking up the people on top of the hotel, right?
Upstairs, remember, hands on the hips?
Upstairs, people are sleeping. Down here, the party's going on.
Remember in the beginning, we all thought...
that the dances were going to be really hard, but it was mad easy?
It wasn't weird to me...
because I seen them a lot, 'cause my nanny does them.
And Ronnie even knows because when he was over...
my nanny was helping us do the foxtrot.
So, it wasn't, like, weird to me. It got easier and easier.
What can you tell me about a fox?
What does a fox look like?
A fox look like a dog, but it's like...
a dangerous dog that lives in the woods.
Yeah, okay.
Good, excellent. What else does that fox do?
He go quietly and then he jump on the chicken.
Right, very good.
The fox sneaks up. He's quiet.
Right?
So that's how we're gonna dance this dance.
We're gonna be smooth...
we're gonna be sneaky, we're gonna be quiet...
when we do a foxtrot. Okay?
Let's get in our imaginary ghost position, dance position.
And without touching anyone, skate across the floor.
Ready, go. Skate, skate...
The children and most of the people who live here in Washington Heights...
come from Dominican Republic.
There are a large, large percentage of single-parent families.
There are many children being raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles.
Many situations where more than one family lives in a home.
So, the children don't have much advantage.
There's 97% poverty rate in the school...
so the children come to school with issues.
Here we go.
Five, six, seven, go.
Slow, slow...
quick, quick, slow, slow, away.
Slow, slow...
Children in a middle-class neighborhood...
have many more advantages.
If they want to go to dancing school, they can go to dancing school.
They want to take piano lessons, they can take piano lessons.
'Cause their parents can afford it.
This program is free for the kids.
So, they have the advantage of learning something new...
of perfecting it, and of being successful.
And they'll compete because they want to win.
So, ladies and gentlemen, when I said it's like a merengue step...
what I mean is just that you're going side together like the merengue.
But you don't have to move your hips like the merengue, okay?
I know, sometimes we just can't help it.
Let's do a quick merengue.
- Yeah! - All right, here we go. Dance position.
Five, six, five, six, seven, eight.
What's your favorite dance?
My favorite dance is the merengue. It's mad hot.
I know, I move my hips and Miss Reynoso is, like...
"You good, you good," and I like that.
Yeah, me too. I like moving my hips a lot.
When I first got there, I didn't know that we had to dance with boys.
But I wasn't really so afraid of that.
"Oh, my God, a boy is going to touch me, wow. "
'Cause I know it's just to dance.
It's not to do anything else.
That's what I hate, girls.
I know, girls always think they're the boss of everything and they're the best.
And always be like, "Okay. Uh?"
And you know what I hate? When girls decide, when girls, like...
They think they're not allowed to like the boys.
The boys have to like the girls before they can like them.
Whenever I'm dancing with Emma she tries to lead me 'cause she...
- Dancing with Emma? - In ballroom dancing.
- Ballroom dancing. - Yeah.
No.
No, not yet.
Of course, we do have, like, our crushes here and there, but you know...
nobody actually went out on a date somewhere.
But I do know that boys think about girls...
'cause I have a lot of guy friends...
and that's what they think about.
- Hold up, let me do this. - No, it's not right.
Tell me, please.
What color are your partner's eyes?
Don't look at her.
Greenish blue?
Okay, let's check it out. Yeah.
- What's your name? - John.
John, would you please tell me about her eyes, anything?
No, no, no, tell me.
They're just brown.
- Just brown? - It's brown.
And beautiful. Look. She has beautiful eyes.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me show you one little trick.
You see, very, very helpful.
So, let's use this trick. Eye-to-eye connection.
I'm serious.
Take a look at each other like last time in your life.
Take your parallel position, please.
Okay, what's the problem?
Take your partners.
And now, listen to me. Look at your partner.
Five, six, five, six, seven.
And, one, two, three, four, five, six.
One, two, close your fingers, four, five, six.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Quick, quick, slow.
Look at that attitude. Look at that attitude on that face. I love that.
Five, six.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
One, two, three, look at this attitude.
I love this attitude right here, too.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
One, two, three...
You know, I feel bad for some of the boys.
'Cause you can tell that these boys have never danced before.
It's like, when I was younger, I used to dance a lot...
and then, there's a saying that says, "If you don't dance... "
That means, you know, you didn't get to dance when you were younger.
So, you know, that's why I like this program so much...
because those children that, unfortunately...
didn't get an opportunity to dance like I did when I was younger...
are getting it now. And then, you know...
when they get into high school or have to invite that girl to a prom...
you know, they'll know how to dance, at least how to move.
Maybe this is just an avenue opening up...
for them to go into something that has to do with the arts.
And, who knows, maybe they do have it in them and this will bring it out.
You don't know what's hidden inside each child until you open it up.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Good afternoon, Miss Victoria.
Follow me. Okay, ladies and gentlemen.
Today we're going to start a new dance.
Does anyone want to guess what the new dance is? Yeah.
- Yo-yo. - Electric slide?
Electric slide? It's a ballroom dance.
- Ronnie? - The swing?
The swing. Very good, now...
what country do you think the swing started in?
We know it really well, I'll give you a hint.
- What do you think, Michael? - Africa?
- Africa? It's a good guess. Guess again. - United States?
