Dancing Classrooms Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Mad Hot Ballroom at the Dance on Camera Festival (February 21–24), presenting the art of dance on film through classics and shorts that capture movement in motion. This landmark documentary introduced the world to the power of social dance to transform young lives, and two decades later, we at Dancing Classrooms are still doing the work by bringing the joy, confidence, and connection of dance to thousands of NYC students every year.
Special 20th-Anniversary Screening & Reception
**SOLD OUT**
📅 Date: Monday, February 24, 2024
🕔 Time: Reception* at 5 PM | Screening at 6:30 PM | Panel Discussion to Follow
📍 Location: Symphony Space – Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater (95th & Broadway), NYC
Special Guest Panelists:
Marilyn Agrelo – Mad Hot Ballroom Director & Producer
Jatnna Idonije – Featured student, PS 115M
Victoria Malvagno – Featured Dancing Classroom’s Teaching Artist, PS 112K
Yomaira Reynoso – Featured teacher, PS 115M
Amy Sewell – Mad Hot Ballroom Writer & Producer
Michael Vaccaro – Featured student, PS 112K
Moderated by: Eve Wolff – Acting Executive Director, Dancing Classrooms
Dancing Classrooms is beyond thrilled to close the festival with this special screening. Twenty years later, we are still joyfully dancing with students across NYC and the US, proving the skills learned on the dance floor extend far beyond. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of dance and film!
🎟️ Tickets & More Info: https://www.dancefilms.org/festival
*Please note, due to limited capacity, the reception is by invitation only.
*****
In loving memory of Kevin Heredia, PS 115M & Mad Hot Ballroom alum
*****
About Our Panelists:
Marilyn Agrelo – Mad Hot Ballroom Director & Producer
Marilyn is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker based in NYC. Her credits include documentaries, scripted films, commercials, and branded content that have aired around the world. Mad Hot Ballroom, her directorial debut, enjoyed a theatrical run of over 24 weeks and was short-listed for Best Documentary Feature at the 2006 Academy Awards. Marilyn’s recent film, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (2021) about the group of visionaries that created Sesame Street, had its world premiere at Sundance 2021 and won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.
Jatnna Idonije – Featured Student, PS 115M
Jatnna is a Chicago-based real estate broker and social media influencer with a passion for connecting people with their dream homes while sharing her journey and expertise online. With a strong presence in both the real estate and digital space, Jatnna blends market knowledge with engaging content, inspiring and educating her audience on lifestyle and homeownership. @jatnnaidonije
Victoria Malvagno – Featured Dancing Classroom’s Teaching Artist, PS 112K
Victoria has been with Dancing Classrooms since 1999! Over the past 25 years, she has worn many hats. First as a Teaching Artist, then Senior Educational Liaison, and now Program Manager. Along with supervising many ballroom dance residencies across the five boroughs, she has judged numerous competitions, and has been an emcee for Dancing Classroom’s Colors of the Rainbow Team Match in New York, Long Island, Philadelphia, Monterey, and was especially thrilled to be the Emcee for Dancing Classrooms 2024 Mad Hot Ball!
Honored to have been featured in this incredible documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom, it brings such joy to be here tonight to celebrate with our students, the filmmakers, and the many talented and passionate Teaching Artists who make Dancing Classrooms so special.
Yomaira Reynoso – Featured Teacher, PS 115M
Yomaira Reynoso is the former dance teacher of the Indigo Team from Public School 115, the winning team featured in Mad Hot Ballroom. She taught for 34 years before retiring, inspiring students to excel on and off the dance floor. As she once said in the film, “I wish I had a magic wand to go inside my kids and tell them, here, you are worth it.” Her dedication to the arts continues to show in the successful lives of her former students.
Amy Sewell – Mad Hot Ballroom Writer & Producer
Amy is a writer, artist, and filmmaker, best known for the award-winning and audience-favorite Mad Hot Ballroom. Her latest project, Shake These Bones, is a documentary that showcases the unique world of Gibney Company’s dance artists. A published author, her books include The Mad Hot Adventures of a Documentary Filmmaker, She’s Out There! The Next Generation of Presidential Candidates, and fiction novels Pockets8s and The Hole in the Rabbit. amysewellnyc.com @amysewellnyc
Michael Vaccaro – Featured Student, PS 112K
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller