Dancing Classrooms Los Angeles, the classroom-based social development arts-in-education program that was featured in the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom has finally arrived in Los Angeles!
With the support of community leaders, local politicians and LAUSD officials, Dancing Classrooms LA provides a ten-week, twenty-session social development program for 5th graders. In 2010 the program served 42,000 children in 509 schools in 24 cities (New York City, Newark, Omaha, Fort Worth/Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, Suffolk County Long Island (NY), Fort Myers & the Florida Keys, Cleveland, Lake Charles (LA), Monterey & Santa Cruz (CA), Geneva (Switz), Pittsburgh, St. Louis, US Virgin Islands, Western Maryland, Winston-Salem, Seattle, Phoenix, Stamford (CT), and Zurich (Switzerland)).
The mission of Dancing Classrooms is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance. Through ballroom dance, students break down social barriers, learn about honor and respect, improve self-confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept others even if they are different. Dancing Classrooms seeks to foster respect and teamwork, and to nurture a sense of joy and accomplishment in every child