Yes, very good, Taha, the United States of America.
Lean on your front foot.
Put all your body weight on your front foot.
We're gonna change our weight now. Ready, go back.
Back, front. Say it with me.
Back, front. Say it again. Back, front.
Again, back, front.
Faster!
Okay. Taha?
Number 10.
Am I supposed to jump that much?
Watch what happens. It's very small.
I just want a walking step.
Walk, walk again...
We can't dance at all because it's against my religion...
and it's also against his religion, too.
And, so far, I like being a DJ.
I think it's good because everyone is nice to me.
They don't care if I'm...
from another country.
Look, this is how you do a pull. Okay?
It's like you both separate each other, but you still have your hands.
Like a rubber band when you stretch it, okay?
Taha, could we try the next swing song? I think it's number 11.
Pick up the phone, switch to B.
Miss Verdemare knows the swing.
Listen! This rhythm is faster.
This rhythm is faster. In, out.
I think it's really important for the kids.
I think it's much more than learning a bunch of steps.
And I think it's much more than just a part of physical education.
It's not at all just that. It's etiquette.
It's knowledge of other cultures.
It's life.
Excellent.
The strange thing about being a girl...
- Is that your hair is so long? - No. That you have to be pregnant.
- What? - You have to have a baby. It's hard.
I heard in a book about...
It's called Why It's Great to be a Girl.
That women, overall, judging by scientific research...
are the more advanced civilization.
- Oh, yeah. That's good. - Even though that makes perfect sense.
Girls, they're all right.
I judge by their outer beauty and their inner beauty.
Both.
Mostly their inner beauty.
Mostly their outer beauty.
- Do you like any of the girls in the class? - No.
- As a girlfriend. - No.
- As a friend. - I like in Miss Conte's class, Marissa.
- Yes, okay. - Now, she's hot!
Okay.
Now, I'm not in the mood for boys.
I'm, like, in the mood for studying and everything...
for dancing, for school...
and for family and everything.
But, I'm not in the mood for boys now.
When I'm big, I'm gonna be in the mood for boys.
I like to be with a guy that, like...
he's concentrated in school.
That he wants to make something out of his life.
- A guy that doesn't sell drugs. - Yeah.
A guy that... I know that he's gonna have a good future.
Yeah.
And a guy that respects people.
- Respects you. - And respects me...
- and have a good education. - Yeah.
Five, six.
Quick, quick, one.
Quick, quick, two.
Quick, quick, three.
Not bad.
Stationary.
Ladies, show them off, please.
Say, "Cheese. "
Ladies, you're doing an excellent job.
Excellent.
But you could do a brilliant job...
if you will just listen to me right now and imitate what I'm doing.
Look at my watch. Watch!
Crown, up, hairstyle.
Let's try it, please. One more time.
Ladies, please.
Good. Very good girl.
Sometimes we feel uncomfortable...
when Alex comes to dance with us.
- Why? - 'Cause he's older.
He's, like, 50 years old!
One thing that's really annoying is, this is especially if you're a girl...
is if your partner doesn't know the dance very well...
and they're supposed to lead.
And it's just kind of like...
They don't do anything!
- Sometimes I feel them pull... - Sometimes you pull us!
- Yeah, but they go the wrong way. - Sometimes you guys go the wrong way.
Sometimes you guys go the wrong way, too.
How do you think we will feel by the time competition is here?
Three of us thought we would be nervous and excited and stuff.
And then Richard got up and just killed himself.
- What? - Richard said he'd kill himself.
So, Richard, what made you say something like that?
'Cause I don't like ballroom dancing.
I'll kill myself so I don't have to go.
You know, why do you dislike ballroom dancing so much?
Because I don't like it.
So now that competition has been brought up...
how do you guys feel about this?
If you practice a lot, you're practicing a-lot-lot, and it's like...
"Oh, yeah, I'm really doing well, I'm probably going to get in. "
Then you find out you're not getting in.
Then you're, like, really sad that you've done all this practice, but you didn't get in.
We have to make sure that...
when we are chosen for the competition...
that the people who are chosen...
don't boast and brag about it 'cause it's gonna make the other people...
feel like they're worthless.
So, I just wanted to say that.
Five, six, ready, go.
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.
Slow, quick, quick, slow.
Slow, quick, quick, in.
In, and out, around. Slow, around.
Glide.
I can't.
Eye-to-eye.
Around, very good.
Very good. Gentlemen, what are you supposed to do at the end of a dance?
- What do you do at the end of a dance? - You bow.
You turn the lady and you give her a little bow, all right?
Okay, so we're going to go to Argentina.
- Argentina. - Argentina.
- To dance the what? - The tango.
The tango, that's right.
T- A-N, outside.
Let's do it together.
Five, six, begin with your left.
T- A-N...
Last year, we won gold, but there was one final competition...
that involved a huge, huge, giant trophy.
And we didn't get it.
But this year I want that trophy.
It's like Susan Lucci, "I want that Emmy. " I want that trophy.
Even if it's once and that's it.
Just one time and that's it. I won't bother you anymore.
Six, seven, go.
T- A-N-G-O. And, T-A.
Again, and, T-A-N-G-O.
All right, cool.
- You all right? - I don't feel so good.
What's wrong with you?
My tummy hurts.
Your tummy hurts? Well, the period's almost over.
