I finally saw the movie "Take the Lead" where Antonio Banderas portrays the great Pierre Dulaine (americanballroomtheater.com/our_...asp). I'm not very good about going to see movies in the actual theater.

There is a line in the movie where he is defending his program to a group of parents that want to terminate it. He embraces Alfre Woodard and leads her in simple walking. The look on her face was sheer horror at first. Then, she relaxed into the movement. Then he says, "Partner dancing involves trust. Not only must you trust your partner, but you must also trust yourself." He also tells the kids that "It takes just as much strength to follow as it does to lead" and "You do not lead as a dictator". He continues to impress upon the parents why his program was such a benefit to the students. His program didn't get cancelled.

It's so wonderful that his program for school children has excelled and has been around for a long time! It's not just in New York City but spreading nationwide. The lessons learned in his program are vital for proper development of the social skills that are needed for human interaction, but few opportunities exist in schools for children to learn how to treat each other. Kids are in danger of becoming drones! School consists of 8 hours of sit down, shut up and listen! There are no outlets for any kind of creativity, where what you learn is actually applied. Where do children get a chance to express themselves? That's why arts education is a necessity, not some frivolous waste of time!

Something else struck me while watching this movie. I have excelled in every style of dance that I have learned except for partner dancing.