Mad Hot Ballroom and Tap 2011 in images

The rain and wind in Milwaukee over the majority of Saturday was miserable stuff.  It was enough to put a damper on the day, except perhaps within the hallows of the Bradley Center. On the same floor that the Milwaukee Bucks, Marquette Eagles, and Milwaukee Admirals compete,  thousands of 5th and 6th graders from 39 area schools battled for dance titles.

It was the sixth year for the Mad Hot Ballroom and Tap competition held by Danceworks, Inc., and as always, it was an epic sight to behold. For some, you could see it was a thrill just to have their faces appear on the jumbotron screens as they were videotaped by in-house cameras.  For others, the nervous excitement was palpable as students waited for the music to begin with arms raised in position to Swing, Salsa, Funky, Tap, and Waltz.

Once the music began, faces lit up with laughter and smiles.  It’s a payoff moment for twelve weeks of lessons and education via a joint program between the school and Danceworks. Schoolmates screamed for their favorite dancers from the stands while parents, teachers, and principals (who got a special shout-out) cheered just as hard.

After waves of competitors are whittled down to finals, trophies and medals are handed out.  This year’s overall Ballroom Award winner was Golda Meir Elementary, with Tippecanoe taking the overall Tap Award.  A list of individual winners is forthcoming as of this posting, but you can check out Danceworks’ Facebook page for a running account of the day including videos.  Check out the kids in the Salsa — they brought some serious energy!

See our slideshow below, or please check our flickr account for the full set.