You go see the nurse after class, all right?
Do you think you can wait for two minutes?
Wait for two minutes and then go see the nurse, okay?
All right, here we go.
Rodney, weren't they tired?
They were a second ago.
Five, six, five, six.
Five, six, seven, and...
All my tired students.
Look how tired you guys are.
Go out first. Out, cross, turn it around.
Come on, go!
When I see people outside selling drugs and stuff, I feel bad.
Because they missing such a big part of life, you know.
They got the opportunity to go to college and stuff...
and, I mean, some people don't have the opportunity.
They just wasting...
But sometimes, it's not all their fault.
It's like their parents...
- they don't care that much about them. - They don't take care of them.
And since they... Their parents don't take care of them the way they're supposed to...
they think, "I might get into a gang. They just care for me, you know?
"And I'll get some drugs. And this is the right path," you know.
And it's not only their fault.
There's some young girls that they be in the streets...
'cause either they don't have a father or they don't have a mother...
and they need both on their side.
So, like, if their parents have some problems, try to keep it together...
so your daughter or your son can be good.
But if somebody cheats...
like my father did, no offense...
but, my father cheated on my mom, like, four years ago.
Now I got a step-little-brother, he's four.
I'm always telling my mom to leave him.
"Mommy," I'm like, "I'm sorry, but if my father's cheating on you...
"You should leave him, 'cause I don't want you to cry...
"and stuff just 'cause of him. "
Thanks to God, my parents are none of that.
My parents are cool with me.
They cool with each other. They haven't got separated.
They haven't fight or nothing. That's cool.
Okay, my turn.
T- A-N-G-O.
Five, six, ready, begin.
T- A-N-G-O.
And, T-A, step right, left.
Now that's it. Go backwards.
T- A-N-G. Again!
T- A-N, promenade.
- T, tango faces. - N-G-O.
T- A-N-G.
Gentlemen, where's my tango face?
A- N-G-O.
T- A-N-G-O.
Make believe, everyone, when you're doing tango.
You're imitating some cat moves.
Very, very sneaky ways.
It's my fault?
Michael, step right.
That was terrible.
Time for surprise partner, surprise dance.
Everybody sit.
Okay. Wilson and Katherine.
Your feet are not together, Katherine.
Five, six, ready, begin.
This boy that I've had my eye on, his name's Wilson.
He's developing into a very good dancer.
He doesn't know the language...
but he fits right in because everybody's supporting him.
And I see him in the process of learning these dances...
he's also learning the language.
I'm also looking at Katherine, but I still have my doubts.
I'm not too sure yet.
- Surprise, surprise. - Surprise, surprise.
You and...
Okay, this is the last one, because we're out of time.
Five, six, five, six, ready, go. And one.
It's tough, because everybody wants to compete.
But we want to have a sturdy team...
not only to make me proud, but for themselves.
And to represent their school and to represent their country.
You know, I think pride in themselves. Pride that...
"Look, we're Dominicans, we're here, we're competing.
"And, you know, we're good. "
Very nice, very nice.
Escort position.
Good-bye.
- How'd you do in social? - I don't know.
- There was 41 questions in it. - Okay.
On Friday, that's all I know.
Hello?
Yo, Mike, who do you think the best dancers are? Me, you or Delano?
I think it would be you.
Really, I think it would be you.
- 'Cause you get into it more. - Yeah, like...
Like, me, most of the time...
sometimes I get very, like, mopey and confused.
You just get right into it and know everything.
- Yeah, 'cause, like... - You remember all...
It's really fun, and how can you forget a fun time?
I think that once you get to dance, you feel so nice...
and fine, then, and you get energized.
It's like a sport that hasn't been invented into a sport.
Tracy? Do you like Michael as a partner?
- Well... - He's a little smaller than you, right?
I wasn't comfortable at him first.
What about you?
I have to dance with Daniel, I don't like him.
- Why? - Because...
He's so sloppy. He's sloppy chicken-wings.
Yeah, and then he tried to bite my neck.
Sometimes people don't like dancing with Johnny...
just because he's chubby. Well, that don't matter.
He's just a person.
Some people from the group of dancers, they're better than me.
So, I don't know if they'll pick me.
I'm trying hard for I can be in it...
but I don't know if they'll pick me.
Like, the most important thing is just, like, learning the dances...
and knowing how to do them.
So I'm not that psyched about the competition.
I always think about it.
And sometimes, if I don't do the steps...
I just go over them in my mind, even if I'm not doing them.
'Cause I really wanna be in this competition...
so I'm training my hardest to get in.
One thing I realized is that boys that are normally rowdy and kind of rough...
that it really shows a different side to them.
Like, they can be very, very understanding and very gentle.
If you really think about it...
ballroom dancing is like this tiny, little thing.
A tiny little grain of sand...
if you count the entire country.
I don't know if I could get into the competition...
but I know what I might wear.
Which dress are you gonna wear? The...
That's a cute one.
That's a great dress, especially, like, if you do swing.
This is the swing, it's a basic to the swing.
Listen to the music.
Change partners.
Five, change.
- Pick up the partner. - I can't, I don't know...
Anyone.
- I don't know. - John.
Anyone. Look, look. Okay.
Invite her. Ask her.
Thank you very much.
It was very good.
We have one more hour before competition.
