Mad Hot Ballroom

Advantages: Perceptive, real, fascinating
Disadvantages: maybe follows too many groups at the start

...Mad Hot Ballroom is a feature-length documentary that follows the progress of the ballroom dancing program at several public schools and their acheivements at city-wide competition. The schools are in the more disadvantaged areas of the city: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan (a disadvantaged bit), and Queens. The program began in 1994 and has grown to around 6000 kids in different schools. At first the film is quite difficult to follow, as it follows at least three groups of children and it's hard to keep track of who's in which school group. As the competition progresses to the later stages, the field is narrowed till it focuses on one school in the final, competing for the challenge cup. The film is fascinating on many levels - watching how one teacher and her class deal with losing a particular round is a real insight into...

dakota196 06.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Mad Hot Ballroom (DVD)

Tilting at Ballrooms

Advantages: All in op.
Disadvantages: All in op.

...Camden's Electric Ballroom, plays host to all manner of events throughout the week, and an indoor market on a Sunday, but for the purposes of this review the main event is Friday night's Full Tilt club night. Best summarized as 'The Devil's Ibiza' Full Tilt is a great mixed 'alternative' night - two dance floors, the smaller upstairs room playing punk and metal based sounds, the main downstairs focusing more on the dirty electro side of things - EBM, 'industrial', segueing into electro, dance, and generally ending up somewhere in the full on gabba corner. The sets are also incredibly boring - when I was going regularly it felt as though the main floor DJ's had 'will change only one track each week' written into their contracts! However for an occasional night out, it's generaly good fun. The major attraction is less the music than...

Ariel 15.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Electric Ballroom (London)

Strictly Ballroom

Advantages: Classic fairy story set to the outrageous backdrop of ballroom dancing
Disadvantages: Cliched, trite, predictable.

...This perceptive and well-executed film still after nearly 15 years since its release comes over as one of the most original films I've ever watched. The storyline is nothing more than a re-working of a classic fairy tale of handsome princes and ugly frogs (or dance partners) and yet the magical retelling make this film the success it is. Scott Hastings is the ballroom dance prodigy who since being groomed to win the all important Pan-Pacific Grand Prix championship from the age of 6 looks like he could be throwing it all away by continuing to use un-registered and therefore illegal dance steps in his routine. His mother is shocked and dismayed that Scott could throw his chance of the title, his dance coach, Les Kendell is similarly gob smacked but most effected of all is Scott dance partner, who quits dancing with Scott and takes up...

etala 05.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Strictly Ballroom (DVD)

Stictly Ballroom - Simply Brilliant

Advantages: Great choreography, very well acted, good music
Disadvantages: Um...none, really!

...I love this film! I went through a phase of watching it when I was about 8, then I forgot about it for six years. But the other day I was ill, and decided there was no better way to pass the time than to sit back, watch a film and think "All my friends are in Maths! Mwah ha ha!" And I'm so glad I did! I'd totally forgotten what a good movie it is! And now I'm hooked again. The story is about two ballroom dancers. The first is Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio). Scott's been dancing since he was six, and is a champion, just like his mum Shirley and his coach Les were. Everyone thinks that it's going to be his year - everyone expects him and his partner Liz to win the Pan Pacific Grand Prix. The other is Fran (Tara Morice). She's pretty clumsy and gawky, and you wouldn't expect her to be the dancy type, really. She's only been...

sophie5914 10.10.2001 (16.10.2001) · Read review
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Review of Strictly Ballroom (DVD)

Enter The Neon Ballroom

Advantages: Not a single bad or even mediocre song on the entire album.
Disadvantages: Not everyone own's it.

...Having risen to the heady heights of fame at the tender age of 15, one might expect Silverchair to have burnt out and paled into history like so many others before them. Well... it hasn't been an easy ride, but the've come through. Each track on 'Neon Ballroom', their third and most accomplished albumn to date, deals with the many problems and emotions that have been thrown at front man Daniel Johns over the bands meteoric rise to the top. Johns solid, directed, guitar work combines with an orchestra of strings and some moving piano performances from fellow aussie David helfgot, to produce a very involving sound quite unlike anything your likely to have heard before. Drawing emotions out of you left, right and center, then slaming you down before repeating the process, this album could quite possibly be the soundtrack of a generation...

