Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School

There is another dance movie that opened recently called Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. It is only playing in a limited number of theaters. We went to Shirlington to see it, but it was definitely worth the drive.

While the story line in the last movie we reviewed, “Take The Lead” was predictable, this one was anything but. The director used an alternating time sequence to look back on one life while looking forward at another.

Frank Keane (Robert Carlyle) witnesses a car accident involving Steve Mills (John Goodman) and stops to help. Steve is on the way to Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School to keep an appointment he made 40 years ago. He had attended this school in the early 60s as a boy where he met his first love. They agreed to meet at the school on the 5th day of the 5th month of the 5th year of the new millennium. He implores Frank to deliver his regrets.

One man's dream becomes another man's destiny as Frank is pulled into a journey that is illuminating and funny and ultimately redemptive--a journey through dance that changes his life forever.

Dancing is only one thread that the director uses to weave the story. Each character’s situation contributes to the whole. We highly recommend this movie.

Dancing as a hobby

There are a couple of things that I like about ballroom dancing. First, it is an opportunity for my wife and I to do something together. More than just doing the same thing at the same time, we are actually doing something with each other. It sure beats sitting in front of the boob tube together.

Second is that it takes concentration and focus to dance. My day is filled with phone calls and meetings and running around. I usually going in several different directions at once. However, when we practice together or go to a dance or take a lesson, I have to set everything else aside and focus on my partner and what we are doing.

There is nothing bad about doing something together with your soul mate that focuses all your attention on the here and now.

A Movie Review: Take the Lead

We always go to all the dance movies. Last week we saw Take the Lead. It was a cold and rainy afternoon; perfect for going to the movies. Other people must have thought so too because the place was packed.

Take the Lead is a feel-good Cinderella story complete with a ball at the end. Antonio Banderas stars in the story that is loosely based on the life of Pierre Dulaine. Pierre started a program to teach ballroom dance to grade-schoolers in the NYC public school system. This movie follows the same premise with a program to teach high school kids in Chicago.

Pierre is riding his bike home from a dance when he witnesses some kids wacking away at a car with a nine iron. He picks up a parking pass that the kids drop as they run away. It turns out the car belongs to the principal of the local HS. While returning it, he hatches the idea to teach ballroom dancing at the school. The principal thinks he's nuts. She lets him try with the incorrigibles assigned to detention. The students in detention think he's an alien from another world. Through his persistence and love of dance he wins them over and inspires them to compete in a city wide ballroom dance competition.

The story line and plot development are good but predictable. It does have some great dance scenes. Doris really enjoyed it when Antonio Banderas demonstrated the Tango. A wonderful line from the movie described a tango as 'Sex on hardwood'.

This was a really good movie, especially for dancers and we highly recommend going to see it.