What?
Let me explain what I mean.
We have to, myself and Allison...
choose five couples and one substitute couple...
to represent P.S. 150...
in the quarterfinal competition next week.
Quickly, let me remind you what did we learn in this room?
What is ballroom dancing about?
Ballroom dancing, it's a dialogue in between a lady and a gentleman.
Gentlemen, you're taking care about your partner...
and your main function during any dance...
you have to at least try to make her happy.
I really would love not to be involved in this process because...
I mean, they're all my kids and, just, I don't want to choose favorites.
I don't want to pick one over the other 'cause I don't want to hurt anyone.
I wish all the kids could just pair up and compete in ballroom dancing.
That would be the best way. I need to turn around right now.
I hear a lot of whispering.
Just a couple more minutes.
I see them turning into...
I'm gonna cry...
Then I see them turning into, like, these ladies and gentlemen.
Got it?
Rock and roll, babe.
It's fun being 10.
'Cause when you 10, you like to play more...
be children again. Still be children...
and everything, have fun playing.
Something that scares me about my age...
is that, like, the body that I have...
every time there's drunk people there, and I pass with my mother...
they look at me very weird. And I get kind of scared...
'cause there's some drunk men, they could do anything to you.
Especially girls that they never know...
they could be older and they have already their body shaped.
When you're 11, your parents don't let you go outside alone...
because they still think that you're a little kid.
But, when you're 12, they let you have freedom.
At least a little bit of freedom.
You gotta start putting deodorant.
- You gotta start washing two times a day. - Oh, yeah.
Yeah, that is kind of weird.
You start growing hair in weird places.
And you don't change your sheets because you peed.
And also, did you know that 11-year-old girls...
are the number one target for kidnappers?
- It's really kind of... - What are kidnappers?
Kidnappers.
11-year-old girls are the number one target.
For, like, sick people who like little girls.
I find hard would be school, sometimes...
that you have to learn these new, really hard things...
and the teachers sometimes don't even understand it.
Not hard...
- what's weird in your lives? - Weird?
How, like, how people think.
Like, marriage, parts of marriage is weird.
Like gay marriage, how they been talking about.
- Yeah, like... - I don't think that's right.
...in the Bible, it said people can get married.
- It didn't say, like, what kind of people. - Yeah.
- I don't know why. - You don't have that hard math book?
'Cause that was...
Hate books.
Like this?
Brooklyn quarterfinal on Monday and Tuesday.
The quarterfinals for Manhattan are Wednesday and Thursday.
Let's start discussing the Rainbow Team Match.
What is required with regards to judging?
First and foremost, they have to be on time.
And not just as soon as they hear the music, they just go.
Secondly is the dancing hold, the dance frame.
And then, you've got Cuban motion dances.
If they're able to use Cuban motion.
They get better points, of course, if they are standing nice and tall.
How do you deal now with the teams...
who do not make it to the semifinal?
I think one way of doing it is...
make a big deal at the school afterwards...
that, "Oh, this team has been successful.
"They've achieved the bronze level and that they've gotten that far. "
I also know for a fact that it is part of learning for life...
preparing yourself for life. It's not bad not to make it.
You know, you can say whatever you like.
You either win or you lose.
Okay, and if you haven't got number one...
then you have not won, you have not lost. I mean, you've not won, you've lost.
No matter how much you want to quit... Sorry?
Second place is the first loser.
And he knows from experience.
Let's do tango, please.
Forte now.
Promenade, please.
There's something special about seeing a man dancing...
and teaching dance in that environment.
And it brings the boys along.
Yeah, because you don't really have, nowadays, we don't have...
like a Fred Astaire or a Gene Kelly necessarily as a role model.
That's from a former generation.
And they see us very much as like a father figure...
or maybe an older-brother figure.
And so, I think it's important especially for some of the guys...
to have that kind of validation from an older male figure...
in a competitive venue, because if you're cheering them on, you're rooting them on...
maybe they don't have that kind of encouragement at home.
Give me a two. One, and place.
Place.
Give me one. Shake it.
Shake your hair. Shake your hair all around.
Take a good bow.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen.
I know what you're all waiting for.
Time to make the announcement, okay, and it's been very difficult.
Ms. Freij and I have been spending a lot of time...
talking and really looking carefully.
We have a lot of classes to pick from.
And you're all doing a terrific job. Everyone's working very hard.
So, this is what we'd like to... People that we'd like to ask to be in the competition.
We'd like to ask Jai-Wen. Miss Jai-Wen, raise your hand.
Let's give a round of applause to Jai-Wen.
Also, Ariel. Raise your hand, Ariel.
Raise your hand. And Michael.
Where's Michael? Raise your hand.
But then I really liked watching him today with Emma.
Let's put Celia with Zeb.
And Willie with Briana.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Now, let us to announce...
who will represent P.S. 150.
Zeb and Celia.
Willie and Briana.
Nile and Emma.
Joshua and Tara.
Richard and Quana.
And Cyrus and Jaoke.
Okay, since we scored so high in last year's competition...
we're going straight to the semifinals.
I don't know who yet.
But, you know, you'll know soon enough.
So I want to see who looks... You know, I want to see the old partners.
I want to see new kids with old kids...
and let's see how that works out.
I want to see some chemistry, I want to see...
you know, if you look better with another person.