BobCarolgees 05.09.2000 · Read review
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Review of Neon Ballroom - Silverchair

cha-cha-cha la la!

Advantages: good story, great character development
Disadvantages: all very happily ever after...but I liked it!

...Browsing Waterstones the other weekend I was after a particular book that I had read about on here and then something else a bit light hearted. I suddenly spotted a book that was covered in glitter entitled "The Ballroom Class" The title alone, along with the couple mid dance on the front was enough to make me buy it! The story & Characters ANGELICA We are introduced to several people during the beginning chapters. Firstly, there is Angelica, she is a professional dancer returning to her hometown of Longhampton and is teaching dance at the local Memorial Centre. We are told very little about Angelica to begin with - only that she is still very beautiful and extremely graceful at nearly 60. There is some mystery surrounding her and slowly this is revealed throughout the book. As well as this...

burtybookworm 19.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Ballroom Class - Lucy Dillon

A stunning hotel and location!

Advantages: stunning accomodation and service
Disadvantages: expensive!!!!

...The Columbia Beach Resort to look at is made of stone and wood and looks very grand. There are bellboys who will take your luggage and welcome drinks when you arrive! The resort has a spa which includes a gym, sauna, jacuzzi and plunge pools as well as both indoor and outdoor pools and a pool for toddlers and young children. It also has access to the small pebbley/sandy beach. The pools are freshwater and not heated oor is heated from November. The actual accomodation obviously varies a lot but our rooms were lovely and were interconnecting for our children. We had a massive square bath and a big shower in EACH ROOM as well as a superking bed. The rooms were made up by housekeeping TWICE each day and everywhere and everything kept very clean. There is also wifi in your room. As for the food WELL where do i start! Its amazing...

f1re_cr4cker 22.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Columbia Beach Resort, Pissouri

JACKSON, BRUSSELS, & COLUMBIA

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review

...and we saw the space shuttle Columbia explode whilst returning to earth, and who can forget the blackout that caused havoc in the USA and Canada? Of course not wishing to be outdone the UK?s capital had its own major power cut a little while later. Many thought initially that it was terrorist but it turned out to be just power failure on each account. Another major thing to happen in 2003 was the outbreak of the potentially deadly SARS virus, with flu like symptoms many people left it too late to seek medical advice and consequently died. The scare eventually reached its peak and was declared over, only to find that late December/early Jan2004 another person was found in Asia with the deadly disease. And still in the news is Michael Jackson and the allegations against him. Now personally I am not sure whether I think he is guilty or not...

dabmim 10.01.2004 (11.01.2004) · Read review
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Review of This Year In View - 2003

Baby dancers - they can dance better than me!

Advantages: great atmosphere, great to see show in making
Disadvantages: lots of waiting around

...For those who have read my review on 'britains got talent' you will know i received my tickets for that through a company who provide free audience tickets called applausestore.com. I received my tickets for baby ballroom through the same company. I thought i'd go along as again to another show as it is something to do rather than being stuck in with no ideas on where to go on my day off! I took along my mum as thought she might like it too. This particular show was filmed at granda studios itself in one of the bigger studios. We have been here before so knew what to expect but i'll just give an overview of how it works for anyone who is interested in going to a show as the first time we'd ever been here we were not expecting it to be like this! Arriving at the studios: When you first arrive you have to queue up outside until...

frankiecesca 02.10.2007 (28.09.2007) · Read review
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Review of Baby Ballroom

Mixing romance to the passion of dancing

Advantages: bonus features with commentary by crew and galleries, subtitles
Disadvantages: available in only English talking language

..."Strictly Ballroom" is brought to us by Baz> Luhrman, he one and only who brought to us the unforgettable "Moulin Rouge". It was actually amongst his earlies fim. Romance and dance are something I love.. And in strictly ballroom, I got served, this film is filled with the best ballroom dances; salsa, chacha, rumba and waltz but moreover it adds exoticism with latin dances like the Paso Doble. It gives anyone who has a musical ear and who love to move, the ability to experience simple steps In all "Strictly Ballroom" is the story of a young dancer who wants to do what he loves, that is dancing, but not be restricted by rules and decorum. In fact, he wants his passion to touch others, on his way to finding himself and what he truly wants, he finds love and support in someone he did not expect. The music and soundtrack is marvelous...

sabrina2111 25.06.2009 · Read review
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