You know, you have to, like, deserve it, and you have to win.
Win... This is not, like, you know, I can misbehave and then just not, you know...
Okay. Jonathan.
You're here on a trial basis.
You did something very wrong.
And I think that you should say something in front of everybody.
Or else you're not practicing.
You decide how bad you want it. It's not funny.
Is it happening? Or you can just leave right now.
I'm sorry.
- No, not like that, like... - Sorry about what?
- Go ahead. - I'm sorry.
Wilson, he's talking to you.
Okay.
Take off your jacket.
No, it's only us two. No.
Five, six, ready, begin.
Clap for me.
I won.
Who won?
- Karina. - Yeah.
Okay, let's go.
- Do we get medals? - You get medals and a goody bag.
Goody bag!
I'm gonna have to check what's in that goody bag, because maybe I...
Break a leg, everyone! Break a leg!
Two, three, P.S. 150!
Escort your new partner. Come here, come here.
Other side, other side.
There you go. Come on.
Bring her over here.
Boys and girls, we're going to start our competition right now.
Michael, it doesn't matter how tall, they're really good.
It is a great pleasure, once again this year...
to be hosting the quarterfinal...
and all you beautiful young ladies and young gentlemen...
have achieved a wonderful level of dancing...
just by being here today.
And so, without any further ado.
For the first round...
may I please ask each merengue team, come on the floor first?
Five, six, go!
Green, green, green!
It's wonderful that we learned how to do the dances.
But, also, in a way it's brought our relationships and friendships...
a little bit closer.
Hopefully, it'll come in use when I've married.
Which will be a very, very long time from now. I hope.
Tango. Tango team.
- Go Michael! - Michael!
You ain't seen nothing yet!
Ready, go!
T- A-N-G-O.
T- A.
It was easy, kind of, 'cause you hear pink, yellow, and everybody.
You're just concentrating on your partner and all the songs.
Then you hear the crowd beating...
so you wanna just win. You wanna have fun.
Take a big hand! Take a bow!
And now we're going to have our swing teams on the floor!
Five, six, ready, go!
I wanna, like, you know, be a dancer.
Yeah, exactly. As a career.
Like, I wanna be a singer who acts...
and dances during her concerts.
You know, just combine them all together.
It all happens there.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now going to go to Cuba for the rumba!
Five, six, ready, go!
Quick, quick, slow.
You feel like even if you're gonna lose, you've gotten this far. You're this good.
So it shows that you're actually good at something...
and that you've proved something.
It's not that I want to prove something to anyone.
I wanted to prove it to myself, that I can actually do this.
Let's see. Okay, over here.
Let's check over here. Girls, over here.
That's cute.
It's nice, but I don't like this.
- Do you like it, yes or no? - No.
- Why not, why not? - It's too glittery.
It's too much.
Do you like this one? I don't like black.
What you got there?
Let me see.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm liking this...
- Look at this. - No, not like that.
What about sailor? I'm Popeye, the sailor man?
- Too flowery. - No, too many flowers.
A botanical garden.
Oh, that's nice. Look.
It's all right, but no.
We always find our clothes here and I don't want to leave without...
That's beautiful. Girls?
Of course, see anything...
that you think you gonna have your bellybutton out?
No, that's not happening.
Try that on. You two try it on.
Does it look like it's gonna fall off?
Well, if we find a shirt that looks nice...
because you're not gonna have your bellybutton out.
That's something. Let's see. I don't know.
Look at the side, look at the side, look.
Take a bow.
All right. May I please have...
the orange team in front of Miss Joanna?
The pink team in front of Miss Victoria.
And the green team in front of Miss...
Escort position!
You have all been awarded the silver level ribbon.
Congratulations.
Silver level.
It is so close.
It's unbelievable.
The great thing is you all have silver level.
May I have Mr. Alex?
May I have Miss Lori?
May I have all you dance teams...
in escort position, facing your teacher.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Everybody give these teams a big hand.
They all have a silver level ribbon.
Congratulations for our silver level winners.
Well done.
Once you've got your gift bag and your ribbon, kindly sit down.
Now, ladies and gentlemen.
Everybody, listen, please. If you don't mind.
The pink, P.S. 11...
P.S. 64 and P.S. 1, go to the semifinals.
It's okay.
Take a deep breath, right now.
You gotta take a deep breath.
Take it. It'll help you.
First off, every single one of you did an amazing job.
And I'm so proud of you.
And I couldn't have asked anyone better to do it than you guys.
All of you did an excellent job today.
And remember, whatever you got from this program...
this is for the rest of your life.
Exactly! You're going to learn from this experience.
Everybody should be glad that they even went. Right?
Yeah, but we did everything they told us to.
I know you did and you did a wonderful job.
So, you gotta get up.
- You gotta rise above this. - Come on, yeah.
See, I really don't know exactly, you know, but you can see...
if you had three more points, you would have got through.
You're 263, they're 265.
And the other team got 256, so you really were very, very, very close.
I still really don't understand and what happened.
What do you think are the things to remember?
One thing? Hands together.
Second thing to remember?
- Stand straight? - Stand straight.
- Smile. - Smile. What else?
- Look at each other. - Look at each other, smile.
What about your feet?
- Together. - Feet together.
The movements are only...
Nobody look at me.
I don't want anybody looking at me.
After the tango corte, people tend to look at me.
- Nobody look at me. - Okay.
Why you looking that way, Jonathan?
Smile!
Even if you can't stand your partner, but you're smiling.
"Oh, man, I don't like you, but I'm smiling," right?
Right, Joshua?
"Oh, no, look at this girl, but I'm still smiling," right?
Nobody's looking at Miss Reynoso. So you're looking at your partner and you're smiling.
Yes!
Make it sharp. Sharp.
Pretty good.
Let me try another song.
You're tired? I'm sorry to hear that.
Five, six, ready, begin.
La risa. Yeah.
I'm tired, but I'm going to win this competition.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
I would say, I mean, I'm not rich, but I am a teacher and I'm making it.
I just would like this for the children.
You'd like them to be successful.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...
I wish there was a magical way in which I can just...
go inside of all the kids...
and like Jeannie used to do and, like, blink.
Like a little magic, "Okay, there, you'll be a perfect child.
"You're gonna do whatever you're supposed to do.
"You're gonna go the right way. You're gonna go to college. "
And it's so difficult because you bring out these things to these children.
You bring arts, you bring out all of these programs.
And then a few years down the line...
you'll see these kids out in the street and...
That's not what we want for these kids.
But I have this drive and this passion that I wish I could just...
get inside these kids and, like, slap them and say...
"Here, you know, you're worth it, you're an individual.
"You'll better yourself. "
But, you know, unfortunately, it doesn't work that way with everybody.
And I can only do what I can.
Sexy, looking at your partner. Look at him, he's gorgeous!
Stop moving your hands.
Okay, now everybody will sit.
As you're sitting, you're resting.
Jonathan, are you... Is there a problem?
Have you danced with Karina so she can get her practice for today?
Only because you're tall?
It's okay. Go ahead, Karina and Jonathan.
No, no, no.
No? Why not?
You dance with all the other girls, but not with Karina.
- For a reason. - For a reason?
What was that reason?
That's how bad you want to be in this competition...
that you can't dance with the girls I pick for you?
Okay. Then I know what I'm doing.
Everybody, back up.
If you have a partner, come up. Jonathan?
Can't deal with it. Either you dance or you don't.
- I don't. - Good-bye.
Those sunflowers are big.
Peonies?
So, I was wondering if there's anything that you guys want to share.
I'm indignant.
I don't care much about winning or losing that much.
I mean, we dance, we have fun, well, too bad if we lost.
But, I mean, it's just that one of the teams...
the red team, it just didn't seem like that they should be one of the gold levels.
I think the other schools danced horribly.
I mean, they were all jolty, and...
Listen, I don't want to, you know, make comments about other schools.
I want you to think about us, and think about what we did really well.
All along I tried explaining it to you...
it wasn't about the competition.
It was just about learning the ballroom dancing.
Well, when I saw everyone dance...
well, I didn't think that anyone could do any better than they did, like...
what we did, what we practiced, that's all what we could do...
and if they don't see that then that's their problem.
Everything that we learned, we did right. We were smiling...
we were doing the moves right, we had eye-to-eye connection...
we were focusing, we were having fun.
If we did so good, why didn't we go to the semifinals or finals?
Because it's the judge's opinion, not ours.
All right.
It's their opinion of what a good posture is...
and what good eye contact is.
And we might have been doing it the way we learned.
But they didn't see it as the way they learned it was supposed to be.
If everybody that was competing could have done one thing...
a little bit better.
And I don't know.
I think you did the best that you could do.
- I know, that's in the past. - It's in the past.
I just kind of felt, when I went away, that I still could have done a little bit better.
Okay.
But we did a lot of mistakes.
We did a lot of mistakes and we still got in second place.
I think it should have been harder. It was not too hard.
It was just like dancing in a regular auditorium.
I liked the cheering, it gave me confidence.
At least I know, like, someone wants us to win.
So, like, we could keep on dancing.
They make us practice and practice...
until we're sweating to death, or something.
And then they say, "The competition is starting. "
Then they had us dance with a new partner that I'd never, ever seen.
It's like an alien. Dancing with an alien.
I was doing this. He said, "Stop. "
The girl was like an adult. She was, like, so tall! I'm like...
Hey, at least I'm having fun!
I think it was pretty good...
'cause I'm just glad that we, like, didn't get bronze...
and I just had a lot of fun.
At least we got something. It's not like we didn't get anything.
It was the best that we actually got to that competition.
We could have got to the second competition if we'd tried harder, but...
we just wanted to have fun. We didn't want to try hard, we just wanted fun.
Okay, together. Let's go. Let's go.
Can we please start off with our merengue teams?
All right. Now.
Music, please.
Five, six. Go!
I'm worried, because it's like our team is getting, like, so apart.
And Angie, I heard she had some problems.
And that she might not go to compete.
- Three people that might not go: Kelvin... - Kelvin don't want to dance with me.
Don't want to dance well?
She wants to put... She wants...
She wants Kelvin to dance foxtrot with you, and Joshua to dance swing with me.
And my partner, I think he's being lazy. Lazy, very lazy.
He's lazy, he doesn't like to do anything.
That's sad.
I hope that Miss Reynoso and Miss Stephie fix this...
because then, if we don't fix this by Wednesday, we're toast.
That is true.
And right now I'm feeling a little bit not sure that we're gonna win.
- Me neither. - Me neither.
Take a bow!
Thank you. Rumba teams on the floor, please.
Five, six, ready, go!
Just because... Do you see the look that I give to Wilson...
when I'm doing the turn in the rumba?
Just because of that, I like him.
I let them think whatever they want.
- They just wanna talk. - I feel sorry for him.
He don't even know English that much.
And you remember that Jonathan that had to say sorry to him?
'Cause he said, "Oh, you gay, whatever, whatever. "
- And Miss Reynoso was like... - She made him say sorry.
I think he's a very special person, 'cause he came in new.
- And he's going to the competition. - And he's going to the competition.
Take your bow, thank you.
Swing!
Wait for it.
Five, six, ready, go!
Didn't Miss Reynoso ask you, "What about the skirt?"
So, when you're dancing, what you going to do?
- She didn't ask you? - Yeah!
- What'd you say? - I was like, "I'm gonna pick it up. "
That was my answer.
What are you going to do? Leave it on the floor?
- Dance naked? No. - Pick it up.
She went like, "No!"
I'm gonna take it off and throw it and keep dancing like that.
I'm like, "No. "
And dance naked?
Take a bow.
All right.
Does that make sense?
This, this tango. Thank you very much. You got it.
Ladies and gentlemen.
The grand final is going to be...
on Wednesday...
at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden.
I would like to have the yellow team...
stand in front of Miss Madeline.
The red team, stand in front of Miss Carol.
Violet team in front of Mrs. Solomon.
Escort position.
Give them all a big hand for the bronze level!
May I please have...
the green team in front of Miss Carol?
The emerald team in front of Miss Madeline.
You have got the silver medal.
The indigo team, the blue team and the orange team...
good luck for the grand finals. Congratulations.
I don't know, but I think that this competition, the last one...
I think it's going to be easy.
I don't think so!
There's gonna be the team there that won it the last time.
And I heard that this school from Queens...
they won the gold medal.
That was the school that won, us, last year.
Look at her hips.
- Justin messed up, he just messed up there. - Who?
Justin.
Justin, straighten up!
Okay, bow. Circle.
Okay, gather around. Let's listen.
Good, good...
Okay.
Rock on. Great Cuban motion. You guys totally rule.
Make sure your frame matches hers.
You both have beautiful frame, but it's not the same frame.
Your arms should be touching.
The thing that I felt with this dance that...
really, I think makes a difference...
and I told them that they need to feel it in here.
And when you do the one, two, hold. Feel it.
Like kind of drag a little instead of one, two, here.
You can still do the hips, but I want you to do one, two, hold.
Feel it, I wanna see that expression. Wow, you're really into it.
Trust me, a key thing is your expression...
and your attitude.
Okay, let's see the tango.
Don't be a bully. Don't let him push you.
All right, attitude! Real attitude.
James Bond!
Layla, remember? Bend your knees a little.
Okay, smile. You, too.
Smile.
Matthew, don't turn out.
- Matthew's good. - James Bond. Smile, just a little.
What I'm talking about, I just always managed to say...
And you know we're at the citywide ballroom.
You know what? We'll do our best and I hope it's here to stay for awhile.
I think we need to build a permanent home for it, you know. We never...
- It needs a shrine. - Maybe if we make a shrine, you know?
Like, build, like, this Plexiglas. It knows it can't leave.
We love you, ballroom... Maybe if we're, like, really extra nice to it...
it'll want to stay here, you know.
I love it. Nice. It's like the genie, you rub it, you know, like the top, and it...
Winner!
Jatnna, what do you think about the hairstyle?
I wish I could have bad hair so that my bump would look more nice.
I wish I could have curly hair.
Oh, my Lord!
I feel fine 'cause, like, I want to be on the basketball team.
'Cause I just want to, like, play basketball, and not dance anymore.
'Cause I dance every day at my house, why am I gonna dance in school?
I want to play basketball.
And I wish them good luck. Have fun.
And you better bring the championship trophy.
What's that?
Can you believe that those two huge buildings used to stand there?
- That's crazy. - 1: 15.
I don't have to tell you how to behave.
You're representing your school, okay?
They have the palm trees, too?
It's facing out, the flower, rather than in to the boy.
We have to fix yours, Erica.
Man, this is like a double Windsor. All right.
You guys gotta tuck your shirts in all the way.
Not baggy, not loose, tuck them in all the way, all right?
It's not important to look good, but to smell good.
Gotta get some right here. Oh, see, now, he's gotta check the hair.
All right, make sure there's nothing standing up. All right, okay, cool.
You look sharp, bro. That made a big difference.
Last minute things.
Each dance, merengue, keep your knees...
Down. Bent. Okay.
- And in the foxtrot, don't go up. - Move your derrières, right.
It's very slight. Keep the body...
Body with your partner. Smile, the biggest thing, okay?
- Are we all set? - Yeah.
Anybody nervous?
This time you're not going to have the same judges.
You're going to have professional dancers and people...
from all over the world judging you.
Okay, remember, I'm not gonna be there with you, so...
- I am nervous. - No, you're not.
I love you all.
Ladies and gentlemen...
welcome to the colors of the rainbow team match.
From Manhattan, P.S. 189, the red team.
Ladies and gentlemen...
from the South Bronx, P.S. 1, the violet team.
From Queens, P.S. 122, the pink team.
And from Manhattan, Washington Heights...
P.S. 115, the indigo team.
From Brooklyn, P.S. 205, the orange team.
Ladies and gentlemen, from Queens...
P.S. 144, the emerald team.
And ladies and gentlemen, last, but not by any means least...
from Brooklyn, the green team, P.S. 120.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, the colors of the rainbow.
Thank you. Now. The judges are ready.
The merengue teams stay on the stage, please...
and all of the other teams, escort your partner...
back where you came from.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first dance, merengue, por favor.
Five. Six. Ready. Go.
Let's go indigo!
Indigo! Indigo!
Take a bow!
May I have the fox trot teams, please?
Music, please.
Attitude!
Five, six, seven, go.
Several of the children on the team were challenging children...
as far as behavior issues, academic issues.
Michell is an adorable little girl.
Michell has a little mind of her own. And Michell is a handful.
Even her mother would be kind of frustrated...
and wondering what will be next.
She certainly was a very mischievous, incorrigible, young lady...
and certainly not focused on school or what she should be focused on.
And I think that Michell has turned herself around to have real goals...
and a much higher opinion of herself.
I will tell you that Michell has not shown up in my office...
this year, once.
For behavior problems. Not once.
So if that's not a dramatic improvement, I don't know what is.
And take a bow.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, the dance from Cuba. Rumba!
Take a bow!
May I now have the tango team?
Five, six, ready, and go.
And take a bow.
Thank you. Are you ready for the swing?
Are you ready for the swing?
So, let's go. Swing.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Okay.
We have to have a little bit of time for... Miss Danielle and Miss Yvonne...
are doing the numbers. Thank you very much, ladies.
And while they're doing that...
I would like to ask...
all of our alternate teams to come up on stage.
Ladies and gentlemen.
The teams that had to know all five dances...
just in case somebody got sick.
So you need to show us what your mama gave you.
Merengue, please.
Five, six, five, six, here we go.
And take a bow.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very, very much.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have the results.
Now, may I ask for the pink team, ladies and gentlemen, to stand...
in escort position behind Mr. Danny?
May I ask the blue team to stand behind Miss Heather?
May I ask the green team to stand behind Miss Ellen?
Ladies and gentlemen, these three teams today...
receive the bronze level medal.
May I now, please, have our yellow team stand here?
Violet and orange.
Ladies and gentlemen, you've won the silver level.
Congratulations.
Okay, now, the red team, stand right here, please.
The emerald team, stand here, please.
The indigo team, stand here, please.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are our gold winners.
So, what has to happen right now...
only one of the golden teams...
will take home the challenge trophy.
Last year P.S. 144 won it.
Who will win this year?
All right. So.
I'm going to ask Miss Reinking...
to choose one of these dances. Please.
Could you tell us what it is?
- Merengue. - The merengue team will dance.
And the tango team will dance.
May I have the three merengue teams come to me?
Now, you cannot dance merengue, so choose another dance.
Rumba.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is for the challenge trophy.
Rumba!
Go Kelvin!
Five, six, seven, go.
You know, somebody said to me a long time ago...
the key to success in life is to find something that you love to do.
And to do it very well.
And I tell that to the kids all the time.
Kelvin was very, very close to being a street kid.
A street thug.
Maybe even down the road to being a criminal.
But as we got started with the program...
and Kelvin started to interact with Rodney...
we started to see a change in him.
He became almost like a little gentleman. Very polite.
Really committed to his team, to his dance partner...
and he has been such a role model for other kids...
because he has leadership capabilities and kids will follow.
Because they look up to him and they want to be like Kelvin.
I think that Kelvin is gonna be fine. I think Kelvin is gonna be a big success.
He's on the right path now.
And I attribute a large percentage of that to the dance program.
Now, you can't do tango. Good luck.
Merengue!
Go, Jatnna, attitude!
Ready, go.
And take a bow!
Thank you very, very much. Okay.
Are you crossing your fingers? Crossing your ankles?
All right. We have to wait a couple of more moments.
We have to wait.
We are waiting.
Ladies and gentlemen, there's no second, there's no third.
There's only one challenge trophy.
The indigo team!
We rock! We rock!
Go dancers! Go dancers!
What would you like to be when you grow up?
I was thinking about it a few times.
First, I wanted to become a lawyer.
But then I realized that it takes a while to become a lawyer.
I want to be an architect, because when you're an architect...
First of all, you can earn a lot of money...
and second of all, it's the only job...
where you can really, really use your imagination to make something.
Like, if I were going to make that building...
I wouldn't make it like that. That's a really ugly, boring building.
Like, around high school, I want to have a boyfriend...
and when I finish college, I want to get married...
and then at the age of 25, 26, I want to have babies.
I would like to be a mother, but only have one child.
No more childs. Because I would not want to have my house...
to be all messy because of my child.
No, no, no. I would just have one child.
Falling in love makes, like, happiness. That's what it's all about.
Like two people bonding together.
Like, loving each other...
and knowing that they're going to have a happy life together.
Like, marriage, knowing that they're going to have a happy life together.
It's like two people going together...
either to bond together...
to love each other and maybe even have a child.
It's just how they like each other.
It's so beautiful!
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